Expansion Hopefuls Missing All the Facts

Two decades after the Senators left Washington, two groups argued Wednesday before baseball owners that the nation’s capital should be given a third try.

Washington, Charlotte, N.C., Nashville, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla., appeared before the National League’s expansion committee, vying for the two franchises that will start play in 1993. Two groups came from Washington, one seeking a downtown team and another looking to put one in a northern Virginia suburb.

While some prospective owners were well-informed, others knew little about baseball.

Richard M. DeVos, head of the Orlando group and president of Amway Corp., and John E. Akridge, a real estate developer who leads the downtown Washington group, said they were not familiar with revenue participation, the central long-term plan of management’s Player Relations Committee.

When told of the plan, DeVos criticized it, saying “everyone wants to get into the act” and terming it “socialism.” He apparently did not realize the proposal was made by owners, not by the players’ association.

Akridge also said he was unaware of the plan, which is bitterly opposed by the union.

National League President Bill White, who missed Tuesday’s sessions, was on hand Wednesday. Ten cities in all are bidding for the two teams. The others, who appeared Monday, are Buffalo, N.Y., Denver, Miami and Sacramento.