It’s about 20 minutes into the conversation when Dave Stewart brings up the question of money.
Stewart, the former major league pitcher, pitching coach, agent and general manager, wants his next act in the sport to be as an owner of an expansion club in Nashville, Tennessee — a vision he’s trying to bring into reality.
His name is at the top of the masthead for Music City Baseball, the working group trying to bring the Nashville Stars into existence.
There is a site assessment underway for a stadium at Tennessee State University in North Nashville, an underdeveloped community where an MLB team could mean jobs and opportunity. There is a list of advisors packed with baseball experience and Nashville connections, from music stars Luke Combs and Justin Timberlake to former Titans running back Eddie George to politicians and lobbyists. There is an attractive brand, built around the city’s Negro Leagues past and a hope for 51 percent black ownership, which would be a landmark for baseball. There is active support among players, with 69 percent naming Nashville as the best potential expansion city in a poll conducted by The Athletic in June.
