Gov. Ryan makes new pitch to bring team to Illinois

ST. LOUIS -- For the second time this year, Illinois Gov. George Ryan met with St. Louis Cardinals president Mark Lamping on the prospect of moving the team across the Mississippi River into Illinois.

After a 30-minute meeting Wednesday in East St. Louis, Ill., Lamping said a new ballpark could be built at any of five suburban St. Louis sites in Illinois that the team is weighing as alternatives to its preferred site south of Busch Stadium.

Lamping said the downtown site remained the team's top priority and that the team would continue negotiating with St. Louis and Jefferson City, Mo., officials to make it work.

"But if we can't get it done and we're faced with the choice of failing in downtown St. Louis or succeeding a mile east, we believe, based on a lot of analysis and a lot of work, that a ballpark site in Illinois can be viable in terms of getting our fans there and getting them home," Lamping said.

He said the ballclub had narrowed its list of sites for a new stadium to five in Missouri and five in Illinois, the latter located in Dupo, Fairmont City and Madison, and two locations in East St. Louis.

Wednesday's meeting was Ryan's first with Lamping since a $346 million stadium deal combining money from the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and the state of Missouri died when Missouri's Legislature adjourned in May.

Ryan said Lamping made it clear to him that the club's first priority is to stay in St. Louis.

"If they can't, they're going to have to stay in business and continue with the Cardinals, and they may be interested in coming to Illinois," Ryan said. "And so we're going to wish them the best and be ready to do what we have to do here in Illinois in case things don't work out in St. Louis for them."