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Florida Marlins

Marlins owner must hate their fans


Dear Marlins fans,

It’s opening day. As a measure of how much our fans mean to us, I’m threatening to move the team to San Antonio.

Best,
Jeffrey Loria

Owner Jeffrey Loria has not only invited officials from San Antonio to sit with him during today’s game but also said discussions about relocating the franchise to the Texas city have turned “serious”.

Loria has stated previously that his desire was to keep the team in South Florida.

But when asked Sunday whether his stance had changed, he replied: “We’re going to look at all options now. I can only tell you that there is nothing going on in South Florida at this moment.

Everyone is predicting the Marlins to finish last in the NL East and the owner of the team comes out before opening day to suggest that the team will be in San Antonio next year. I’m sure Marlins fans are clamoring for tickets. Sure, this is just posturing in the press to get a new stadium deal but someone needs to send Loria PR for Dummies.

This is why I’m pro-contraction. These idiots have no idea what to do with their teams. On top of that, they go to cities where no one cares.

[Miami Herald]: Loria: Talks now serious

By Vin

Vin is a Philly boy who shouldn't be invited into your house because he'll judge you on your book and music collection. He owns Dawkins, Utley, Iverson, and Lindros jerseys, which is all you really need to know about him. He can be reached at [email protected].

3 replies on “Marlins owner must hate their fans”

Marlin’s Stadium — Little more complicated then your note conveys. I am a hard core Marlin fan and have watched the City of Miami reneg on several signed deals to offer tax incentive and land to the Marlin’s that were in writing. Each time they back down through no fault of the Marlin’s. The facts of this is painfully blow by blowed in the local press.

Loria acquired the problem from Boston Red Sox owner , John Henry who acquired it to the much maligned  Wayne Huizienga, who said in 1986 that “we could win a World Series and I would still lose $20,000, I am putting together a team to win now, if we don’t get a roofed Baseball only stadium done this Year, I will sell the team.” Well the won a World Series, he lost $17 Million according to Forbes magaizine and the City pulled a promised Tax package from him because The Miami Heat new stadium went over budget. Huizienga did what he said he was going to do. He salary dumped, however his baseball management got great future potential out of the dump.

Same scenario Loria takes over team, say look we are committed to winning but I can not let the fans be disallusioned that the stadium issue is critical to long term success. Loria personally put up $200 million (4th largest contribution toward stadium in modern history) entered good faith negotiations with Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach said they were not interested in any more Sports related funding. Dade said we have one location that you must go to, it is the Orange Bowl, you must go there even though it is a logistically bad spot. If you go there we will give you the land adjoining the Orange Bowl and a host of tax incentives. The money gap got to $30 million and it never got closed. Loria put together a competitive team, won a World Series, and had the highest payroll the Florida Marlins have ever had last year and the team has had 3 coonsecutive winning seasons. The Stadium deal was  supposed to be locked, Miami Dade politicians only want TV time they never do anything and when they could have been figuring out way to close the money gap they started to get arrogant when it was discovered they did not have the authority to fulfill the promises they made to the Marlins. The  collective population of South Florida had a collective “what” and the within a day the whole deal which had been a done deal was dead. This time around Marlin fans did not blame Loria, we had seen a great team, A World champion, and a very competitive program get just royally screwed. The hatred is on Miami Dade official and the time they wasted for all involved especially the fans. If there was ever a doubt as to the deal, time could have been used looking at alternatives. Miami Dade officials forbade that as bad faith. They held out they had a deal and any other negotiations would be looked at as posturing or bad faith.

When the deal fell apart, Loria said he was committed to staying in South Florida and that he still was going to put up the $200 million to build a stadium. And even if a guy wantd to buy the land and build his own stadium, with his own money, he would be killed by the locality he was in if he did not get Tax and benifits worked out before the commitment to build happened. So the crowd of “why doesn’t he use his own money” is out of left field if they think you can manage a stadium with out local community involvement and assistence. Roads need to be built, fire service and Policing needs to be worked out, game day traffic and roads to accommodate the crowds need to be built.

I think the indifference of the general public down in South Florida (we do live in Paradise weather wise) and the absolute worthlessness of local politicians effectiveness or desire to be an agent for the building of a World Class City will cost this town a team. A team I might add that has all the karma of a perpetual winner. Like the Oakland As, a small market contender Year in and out.

Watch this season, it is the same as 1988, a lot of really talented kids are now going through a baptism by fire, in 2 to 4 years your looking at the best little team in Baseball all over again. Marlin front office is good and will stay good. Remember the Ugly lineup after the World Series dump, the nobodies that littered that field in 1988. Derek Lee, Luis Castillo, Alex Gonzalez, Mike Lowell, Cliff Floyd, Josh Beckett, AJ Burnett, Brad Penny…”who are these guys?” Well for the fans who were watching at the games they were the most competitive group of young talented players that were absolute excitement to watch. To see them emerge and then to take it all will forever be etched in every Marlin fans mind. Nothing bought, everything earned.

Good luck and Go Marlins, whereever you may be.
Martin Driscoll

excellent summary — thanks for that. Good to know the real story behind it.

You have to admit that Loria’s comments were ill-timed though.

As for the Marlins, I rooted for them in both world series. 1) cause of Dutch Daulton (i’m a phillies fan sadly) 2) they played the yankees. They are developing good young talent but by the time they contend, the team will be the San Antonio Rattlesnakes or something.

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