The New Owner Is Old School

You can tell he knows exactly how he's going to go about this Build a Fine Franchise project. He's going to do it just the way he built those 22,000 homes and 6,000 apartments. Slowly, guided by fundamentally sound business principles and with a patient, unshakeable long-term view. "We once did a project that nobody else wanted," he said. "It took 10 years to turn a profit." He doesn't have to add, "But it did."

Lerner and his new team president, Stan Kasten, the Atlanta Braves' chief architect, were made for each other. They know it. They spotted it immediately. They construct things the same way -- patiently, meticulously, stubbornly. They are absolutely certain they're going about it properly and (throw this into the mix) nobody is going to be able to convince them otherwise.

Though they'd never put numbers on it, if the Nats won only 70-some games for the next few years, but then evolved into one of the game's best franchises for the following 15 years, that would be a trade-off that would suit both Lerner and Kasten right down to the ground. The Braves, built from the farm system up, averaged 98 losses in Kasten's first three seasons there, but have finished in first place the last 14 straight years. You don't forget a lesson like that.

If the Nats have a winning record anytime soon, they'll do it on grit or the surprise development of young players like Ryan Zimmerman. But they won't do it by trading for head-case, stopgap semi-stars or signing overpriced, win-now free agents.

These guys are adults who eat their spinach. So everybody else will have to endure some vegetables for a few years, too. In other words, everything the win-yesterday Redskins did in Snyder's early years, the Nationals will do everything to avoid.

"We feel that we had the opportunity to take a franchise and build it over a period of time, primarily by building up a very fine scouting [operation] and farm clubs," Lerner said. "This is similar to what we do on our other projects. We build projects that perhaps competitors wouldn't build, that we look at the long term. And therefore we look at the baseball situation the same way. For an extended period of time, we expect to take any of the [team] revenue that's available to us, bottom line, and utilize it [all] for the development of the team."

"I understand people ask about payroll," Kasten said. "Respectfully, it's the wrong question. The questions we should be asking: Are you going to be spending money right away on the minor leagues? Are you going to be spending money on scouting? Are you going to be spending money on instructors at every level? . . . And the answers to all those questions are, 'Yes.'

"That's the most important message I can send to every one of our fans. I'd be lying if I kidded you into something else. That's the realistic way to think."

Ted Lerner listened approvingly, like an old man who could imagine nothing better, nothing more fun, than a long, long construction project that, when finally finished would leave behind something of great value as his legacy to his home town.