Bob DuPuy Quotes (39 Quotes)

There are still some fundamental economic differences. We've said all along our goal is get a lease and we're going to continue to work on it. I don't think it'll be done Friday. We're probably looking at next week.

We're important to ESPN. We fill up a lot of space for them in the summer. We're their programming in the summer. If you look at 'SportsCenter,' most nights in the summer, it's, what, 70 percent baseball.

It is our contractual right to seek mediation as a tool to convince the parties to fulfill their obligations as set forth in the contract that was agreed to more than a year ago.

We want to make sure that the kind of ballpark we agreed upon will be built, that it can be paid for as we have agreed, that the team be able to exercise adequate control over the ballpark site, that we understand the limits of the legislative power to further rewrite contracts we enter into and that the balance of burdens and benefits agreed to by us in mediation is readdressed, since it has been seriously disrupted by the legislation.

From the standpoint of family entertainment, baseball remains very affordable compared against comparable entertainment. MLB is a special, but fairly priced, family fare.

This will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase one of the great cities in America and one of the great ballparks in Major League Baseball. And what better place to have our first World Baseball Classic finals than in a city and with a team that has such strong international roots and international outreach.

There have been discussions about beginning bargaining that were interrupted for the World Baseball Classic. I would expect the sides to meet to establish an initial timetable shortly.

The presence of Cuba in the tournament ensures the highest level of competition for the tournament which, for the first time, will bring together the very best players throughout the world in a single event.

I think it is very important that we have Major League Baseball in Washington, D. C..

I think we're all running out of time.

We are embarking upon the mediation process. By terms of the contract, those proceedings are confidential. Other than to say we are moving forward, I won't have any substantive comment.

commercial issues related to the land that's being delivered and the development of that land.

They all have significant strengths, all have significant financial wherewithal. Every one has support within the industry and outside the industry. The strengths of the groups make this a very difficult decision.

The Commissioner is going to interview the groups in the next week to 10 days that he hasn't spoken to yet. And then we hope to move forward on the decision-making process.

I think we're doing much better player-wise, but I think we need to reach out to African-American fans.

No decision has been made to date. The commissioner and I continue to meet with representatives of the groups and there will be an official announcement when the decision is made.

We are very hopeful that Cuba will be allowed to participate on the terms that have been negotiated. It is critical that Cuba participates. Cuba is an important international program, the defending Olympic champion, and ought to be in the World Baseball Classic.

We hope that the state department comes through. We would be disappointed if Cuba didn't play.

We need to find a way to get the (D.C. Council) to honor the commitment it made to get a stadium built. I am guardedly optimistic that we can find a way to get it done.

That's far too narrow. The Commissioner wants the panel to look at it and take it as far as they want to go.

Tony Tavares is very competent. He's doing planning for next year. Jim Bowden has done a wonderful job, and so has Frank. We're very confident we're going to turn over a very healthy and vital franchise to a new owner.

November does not work at all. Not a single one of the 16 baseball federations involved expressed the view that November was a better time.

We will be prepared to select ownership as soon as the lease obligation is done.

I urge the City to accept this compromise. We all have worked long and hard and it's time to give the Nationals a new stadium and a strong future by bringing this matter to a successful close.

There are those who felt the Latin player-base community had been overlooked by fans in that election.

Given Sen. Mitchells integrity, given his background, he was absolutely considered to be the perfect choice for this job.

It's like rain delays, ... That's in the province of the commissioner's office. It's to prevent someone from getting what they perceive is an advantage. The roof is designed for weather, not for competitive advantage. It's not like watering the baselines.

This is an acknowledgment of an entire area of the world and a heritage and multiple countries. This is not a racial thing. The Latin American influence in baseball has been pervasive.

I had a conversation with city councilman Jack Evans the other day. There is no reason why we can't get it done. There is an issue of timing and whether it has to be approved by the council or signed off by the sports commission, but in terms of the substantive issues, we are getting close.

We're optimistic it will be voted in Turin, and baseball and softball will be reinstated, ... We were encouraged.

The difficulty with the lease remains a troublesome issue, ... I've been in touch with all eight of the ownership candidates, and we're trying to move the process forward as rapidly as possible so the eventual owner can plan for the coming season.

We've continued to meet and talk, probably on a daily basis, with the commissioner and with members of the committee, ... Several of the candidates have come in over the last couple of weeks and have gone down to mlb.com and have spent some time down there continuing their due diligence. Again, I see no reason why we can't make an announcement by Labour Day.

It doesn't matter if it's a playoff game or a regular-season game. The umpires have to keep control of the game. Tony was warned twice.... It's a shame, but those are the circumstances.

These are economic issues that should get resolved. There are creative solutions to every problem. Hopefully between the lending institutions and the city, we'll be able to find creative solutions.

There are a number of segments of the marketplace that I'd like to see us continue to reach out to and Latins is one of those. Kids from the ages of 12 until the time they get out of college are an area we need to focus on. They're great through Little League, and then through high school we tend to lose some of them.

It clearly contains conditions, restrictions and new provisions which go well beyond our previous agreements and raises a number of questions. We want to make sure that the kind of ballpark we agreed upon will be built, that it can be paid for as we have agreed.

The legislation clearly contains conditions, restrictions and new provisions which go well beyond our previous agreements and raises a number of questions. Our review will take into an account not only those agreements but also what is needed to make the ballpark a long-term success for the team, its fans and the District of Columbia.

We're very pleased they're coming to the table, and we hope we can achieve a program that works.

The matter remains on the commissioner's desk. He has given no indication that he's prepared to issue a formal decision,