Related
As the Washington Nationals players and families mobbed the infield after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals, there was an elder statesman in the heart of the celebration.
Nationals owner Ted Lerner finally got the birthday present he always wanted, and hopefully, the satisfaction of knowing that none of this was possible without him.
After all, it was Lerner who bought the team from Major League Baseball in 2006, knowing what a winner could do for this city. He remembered D.C.'s last World Series championship back in 1933 and even attended the 1937 All-Star Game at the age of 12.
Lerner was a heartbroken fan when two iterations of the Senators left in the 1960s and 1970s. Even as he built the real estate empire that makes him one of Forbes' richest billionaires, he had his eye on bringing baseball back to the nation's capital.
"It's something I've been thinking about all my life," he quipped after buying the team, "from the time I used to pay 25 cents to sit in the bleachers at Griffith Stadium."
In a city with some of the best and worst examples of team ownership, Lerner has consistently stayed on the former side of the tracks, hiring the right people, spending freely and staying out of the way.
"It is certainly a magical ride we are on," he told the Washington Times before the game. "I would love for that to be a birthday present."
Like father, like son, Mark understands that a steady hand in the owner's box is important for building winners. That's why he never panicked when the 2019 Nats started 19-31, and claims that he never considered parting ways with Martinez.
No doubt, he'll be watching next week when the Nats take the field against the winner of the ALCS. Nothing would be sweeter than ending this roller-coaster season at the top of the ride.
In the meantime, he should bask in the afterglow of his best birthday ever, wishing as he blows out the candles that the best is still yet to come.