Nationals owner Ted Lerner, who helped bring baseball back to DC, died at 97

Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner has died aged 97 after complications from pneumonia, a team spokesman said via Yahoo! Sports.

Lerner was the founding major owner of the Nationals who helped bring baseball back to the nation’s capital. The real estate magnate and lifelong baseball fan died at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

“I really appreciate Ted’s impact on his hometown and the game he loved,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement via MLB.com. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I offer my deepest condolences to Ted’s entire family, including Annette Lerner, Mark Lerner and Judy Lenkin Lerner, Marla Lerner Tanenbaum and Robert Tanenbaum, and Debra Lerner Cohen and Edward Cohen.”

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Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner speaks during a parade celebrating the Washington Nationals World Series victory over the Houston Astros November 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. This is the first World Series win for the Nationals in 95 years. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Lerner had quite a life story, starting as a boy ushering in old Griffith Stadium in Washington DC.

He gained his fortune after starting his real estate company at the age of 26 after borrowing $250 from his wife Annette. Lerner Enterprises became a staple in the DC area, and Nationals became a serious project for Lerner when the 2004 Montreal Expos relocated.

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“The crowning glory of his family business was bringing baseball back to the city he loved — bringing home a championship for the first time since 1924,” the Nationals wrote on Twitter. “He appreciated the franchise and what it brought to his beloved hometown.”

This championship came in 2019 when the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros. It was their first since the Washington Senators won in 1924.

Nationals principal owner Ted Lerner is shown during a news conference as Matt Williams is introduced as the new manager of the Washington Nationals baseball team at Nationals Stadium November 1, 2013 in Washington DC. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

During the title parade, Lerner couldn’t be more ecstatic to bring a World Series trophy back to his city.

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“It was a very great day for the Washington Nationals,” said Lerner at the championship parade. “They say good things come to those who wait. Ninety-five years is quite a long wait.”

Lerner was also a great philanthropist. The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation has supported many causes and institutions including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arta, YouthAids, the Weizmann Institute of Science and many more locally and beyond .

Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner watches pregame ceremonies before the game against the San Diego Padres at Nationals Park April 27, 2014 in Washington, DC. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

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Lerner served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee at one of his alma maters, George Washington University. He also served in the US Army.