BizBall: Out of the laundry list of issues that new ownership will want to
address, what is the first order of business?

Kasten: My list of items that have to be done as my “first order of business
” is now twelve pages long. We have a lot of things to do and we’re working
on all of them simultaneously. I can’t say that any (single) one stands out,
but obviously there are many, many big things.

We have to invest a lot of money in rebuilding the franchise, we have to
really look at our customer experience in our current stadium, we have to
delve into the plans for our new stadium, we have to begin the initiative to
helps us reach out to all of our community, we have the MASN issue to
confront to where we can get our games on all television areas in the region.
Is this enough of a top line to be concerned right away? I think it is.

BizBall: How important is it for the Lerner group to place their stamp on
this franchise after being collectively owned by MLB since 2002?

Kasten: With the Lerners it will be a pleasure, and it will be easy with so
much experience. All they do are the very highest quality buildings and
venues. They have generations of background doing that. They certainly
enhance our ability to put at least that high a quality stamp on the
franchise. The Lerners look at how this will reflect on them in the
community. Like everything else they’ve done, they intend to make this a
huge, long-term success.

BizBall: The process involving the selection of the new ownership took an
extremely long time due to MLB's instance on the District finalizing the
stadium funding component. It basically placed the Nationals front office in
a state of limbo, with some exceptions. While the process to finalize the
ownership transfer won't be done till June, what areas can you and the new
ownership group now to prepare for the transition?

Kasten: Well, everyone knows everyone—transition won’t be an issue. Tony
Tavares has been so professional from the start with the difficult, difficult
assignment he was given. I don’t know an exact timetable for everything, but
sometime after the owners' meeting in a few weeks, assuming we get approval,
we will start the process of getting to work our way into the front office
and hopefully we’ll be fully implemented by the time we’re handed the keys,
whenever.

BizBall: Have you met with Frank Robinson and Jim Bowden yet?

Kasten: I met with both of them, as well as with Tony in the past couple of
days. Mind you, all three of them are long-time friends of mine. I spent time
with each of them and I look forward to that.

BizBall: You’re slated to meet with HOK and Joe Spear next week on the
design of the new facility for the Nationals. How will you tackle keeping the
construction on time and on budget?

Kasten: Well, you know that is a job for the City and the architects and the
construction company. Those are the signatories of the contract, which has
been fully negotiated, and I’m not going to interfere in the deal or any of the progress of the
construction. We do want to get in as quickly as we can to lend our
experience, and lend our thoughts and suggestions. If there are ways we can
enhance things we'll certainly want to offer our input. I don’t know what we
’re going to be able to accomplish, as a practical matter. But I certainly
want to take the load and if we can help—we do have some strong opinions,
and we have some experience, that we can help to do it.

BizBall: On the stadium design… One aspect of the overall design that many
have been critical of is the placement of the two parking structures just
outside of centerfield. While the Lerner group has not pledged any monies
toward moving the structures underground, can you envision working to achieve
some fund mechanism to achieve the movement of the structures underground?

Kasten: You know, there’s just no point in asking me specifics on that right
now. I haven’t looked at the plans, all I’ve seen are newspaper drawings. I
hope to get into that next week, and maybe in a few weeks I’ll have a much
better feel to answer a question like that. It’s just too early for me to
give you a good answer.

BizBall: What steps, if any, can you make to improve the fan experience at
RFK while the new stadium is being built?

Kasten: I think we can do some things. Obviously, there are physical
limitations due to the age of the facility. But, there are things we can do,
and we already have a team that is already working on that. And, we hope to have a bunch of things to unveil and
talk about, again when we're given the keys to take over. There's a lot of
things to do and we're going to work very hard to put them in place.

BizBall: It has been widely said that a key factor in the selection of the
Lerner group was your addition to the group and your background with the
Braves and the construction of Turner Field. What did you learn during that
process with the Braves that you can apply to this construction project?

Kasten: Have you ever been to Turner Field?

BizBall: Not as of yet.
Kasten: To me, the central feature of Turner Field is not the architecture,
which is grand and spectacular. It's not the sight lines which are
magnificent. It's the fan amenities. The way we've activated spacings in the
area. The way we've animated that with things that appeal to fans—not just
hardcore fans—those that sit in their seats for 9 innings. No, it's for all
the people.

Most fans who like to get up and stretch their legs think they need to come
away and say... Look, we need to have other things in the building to
entertain them; to keep them there to appeal to them. And that's what we did
in Turner Field with our entry plaza where they have games, and concerts, and
videos and all kinds of opportunity to keep people interested and excited.
Tooner Field for kids. The Chop House for adults to eat in. The Bars that we
have hanging out over the field. Sky Field, which is a playland for kids that
is in a baseball theme that is on the roof. A lot of thought was put into
that. But, you know, it keeps your fans coming to your games because we have
provided things for seniors, and kids and women and non-hardcore fans, all of
which you need. Two million fans we need to have. You know, we cannot make it
work with just hardcore fans. We need non-hardcore fans, so we need to
provide other things besides just the game.

BizBall: Marketing the Nationals has been an area that has been lacking since
the relocation of the franchise from Montreal. Attendance has slipped this
season due to a number of factors, marketing being one. What steps will the
new ownership take to try and address this situation?

Kasten: Well, you know it's a big job. We're going to look at who's there and
bring in a whatever we need. We're going to spend a lot of time and attention
on that. Again, we'll have plans to unveil, but we're not ready to talk about
that today.

BizBall: As for the on-the-field product... What will the philosophy be on
developing the team, be it through free agency or farm system development?

Kasten: It's not a secret formula. It's something that has been proven many,
many times in different contexts. You have to build from the ground up in
baseball, it's very much a development sport, unlike basketball. In baseball
you really need to focus on scouting, player development and minor leagues.
All those things require time and money, and we're absolutely determined and dedicated to do it that way. Those that would
provide not just money, but the time. And time is even more important than
money, in many cases. These owners want to build long term success ; they
understand that it will take a little while longer to build it that way, but
when we finally turn the corner, the success we have will be much longer
lasting.
BizBall: Given the number of areas that need to be addressed with the
franchise, do you see a need to increase the front office staff?

Kasten: Well, I suspect so. But again, I'm trying to keep an open mind. I
haven't reached any conclusions on anything. And, we'll see where things fall
when I get in here and learn everyone and see where the needs are.

BizBall: How critical is it for there to be a resolution between MASN and
Comcast to get the 1.3 million subscribers that are currently unable to see
the Nationals televised through Comcast?

Kasten: It's absolutely critical. I mean, all our fans have to see all of our
games. Period. That's the only acceptable solution. I know that is also the
best solution for the Orioles and for Comcast, as well. And, we're going to
dig right in it. I think it makes a lot of sense for the three parties to figure out how to do it because we also know that the
external parties are very interested in this, and they want that solution and
ultimately that's the solution that there will be. So, we'd be a lot smarter
if we got this sorted out before the external parties, like Congress, like
the City Council get involved because nothing gets easier or better if we
have to have them force the solution on us.

BizBall: On MASN… What are your feelings regarding the structure of the
arrangement between Angelos and the Nationals? Is the MASN arrangement viewed
as a plus as it is, or is there room for refinement in the arrangement?

Kasten: There is no point talking about ancient history. With eyes wide open,
we know what we’ve purchased and the deal is in place and we’re going to
proceed along those lines. The most important thing now is getting our team
to be as good as it can be and getting our games on as many homes as possible.

BizBall: Finally, what would you say to the fans of the Washington Nationals
about what they should expect from the new ownership group?

Kasten: I think they’re going to see an ownership that is passionate and
willing to develop a product given the time that’s required. I think they’
re renowned for the quality, cleanliness, and maintenance of their
facilities. I think by the time we get up and running in the new facility, I
think we look forward to becoming one of the great success stories in baseball
—both nationally and internationally. Let’s remember, as the game grows
globally as it has been doing, particularly with the recent advent of the WBC, we are a city
with not only a news bureau from every city in the country, but a news bureau
from every country in the world that plays baseball. So when we have success
here, I think it’s something that people will be able to follow globally. We
’re aware of our potential and our expertise in making that happen, and we
expect that to be delivered (on the potential).



Interview conducted by Maury Brown on 5/5/06
Published on 5/7/06