The DC Council yesterday approved emergency legislation that would build parking garages next to the new baseball Nationals Ballpark being constructed in Southeast along the Anacostia River, resolving a months-long deadlock with the Washington Nationals and putting the ballpark on track to open in 2008.  The vote is seen as a key victory for incoming mayor, Adrian Fenty.

As reported by the Washington Post :

Under the plan approved yesterday, two three-story garages will be built just north of the ballpark, which will be near South Capitol Street and the Navy Yard along the Anacostia River. A two-story garage will be built south of the stadium.

The new plan could make it more difficult for the District to build a mix of condominiums, shops and restaurants next to the stadium, as envisioned by Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D). Council members said they had little choice, because the city is required to provide 1,225 parking spaces to the Nationals by March 1, 2008 -- or risk potentially severe financial penalties.

"The decision made not only allows the project to go forward without any further risk of damages or liability but also continues to encourage a lot of economic development in the area," Fenty said. "The land in question on the stadium site is a small percentage of the area around the stadium that is already being developed."

As Tim Lemke of the Washington Times reports:

The garages are expected to cost $32.9 million, about $3.1 million less than what is currently budgeted for parking structures. Sports commission officials said the city was able to save money because the Nationals relaxed their requirement for 300 spaces at the south side of the stadium. The stadium construction team, led by Clark Construction of Bethesda, said it can build the parking more inexpensively now with only 130 space at the south. Clark is expected to sign a contract guaranteeing it can complete the work on budget and before April 1, 2008.

"I'm very happy that the final piece of the baseball stadium puzzle is now in place," said Bill Hall, chairman of the baseball committee for the sports commission. "Now we move forward with construction. It's going to be on time, on budget, and there's no stopping us now in terms of completing the stadium as promised."

Two key updates to The Biz of Baseball site have been made today that will be valuable to those interested in player salaries, and facility development.

With the announcement of the A's intent to move to Fremont, CA., we have updated the Ballpark Renderings section of the site with 11 new renderings of what is now being called, Cisco Field. Along with the renderings is data regarding the proposed facility. This data will be updated periodically as information becomes available.

Also today, the Salary Database that was once only available to those who registered on the site, is now available to all. This database allows searching for salary information from 1985-2005 (2006 data to be updated shortly). Searching can be done by year, league, first name, last name, and team.

Remember, to get updates on major additions to the Biz of Baseball site, such as our upcoming interview with MLBPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, make sure and register on the site . 

• Cisco Field Renderings and Information
• The Biz of Baseball Salary Database 

As Maury Brown reported yesterday, the Boston Red Sox were selected as the winning bid by the Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League for the rights to negotiate with Japanese pitching sensation, Daisuke Matsuzaka. The staggering figure for the rights to simply negotiate was $51.5 million, The Red Sox have 30 days to complete a deal with Matsuzaka. If a deal is not completed, the posting bid would be returned to the Red Sox.

Word is that Matsuzaka's agent, Scott Boras, is looking for a 5-year, $80 million contract as a jumping off point in negotiations.  The AP reports , "$7 million to $10 million annually over three to four years."

The AP further reports:

For selling their star pitcher, the Lions would get the $51.1 million from Boston -- but only if the Red Sox sign Matsuzaka.

The Mets finished second with a bid between $39 million and $40 million, according to a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the losing bids were revealed. The Yankees bid between $32 million and $33 million, another baseball official said.

Matsuzaka was scheduled to fly to the United States on Wednesday and give a brief news conference at the airport.

Manny Acta, the former third base coach for the NY Mets, was announced as the new manager for the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. While financial terms have not been released, Acta agreed to a two-year contract with two one-year club options.

Acta was former manager Frank Robinson's third-base coach with the Montreal Expos from 2002-04.

As reported:

Team president Stan Kasten and general manager Jim Bowden said Acta impressed them with his personality, his knowledge of the Nationals and his ideas about how to turn around a club that finished last in the NL East the past three seasons.

"Usually, with a manager, they're strong in one area or the other. He's really well-balanced, all the way around," Bowden said. "He really understands teaching, developing, building a young club. He has great people skills, but he knows how to put the hammer down."

The Nationals hope to be competitive when Washington's new stadium opens in 2008.

"We have a very good plan in place here. We're going to do it the right way," Acta said. "We're going to be patient, and we're going to bring a winner here."

(The AP )

EDITOR'S NOTE: LOOK FOR AN UPDATE TO THE BIZ OF BASEBALL'S GALLERY OF IMAGES FOR THE PROPOSED A'S FACILITY (NOW NAMED CISCO FIELD) SHORTLY 

A’s Purchase 143-Acre Parcel From Cisco Systems With Intent to Construct New Ballpark

A’s and Cisco Agree to 30-Year Naming Rights Deal for New Stadium

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Athletics owner and managing partner Lew Wolff announced today the A’s have reached an agreement to purchase a 143-acre parcel from Cisco Systems with the intent of constructing a baseball park in the City of Fremont.

The state-of-the-art baseball-only stadium will be named Cisco Field as part of a 30-year naming rights agreement, which is valued at $4,000,000 million annually, with the potential for annual increases based on inflation. This naming rights agreement is transferable at any time. As part of the naming rights deal, Cisco will be granted an undisclosed amount of guaranteed print, radio and television exposure.

360 Architecture, with offices in Kansas City, Mo., Columbus, OH and San Francisco, and Gensler, with offices worldwide, will serve as the primary design companies for the ballpark.

Cisco Field will be located in Fremont, which is approximately 20 miles to the south of McAfee Coliseum, five miles north of the Santa Clara County line and 12 miles from downtown San Jose. With a population of over 210,000 people and an area of 92-square miles, Fremont is the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and California’s fifth largest city in area. The ballpark site is proposed to be located on the west side of Interstate 880 off the Auto Mall Parkway.

The partnership with Cisco also includes a broad marketing and business agreement which will underscore the A’s commitment to create a unique fan experience by leveraging state-of-the-art network technology throughout the ballpark and franchise operation. As a result, Cisco Field will be one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world and will demonstrate the positive role technology can play in sport, entertainment and connecting communities. Cisco’s technology will be used to enhance every facet of the stadium, from ticketing and concessions to management of game day operations.

Darryl Hamilton, who played 13 seasons in the majors for clubs such as the Brewers, Rangers, Giants, Rockies and Mets has been hired by the commissioner’s office and will have the title Senior Specialist of On-field Operations. In his role he will report directly to Bob Watson, who is VP of On-Field Operations.

“We are excited to add Darryl to our staff," Watson said. "Darryl's multi-faceted career in baseball brings a unique perspective to our department, and his playing background will be an asset."

(The AP)