In D.C. Drama Over Baseball, It's Hard to Tell Who's on First

"That's always a factor," he said. "But there's more that we can do. I still have a lot of leverage as mayor."

Council members have not been impressed.

After his announcement in September that he would not seek reelection, he had barely a conversation with some of them until last week. And now, they said, Williams seems unable to grasp the magnitude of what he's asking them to do.

Even council members who endorse a publicly financed stadium are worried about how their support for the city's enormous investment will play with voters. Although the council approved a budget of $535 million last year, a recent estimate by city financial officials put the price tag at $667 million.

Last month, Williams pledged to roll out a major public relations campaign with local business leaders to gain support. But the campaign never got off the ground. Instead, the mayor made vague promises that cost overruns would be funded by developers or the federal government. Yet when pressed for details at a public hearing Dec. 13, Williams acknowledged he had no offers.

Some members said another key misstep by the mayor occurred Dec. 1, when he invited the entire council to meet with baseball's top negotiator, Jerry Reinsdorf, before any lease agreement had been reached. After the tense session, some said they were more inclined to move the stadium site than they had been before.

Williams was simply trying to be inclusive, his aides said.

The mayor's one-on-one meetings with council members haven't gone any better.

Over coffee at the JW Marriott Hotel, Williams told Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7), who is seen as one of four swing votes, that he could help persuade Major League Baseball to build a youth baseball academy in Gray's ward.

But, "it's so much more right now than a baseball academy," Gray said. "This is about who is going to protect the city against the costs of this stadium."

Williams tried a more hardball approach with Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), telling him he would campaign against him next year unless Mendelson supported the lease. But Mendelson told the mayor no.

"The mayor does not have very much clout at this point," Ambrose said.