D.C. Stays In Running For Expos Franchise

"They've raised the hopes of these markets," Paul said. "That's both positive and negative. It's positive from the standpoint of general enthusiasm. However, if they decide not to move, it becomes a negative because now hopes have risen. If they don't move, expectations get dashed, and it's harder to make it happen."

Robert A. DuPuy, Major League Baseball president and chief operating officer, said yesterday that baseball is "very satisfied with the progress made in the meetings so far."

"We are aware of time constraints that are involved," he said. "We will continue to move the process forward as rapidly as possible, consistent with our efforts to make the right decision. Our goal remains to have a resolution for 2004."

Since Evans's and Williams's comments last week, relocation committee members have reached out to D.C. officials.

One member, John McHale Jr., baseball's executive vice president, spoke by phone with Stephen M. Green, a Williams aide for economic development.

Another, consultant Corey Busch, spoke with Bobby Goldwater, executive director of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, Goldwater said.

Baseball officials also are seeking to meet early this week with Evans to discuss his concerns. Evans wields enormous clout over the ballpark financing package as chairman of the D.C. Council's Finance and Revenue Committee.

Last week, Evans called the relocation process "ridiculous" and vowed to bottle up the mayor's financing plan without a firm commitment from baseball to move the team to the District. Williams acquiesced to that position the next day.

Williams administration officials said they initially were uneasy with the harsh tone of Evans's remarks, even though they echoed statements D.C. officials had made to baseball privately.

But administration officials have since concluded that Evans's "bad cop" stance has not hurt the D.C. bid and might in fact have strengthened it.

"At the very least, it's neutral and may have helped us," Williams said in an interview. Noting the continuing conversations between baseball and his administration, the mayor said: "If this really had presented some damage, then I think we would have seen something different."

One baseball source close to the relocation process suggested a possible compromise in which the D.C. Council would pass the financing package provisionally, with no public money spent unless baseball awarded the team to Washington by a specific date, after which the legislation would expire.

But as of late last week, Evans appeared in no mood to negotiate. "They can take their deal and stick it where the sun don't shine," he said.

The new D.C. strategy puts baseball in a difficult position, baseball sources said. Baseball's primary concern is that the stadium financing package could evaporate after it has made a commitment to move the Expos, forcing it to start the process over, one source said.