STATEMENT OF THE VIRGINIA BASEBALL CLUB
Chairman & CEO William L. Collins III
September 29, 2004
Contact: Jerry Burkot
703-971-1732/571-214-5125
jerry.burkot@vabaseball.com

Today's announcement by Major League Baseball of their intention to relocate the Montreal Expos to the District of Columbia achieves the objective established by the Virginia Baseball Club over a decade ago – the return of Major League Baseball back to the National Capital area.

Over the course of the last eleven years, we strongly believe that the Virginia Baseball Club has been the driving force behind the resurrection of our area as a potential market for Major League Baseball. We have kept hope alive in this area during a time when our market was simply not on Major League Baseball's radar screen.

Our partnership still strongly believes that the guaranty for the long-term success of this franchise would be achieved at a location in Northern Virginia, at the economic and demographic epicenter of this market, in the nation's fastest-growing County. The support we have received from the people of Loudoun County , and the many local government officials who have stood behind us, has provided encouragement and validation of our effort. The leadership and support of Loudoun County Vice Chairman Bruce Tulloch and the members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has been instrumental in providing Major League Baseball with their best opportunity for long-term success in the best market available for baseball. We recognize and appreciate the long-term support of Senators George Allen and John Warner, and Congressmen Tom Davis and Frank Wolf. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore and Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine were also very supportive of our effort. We also want to express our deep appreciation to our partners at Diamond Lake Associates, who shared our vision of a truly unique ballpark concept.

The withdrawal of the moral obligation of the Commonwealth of Virginia to stand behind the stadium bonds, expressed as the will of the General Assembly in our financing plan which was enacted into law in 1995, eliminated the relocation of Major League Baseball to the Commonwealth. After this critical aspect of our plan was stripped from our proposal, the Virginia Baseball Club stepped up to provide political and financial certainty by guaranteeing the financing and construction of the new ballpark in Virginia. Unfortunately, it was too late in the process and Virginia has lost the most significant economic opportunity in a decade.

In contrast, the District of Columbia presented Major League Baseball with the most generous ballpark financing packaging in recent times. The Mayor and his Administration should be congratulated for its offer and leadership in the support of the effort on behalf of the District of Columbia .

We thank the many fans who have stood with us in our effort, especially the Virginians for Baseball Fan Club, the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority and the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who provided the leadership and long-standing support of our effort, as well as all of those people who have poured their heart and soul into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We deeply appreciate their efforts on behalf of the Virginia Baseball Club.