Field of Schemes: MLB to force more D.C. kids to sit through Nats games

December 14, 2004

MLB to force more D.C. kids to sit through Nats games

Linda Cropp's price has been set, according to today's Washington Post. The D.C. council chair says she's now "very positive" about casting the deciding vote for a Washington Nationals stadium, after MLB delivered a 2-1/2 page letter outlining items it would be willing to renegotiate. Among those items, according to the Post: More free tickets for city kids, and an increase in the number of days a year the city would get to use its own ballpark. Cropp also says she plans to introduce an amendment today capping the total stadium cost at $555 million - or rather, forcing the city to look at other sites if the price comes in at more than $555 million - though it's unclear whether MLB has signed off on that.

The council is presumably debating the stadium bill as I type this, but I haven't been able to find an Internet feed of the proceedings. I'll add an update here if I do.

LATE NOTE: Here's the net feed (thanks, Ed!): http://www.octt.dc.gov/services/video/DC_Ch-13.asx

COMMENTS

Seems like Cropp just may have killed DC to baseball. I think they're requring 50% or greater private contribution or no stadium to be built. 1 more year in Montreal?
Posted by: swedcrip at December 14, 2004 10:49 PM

They aren't going back to Montreal. Rather, they say they'll play "one year" at RFK, and then look for someone who loves them. Presumably in that time, they'll keep putting the screws to D.C. Council to get a different result.
Posted by: dprouse at December 15, 2004 01:00 AM