Ted Lerner, the true property developer who bought the Washington Nationals in 2006, has handed away, stories Jonathan Karl of ABC News. Lerner was 97 years previous. The trigger was problems from pneumonia, per a report from Adam Bernstein and Matt Schudel of The Washington Publish.
Main League Baseball took over possession of the struggling Montreal Expos franchise in January of 2002 and began on the lookout for new areas for the membership. That course of led to the workforce being moved to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season and Lerner bought the membership in 2006.
The primary few seasons in Washington have been occasions of transition for the franchise. They initially performed in RFK Stadium, which opened in 1961, as plans for a brand new stadium have been put in place. Nationals Park then opened in 2008, with the workforce enjoying there to today. When it comes to outcomes, the workforce completed fifth within the Nationwide League East division in 5 out of its first six seasons. The silver lining of all that dropping is that the membership acquired robust draft picks that it used to construct a stockpile of younger expertise, together with gamers like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon.
These gamers and others would ultimately assist the membership emerge as perennial contenders for an prolonged stretch. Starting in 2012, the membership posted a successful file in eight straight seasons, qualifying for the postseason in 5 of these. The primary 4 journeys to the playoffs resulted in fast exits, however the Nats ultimately pushed by and received the World Sequence in 2019.
Since hoisting that trophy, the membership has fallen on arduous occasions once more, posting dropping information within the three subsequent seasons. That has prompted the membership to lean right into a rebuild, buying and selling away star gamers like Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Juan Soto. Their 55-107 file in 2022 was the worst within the majors for that season and the worst for the franchise for the reason that transfer to Washington.
The Lerner household remains to be the membership’s main proprietor, although Ted transferred management of the membership to his son Mark in 2018, when the previous was 92 and the latter 64. It was reported in April final yr that the household was going to discover a sale of the membership, although the latest reporting signifies that not a lot progress has been made on that entrance.
No matter how that ultimately unfolds, most baseball followers within the Washington space will possible look fondly on the latest period of Nationals baseball. Although it took a while to get going, the membership was ultimately reworked from a basement dweller right into a champion within the Ted Lerner period, although their one title did come shortly after he ceded official management.
MLBTR extends its condolences to all these across the baseball world mourning Lerner at the moment, together with his household, mates and plenty of others across the recreation who crossed paths with him through the years.
