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Baseball Owners Approve Expos' Move to Washington
Orioles Owner Angelos Is Lone Objector
By Barry Svrluga and Thomas Heath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 3, 2004; 12:37 PM

Major League Baseball's owners voted today to approve the relocation of its Montreal franchise to Washington for the 2005 season despite a lone objection from Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos.

The owners voted 29-1 in favor of the move in a conference call today. The approval is contingent on District officials meeting the conditions of the deal they struck with baseball to provide a new stadium on the Anacostia River. The final vote on the stadium deal -- which has come under constant scrutiny since MLB announced its intentions to move here in September -- is scheduled for Dec. 14.

Commissioner Bud Selig decided to hold the vote despite the fact that baseball hasn't worked out a compensation package with Angelos, who has long opposed the return of baseball to Washington because of what he believes will be a negative financial impact on his franchise.

As recently as last evening, Angelos's representatives and MLB officials were trying to work out a deal. Angelos is seeking a guarantee that the Orioles not sell for less than $365 million should he decide to sell it. He also wants a guarantee that local revenues would not fall below $125 million. Most importantly, he is seeking a deal that would give the Orioles the majority of revenues from a regional sports network that would broadcast games for both the Orioles and the Washington franchise, which have been renamed the Nationals.