Finally, a Proprietor

A new beginning for baseball in Washington

IT TOOK too long and it wasn't well handled, but the business of choosing the owners of Washington's new baseball team may just produce a happy ending some day -- preferably in late October, with stars-and-stripes bunting all around the field. Real estate developer Theodore N. Lerner and sports executive Stan Kasten understand that a first-class operation can't be done on the cheap and that it takes time. The Washington area's rookie fans, beginning to show some second-year discouragement, should take heart from that.

If local ownership is what you wanted for the Nats, it doesn't get much more local than Mr. Lerner -- from D.C. public schools to Griffith Stadium to George Washington University to Tysons Corner to the Maryland suburbs. Mr. Lerner has had much success in our area, and those who know him say he understands the importance of investing wisely. At age 80, he has a long-established reputation as a quiet, tough, hard-driving businessman who is accomplished at advancing his projects and his interests.

Mr. Kasten ran the Atlanta sports empire of broadcasting entrepreneur Ted Turner until Mr. Turner sold it in 2001. His record as president of the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s was extraordinary: a practically unbroken string of division titles. More important, perhaps, was the way it was achieved. Mr. Kasten made clear that, as he saw it, the way to create a winner was not to bring in high-priced stars but to build from the farm system up. Other great teams have been created that way -- remember the old Baltimore Orioles? If he brings that philosophy here, along with his considerable experience, baseball in Washington will be the better for it.

The new stadium on the Anacostia River could add greatly to an area that's on the rise, bringing light, life and commerce at night, just as Washington's downtown sports complex has done for its neighborhood. It can also produce considerable revenue for the city. Washington has made a major commitment to this dream. It's counting on the new team ownership to do the same for many seasons to come.