Secret Baseball Meeting

If the Ted Lerner (pictured left) group gets the anointment from Major League to buy the Washington Nats, I’m told the deal was probably sealed during a private meeting last Monday, April 24^th at a private gathering in Northwest DC. Sources who were present tell me that MLB President Bob Dupuy traveled to town for a meeting with the Lerner team that was held in the Spring Valley home of Ed Cohen, son in law to Ted and one of the main players in the Lerner bid to buy the Nats.

Sources say Dupuy was really interested in seeing up close Lerner’s minority partners and making sure their total dollar investment was at least ten percent of the $450 million dollar purchase price that MLB has set. Baseball says it wants real investors and not just show pieces. Those gathered for the meeting were told baseball is impressed with the Lerner team, in particular its clear line of succession that would keep the team in the family for years to come; however baseball also expressed concern that none of the top city officials is supporting the Lerner group. MLB wanted assurances that the Lerner team would be able to smooth things over with local officials who would almost certainly be disappointed should Ted and company be awarded the Nats, beating out the Fred Malik and Jeff Smulyan teams..

Edward Cohen