Records show Marlins skimped on players, not profit

[tjeffersonsghost]

I don't know how many S Floridians we have here but I wanted to post this piece. Basically for years the Marlins would cut big players from their roster and claim poor as the reason they would do it. They would win a World Series and then completely disband the team claiming they didnt have the money to bring these people back.

Then to top it off they went to the city of Miami and said either you buy us a stadium or we will move the team. We are not making any money here and we feel a new stadium will help us bring revenue. Many local businesses fought the city funded stadium tooth and nail but in the end lost. Miami had to raise their local sales tax to pay for this stadium.

NOW come to find out not only were the Marlins not in the poor house, they were making big bucks and even when they went to the city to ask for the publicly funded stadium. Anyways read the whole article by going to the link. It almost sounds like the banker issue only in the sports world.



In the season after citing finances to dump slugger Miguel Cabrera, the Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now! made a cool $37.8 million profit.

When their publicly funded stadium was approved a spring ago, the Marlins were on a tidy two-year run of making nearly $50 million.

After team president David Samson predicted this October would "end in a pile," the season crumbled because a few measly million weren't invested in a reliable bullpen.

But Samson's prediction looks correct from the proper angle. The season will end in a pile. That's obvious, according to less-surprising-than-confirming financial records obtained by the website Deadspin.com.

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The Marlins, these records show, have skimped on their baseball product for years. But team owner Jeffrey Loria sure has a big pile, doesn't he?

No one begrudges Loria for making money. He's in business to make money. That's Capitalism 101.

But to strip a team of top players while earning big gobs of money demonstrates what Loria really thinks of the fans and the product. What's more, the Marlins compounded their lie about finances with another lie Monday after the documents came to light.... See the rest of the article here

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/florida-marlins/fl-hyde-florida-marlines-finances-08220100823,0,1551774.column

[Krugerrand]

Same story for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

[newbitech]

Man I hope the Rays don't try to pull that crap and let all of their stars go. Yeah we have attendance problems with the trop in St. Pete, but this is a franchise that is built from the ground up to succeed.

I really hope that if/when the Rays steal the AL East from the Yanks, fans across the country will buy up their gear. We need to keep Crawford, Soriano, Garza, and Pena!

[brenden.b]

I really hope that if/when the Rays steal the AL East from the Yanks, fans across the country will buy up their gear. We need to keep Crawford, Soriano, Garza, and Pena!

Just to let you know, as a Tigers fan, I am cheering for Detroit to steal Crawford from your team as soon as he enters Free Agency this year:D

[roho76]

Just to let you know, as a Tigers fan, I am cheering for Detroit to steal Crawford from your team as soon as he enters Free Agency this year:D

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/srschirm/Detroit%20Tigers/Detroit_Tigers.gif

After being a struggling Tigers fan for years it's been nice to see Ilitch finally dumping money into them.

[newbitech]

Just to let you know, as a Tigers fan, I am cheering for Detroit to steal Crawford from your team as soon as he enters Free Agency this year:D


I am quite sure there is going to be a huge bidding war for Crawford. I think that Crawford loves playing on the Rays tho. This team has such great chemistry and Crawford really is the heart and soul. The only reason that I have heard that Crawford would want to leave is because of the turf at the trop being bad on his legs in left field. I can understand this because so much of his game is built around his legs.

Now, besides that, I have heard that Crawford is most interested in winning Championships. He believes that the Rays are going to be a solid contender for years to come. As long as we can keep our players, I have no doubt this is true.

Its going to be very very difficult to find funding for a new stadium on the east side of the bay, but I believe it must happen for a number of reasons. I think if we build a new stadium with natural turf, like the turf at RJS where pro football is played, then Crawford will be satisfied. I think the Rays will sign him to a new 1 year deal next year and he will take less money to give us time to relocate the stadium and make another pennant run.

I am probably dreaming, but that is my take. Oh, and speaking of the tigers and snatching players, I heard a rumor that the Rays were looking to make a deal for Damon, but the bo-sox blocked it or some such crap.

I think Damon would fit in well here and provide a nice veteran playoff presence. The owners are willing to pull out the stops this years for a title run, just wondering WTF the bo-sox would want to block that. Its not like they are going to make a bid even with Damon.

Anyhow, do you know the status on Damon? Is he a free agent, and if not, what kinds of players would the tigers need in a trade? You can't touch the pitching stable, but Tampa has some excellent fielding prospects up the middle.

[malkusm]

The Baltimore Orioles have a douchebag owner as well....he's claimed that he would own the team until they won a World Series. I'm betting that he'll die first....he consistently tries to override the GM's decisions, lowballs offers to the top players in Free Agency, etc.

[tasteless]

This is why I love having ownership that actually cares about winning.

Signed,

A Yankee fan.

[brenden.b]

As far as I know, Damon is still undecided about going to Boston. He has until 1:30pm to decide, at that point the Tigers either have to trade him to Boston or take him off of waivers. Damon has the right to block a trade, I believe.

[Daamien]

The Baltimore Orioles have a douchebag owner as well....he's claimed that he would own the team until they won a World Series. I'm betting that he'll die first....he consistently tries to override the GM's decisions, lowballs offers to the top players in Free Agency, etc.

I'm a big Orioles fan and can't wait for the day when owner Peter Angelos is no longer in charge. He ruined a beloved franchise. At least we still have an amazing stadium (and now a good Manager with Buck Showalter), despite the fact that there are more Yankee and Red Sox fans in attendance during home divisional games than Os fans. I can't blame people for giving up on the team.

[Zippyjuan]

San Diego has traditionally been a low budget market team. They fought for a long time to try to get a new stadium of their own instead of sharing one with the NFL Chargers and they hired some top players for a season or two and made it to the World Series for the first time in decades. The fans and city did give them their new stadium downtown. It was part of a large improvement for downtown and was generally successful. The Padres promised that they would continue to field a highly talented team but as soon as the stadium opened, players with large contracts were let go. For a low budget team, they didn't do that badly (or that great either- usually led the division in May just in time for their June Swoon to the bottom of the division by the end of the year). Manager Bruce Bochy did the best he could with what he had. If they developed a player who turned out to be good, they could not afford to resign them and lost them to another team. Rebuilding again.

We now have some new management in town and they seem to know what they are doing. Still not a big budget team, but they are committed more to winning games- which is what draws fans to the ballpark and helps them generate revenue. Fans here are more fair-weather since there are a lot of other things you can also do in the summer/ fall. If the team sucks, nobody goes. For now, they are in a great position- best record in the NL and an amazing pitching staff. For the first time in a while we can seriously talk playoffs again.

[newbitech]

San Diego has traditionally been a low budget market team. They fought for a long time to try to get a new stadium of their own instead of sharing one with the NFL Chargers and they hired some top players for a season or two and made it to the World Series for the first time in decades. The fans and city did give them their new stadium downtown. It was part of a large improvement for downtown and was generally successful. The Padres promised that they would continue to field a highly talented team but as soon as the stadium opened, players with large contracts were let go. For a low budget team, they didn't do that badly (or that great either- usually led the division in May just in time for their June Swoon to the bottom of the division by the end of the year). Manager Bruce Bochy did the best he could with what he had. If they developed a player who turned out to be good, they could not afford to resign them and lost them to another team. Rebuilding again.

We now have some new management in town and they seem to know what they are doing. Still not a big budget team, but they are committed more to winning games- which is what draws fans to the ballpark and helps them generate revenue. Fans here are more fair-weather since there are a lot of other things you can also do in the summer/ fall. If the team sucks, nobody goes. For now, they are in a great position- best record in the NL and an amazing pitching staff. For the first time in a while we can seriously talk playoffs again.


I'd love to see a padres / rays series.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Man I hope the Rays don't try to pull that crap and let all of their stars go. Yeah we have attendance problems with the trop in St. Pete, but this is a franchise that is built from the ground up to succeed.

I really hope that if/when the Rays steal the AL East from the Yanks, fans across the country will buy up their gear. We need to keep Crawford, Soriano, Garza, and Pena!

Yep. I know how this is. Tampa / St. Pete / Clearwater fans are the absolute worst in the country by far. No one goes to the Rays games even when we are winning. No one ever went to the Bucs games until they went to the Super Bowl and won. Now, when we suck again hardly anyone goes. Same with the Lightning. We have been the #1 team in baseball over the past two seasons and we can barely get 20,000...sad.

Well luckily the city turned down the new stadium. Public funds should never go to private endeavors. If the Rays want a new stadium, build it themselves.