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With no stadium deal, Marlins to explore move

bobliocatt

By bobliocatt
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bobliocatt City

bobliocatt

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MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins will look into relocation as early as the 2008 season, after years of unsuccessful attempts to secure a baseball-only stadium in downtown Miami.

Marlins president David Samson said Tuesday the team has received permission from Major League Baseball to investigate its options in other cities. Samson added owner Jeffrey Loria's primary intention is to keep the team in South Florida.

"There will be no deal in the city of Miami," Samson said.

The Marlins' lease with Dolphins Stadium is in effect until 2007. The team has a series of one-year options that could keep it there through the 2010 season. Samson said the team will not extend its current lease at Dolphins Stadium under any circumstances.

"We simply must play in a baseball-only facility," Samson said.

Samson would not get into specifics of any trades, but said there would be an immediate "significant market correction" to the team's payroll. :(

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2233531

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depechecureguyorl Whistle-Stop

depechecureguyorl

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^ This is CRAZY!!! Miami officials shouldn't cave in to a greedy sports owner and should continue to stand their ground! Where do these owners think Florida cities get their money to build these posh stadiums? The CITIZENS. And half the time, the citizens whose tax dollars were used can't even afford the stupid tickets to a game!

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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^ This is CRAZY!!! Miami officials shouldn't cave in to a greedy sports owner and should continue to stand their ground! Where do these owners think Florida cities get their money to build these posh stadiums? The CITIZENS. And half the time, the citizens whose tax dollars were used can't even afford the stupid tickets to a game!

PREACH IT!

:thumbsup:

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Brickell Burg

Brickell

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Bye bye.

The sad part is the city ponied up a ton of money, but it wasn't enough for them. Loria put up zero of his own money. It's a sad situation and I'll be sorry to see them go, but I'm not about to go giving them my money to stay. I personally think they'll stay. Vegas might be flashy, but it's a small market, and Portland isn't much better. If the do leave, baseball will be back. I guarantee it. South Florida is simply too big of a market to ignore. Maybe that's what we need, a fresh start with the Brewers, Royals, Mariners or A's.

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poonther Town

poonther

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This is sad news since I went to the very first home game of the Marlins and many more. Even though Las Vegas is a smaller market, I would not under estimate them, they have lots of money backing them up and they are hungry for a professional team to validate them as "major metro area."

I too think that if pro baseball leaves South Florida, that some team will come back soon, but on the other hand I am still shocked and surprised that the nation's second largest metro area and second largest television market is still without a pro football team after having two of them in the area for years. Know that city I'm talking about?

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depechecureguyorl Whistle-Stop

depechecureguyorl

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^ Last time I checked also, LA wasn't LOSING any corporate HQ's or Big Business due to their lack of an NFL team...so, contrary to what many Floridians think (Jax forumers mostly)...professional sports doesn't really make or break a city. It's simply just another entertainment option. If a city has plenty to do without sports; i.e. Miami & LA, then take the crappy team to Vegas. And, for the love of God, PLEASE keep the Marlins OUT of Orlando!!!

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KendallKid Whistle-Stop

KendallKid

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I like the Marlins and I wanted them to get a new stadium. Ill be sad to see them go. Orlando wont get a baseball team ever because the MLB states you cannot have 2 teams within 120 miles of each other. Except for very few cases NY Chicago SF for example. Additionally i dont blame local government or Jeffrey Loria I do belie0ve he ponied up a bunch of money and was goign to cover cost overrunns. I blame the state.

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poonther Town

poonther

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Now for the record, I like the Marlins, I've been to many Marlins' games, I went to the very first Marlins home game and I use to live for many years in South Florida. That said, why do you blame the State of Florida if the Marlins move? Why should the other 11 to 12 million of us in Florida fund baseball in South Florida?

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Dale City

Dale

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Now for the record, I like the Marlins, I've been to many Marlins' games, I went to the very first Marlins home game and I use to live for many years in South Florida. That said, why do you blame the State of Florida if the Marlins move? Why should the other 11 to 12 million of us in Florida fund baseball in South Florida?

Good point.

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Brickell Burg

Brickell

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I don't think the blame can really rest with anybody but the owners and the fans. Loria knew what he was getting himself into when he bought the team or at least he should have. Fan support for this team has been lukewarm at best since the 97 world series. A new stadium would have brought in tons of new fans, I really do believe that. Just the same I'd rather see that 60 million the city and county were offering go to improve transit options instead of going to a millionaire art dealer.

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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You have to think that finishing 28th of 30 teams and having historically marginal attendance in the past will deter teams from moving to Miami in the future. If a team does come in, I would bet they would try to find a more central South Florida location near Ft Lauderdale so the fans from PBC and Broward can get there more easily. Broward may be willing to cough up the money then but I think right now this is a dead horse.

There is nothing that says the team couldn't move to Orlando, there isn't a 120 mile rule per se. However, with the struggling Devil Rays so close I don't really see it. Washington getting a team so close to the Orioles recently kind of debunks that. In addition, Loria still wouldn't get the state tax subsidy the Florida leg turned him down for twice in Miami.

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RestedTraveler Metropolis

RestedTraveler

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There is nothing that says the team couldn't move to Orlando, there isn't a 120 mile rule per se. However, with the struggling Devil Rays so close I don't really see it. Washington getting a team so close to the Orioles recently kind of debunks that. In addition, Loria still wouldn't get the state tax subsidy the Florida leg turned him down for twice in Miami.

Plus: the Marlins are a National League Team and the Devil Rays are an American League Team. These are two entirely different markets. If the Marlins moved to O-Town, I think it would be a win for the State of Florida and the Marlins. The problem is: Does O-Town want them?

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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Plus: the Marlins are a National League Team and the Devil Rays are an American League Team. These are two entirely different markets. If the Marlins moved to O-Town, I think it would be a win for the State of Florida and the Marlins. The problem is: Does O-Town want them?

I don't get it, you think because one's an AL team and the other an NL team they wouldn't compete? People don't go to games to see the AL or NL, they just go to see baseball. There's a reason that Orlando has the NBA and Tampa Bay doesn't and it's the same reason that Tampa Bay has the other 3 major sports and Orlando doesn't. All of the major leagues would be afraid competition would keep both franchises from being successful.

If the Devil Rays leave St Pete in a few years and the Marlins relocated as well, I wouldn't be surprised if a team comes Orlando's way. I just don't see any possible way that Loria would move the team to Orlando and the Florida leg won't provide him with the assistance they otherwise would because he's moving in-state.

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bic Burg

bic

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I agree 100% with Aporkalypse.

In addition to what he said, here are a couple of more reasons why Orlando wouldn't be a viable option for the Marlins:

-Orlando has had the Magic for about 16 years now and still has not built up a loyal enough fan base to fill up the TD Waterhouse Centre more than 10 times a year recently, much less for all 41 of their home games...and the arena only holds about 17,000 people.

-A new baseball stadium would require somewhere in the neighborhood of 50,000 seats. I believe Fenway Park is the smallest in the majors at around 33,000. How in the world will Orlando come anywhere near filling up a stadium of that size 81 times a season?

-Not only would we be one of the smallest markets to support an MLB team, a great percentage of our market is comprised of transplants who already have a favorite baseball team (if they are into the sport). It would be extremely difficult to get people who moved here from out of state to root for a team that also just migrated to the city.

-Not only would the transplants not be too into it, but I sincerely doubt many locals would either. Orlando is primarily a football and Nascar kind of town. Whether it's the Bucs, Jags, Fins, Gators, Seminoles, Hurricanes, Knights, or even high school, Orlando is infatuated with football. A few notches below football ranks basketball and the Magic (or Heat, as evidenced by the disconcerting amount of cheering I heard at the game the other night). Then faaaaaaaaar below basketball ranks baseball and hockey. Orlandoans seem to have such little interest in the MLB or NHL, I seriously think that their respective stadiums could not be filled if their tickets were given away for free.

These issues, along with the oddity that makes up greater Miami's demographics--retirees with little interest in attending sporting events and the large number of low-income residents--are some of the primary reasons for the Marlins wanting out of Miami in the first place. Why on earth would they move to a market three hours away, half the current size, with even more transplants and less interest, and not to mention literally down the road from an existing failing MLB franchise?

Then there's the fact that with Orlando needing a new or renovated arena, major renovations to the Citrus Bowl, a performing arts center, commuter rail, and a number of other major public works projects, there is no way in hell taxpayers or politicians would build a baseball stadium.

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