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With no stadium deal, Marlins to explore move

bobliocatt

By bobliocatt
in Florida

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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I think the solution for the Marlins is a new Ft Lauderdale stadium facility which would be centrally located and have more affluent neighbors.

I agree. I've never seen a breakdown of who goes to the games and who doesn't but I would bet the number coming from Broward and PBC easily outnumbers those from Miami now. Move the game up to Broward and you'll get even more support, I would think. I think the Orange Bowl site might've hurt attendance some as it's further South in a sketchy area and the PBC and North Broward crowd probably weren't going to be thrilled with that.

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RestedTraveler Metropolis

RestedTraveler

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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.

Yes, I do think this. If your palate were as refined as that of the average baseball fan, you'd realize this as well. The two leagues offer two completely different styles of baseball. They're two entirely different tastes to the discriminating palate.

Whether your palate is as refined as that of the average baseball fan or not isn't important though. What's important is that Major League Baseball recognizes this and weighs it when considering whether to grant a franchise to a particular city or region. For example: New York City: Mets (NL) and Yankees (AL); Chicago: Cubs (NL) and White Sox (AL); Los Angeles: Dodgers (NL) and Angels (AL); San Francisco: Giants (NL) and Athletics (AL); Baltimore/DC: Nationals (NL) and Orioles (AL).

Although there are a hand full of inter-league games each season, teams from each league are typically scheduled to play other teams from within their league each season. A National League Team and an American League Team in the same market or in markets that are geographically adjacent to one another wouldn't necessarily compete for fans as most fans tend to support one team or the other (and some both).

Granted, the lines between the National League flavor of baseball and the American League flavor of baseball aren't quite as clear as they once were. This is, in part, due to the introduction of inter-league games to the schedule. Additionally, if the National League were to adopt a Designated Hitter or the American League were to drop the Designated Hitter in favor of allowing the Pitcher to bat, that would likely serve to blur the lines even more.

However, for now, they are still two different flavors of baseball and I do believe that MLB would consider allowing the Marlins to relocate to Orlando considering that the franchise in Tampa is an American League one.

Additionally, you should realize (and probably do) that comapring baseball to the other major league sports is an apples to oranges comparison.

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RestedTraveler Metropolis

RestedTraveler

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-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.

You don't think these transplants would go at least to the games where their favorite home-town team comes to town to take on the Marlins?

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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Yes, I do think this. If your palate were as refined as that of the average baseball fan, you'd realize this as well.

:rolleyes:

I assure you that 99% of the American public doesn't go "you know, son, I really want to take you to see AMERICAN league baseball tonight - let's drive to Kansas City. It's only a few hours". You're out of touch with the average baseball fan.

You could've spared me the entire lecture on baseball, I know every bit as much about MLB as you, I assure you. This isn't about the finer points of the DH, this is about market logistics. Granted MLB did this with Baltimore and Washington but there are larger markets and Baltimore was already very successful. Ultimately you have to ask yourself why the Devil Rays aren't doing well, the markets are awful close together to ignore this. You can't put a new team in an essentially shared market with a team that is struggling in this fashion. Even in Memphis and Nashville which are an hour further apart than Tampa and Orlando, in these two cities the presence of a rival franchise in TN will deter the other city from getting one.

Additionally, you should realize (and probably do) that comapring baseball to the other major league sports is an apples to oranges comparison.

Perhaps, but they're still fruit. It's not as if MLB chooses expansion markets or teams relocate to a different class of cities. The same cities pop up over and over again when expansion's being discussed. The most different is basketball which seems to be better able to handle a smaller market.

None of this matters, though, because Loria doesn't want to foot any of this bill himself and the Florida leg won't help a team relocate from Miami to Orlando, they already refused Loria assistance in Miami. Orlando won't foot the entire bill alone, so it's a moot point.

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KendallKid Whistle-Stop

KendallKid

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I cant stand the "low income" Miami bashing going on here. Maybe its because I grew up in Kendall or whatever but i just dont see it. Miami dade county isnt a hell hole from corner to corner the way you guys make it seem. Coral Gables Kendall Pinecrest Aventura Miami Beach Miami Springs Miami Lakes parts of Hialeah Gardens and Cutler Ridge are all nice neighborhoods. sheesh. Additionally people form Miami REFUSE to go up to broward to see any type of sporting event. Evidenced by the panthers move and coming to a head over the heat when Pat Riley said " I did not come to Miami to play in Broward." Im sick of this Miami is poor nonsense. sure the city is poor but the rest of the coutny is fine.

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dave8721 Unincorporated Area

dave8721

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I agree. I've never seen a breakdown of who goes to the games and who doesn't but I would bet the number coming from Broward and PBC easily outnumbers those from Miami now. Move the game up to Broward and you'll get even more support, I would think. I think the Orange Bowl site might've hurt attendance some as it's further South in a sketchy area and the PBC and North Broward crowd probably weren't going to be thrilled with that.

The Orange Bowl location would be in a less sketchy neighborhood than the current Dolphins Stadium location.

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Charleston native Burg

Charleston native

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I think the solution for the Marlins is a new Ft Lauderdale stadium facility which would be centrally located and have more affluent neighbors.

Riverside, I'm hoping very much that this will happen. I have ties to Miami since I used to live there when I was a little kid, and ever since I was taken to the Orange Bowl to see the Fins play in '77, I vowed that I would always pull for any pro team from Miami. The Marlins became my first love in baseball since the Braves were the only team in the entire Southeast!

This move to another city makes me :sick:, but Miami had it coming, considering the team's poor attendance. I partly blame Wayne Huizenga for this mess, IMO. He created a World Series team in '97, then literally destroyed its framework the year after. The team only won 54 games that year! How do you expect fans to react to that? He didn't allow the Marlins to establish a tradition of winning...if he had done that, more fans would come, bringing the revenue that the team sorely needs.

I think a stadium in Ft. Lauderdale is the best option, but if the Marlins move, I would love it if they came to Charlotte. While I think it would be awesome for the team to move to my hometown (Charleston Marlins?), it is too small, and having the team in Charlotte would enhance the rivalry in the NL East with the Braves. Could they be called the Carolina Marlins?

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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Which makes you think the whole thing is a farce. It'd seem to me you'd want to keep something like that quiet till you actually moved.

I read where Huizenga's involved now and will give them land and $50 million to put it near the Dolphins Stadium (whatever its name is this week). That's a nice perk and it would get it closer to Broward.

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dave8721 Unincorporated Area

dave8721

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I'm almost beginning to think the leadership of this team has already made up its mind to move...they're just trying to figure out where.

The leadership of the team is pretty awful. Major League Baseball bailed them out from under their poor business practices in Montreal and now they are looking for someone to do the same again. I woner why anyone would want this ownership group in their city? They aren't even willing to sell the team another local owner who would be willing to pay players and finance a stadium. They are really just counting on money being handed to them.

As a side note, I notice you have lived in Cheyenne WY and Miami. I thought I was the only one in the world who pulled off that combination :) I lived in Cheyenne from about 1980 to 1984 when I was very young and my Dad was stationed at an Air Force base there.

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zed Whistle-Stop

zed

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The leadership of the team is pretty awful. Major League Baseball bailed them out from under their poor business practices in Montreal and now they are looking for someone to do the same again. I woner why anyone would want this ownership group in their city? They aren't even willing to sell the team another local owner who would be willing to pay players and finance a stadium. They are really just counting on money being handed to them.

As near as I can tell, Loria is some kind of MLB hatchet-man. He bought the Expos, and when the taxpayers wouldn't give him a new stadium, he destroyed the team, sold them to MLB and guaranteed their relocation to DC. The same situation seems to be unfolding in South Florida. From reading this articles, it's easy to conclude that MLB has given up on South Florida and Loria is merely enforcing an outcome of moving the team somewhere that MLB finds more desirable. If that does indeed happen, surely the Devil Rays would be next on the hit list...

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Charleston native Burg

Charleston native

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Well, I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that the Florida Marlins and Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina are meeting next week to discuss the possibility of building a baseball stadium in the city for the team. Robaina mentioned three possible sites for a ballpark: Hialeah Park racetrack; an area west of Interstate 75 -- both privately owned; and Amelia Earhart Park, which is Miami-Dade property. The article link is below:

Marlins, Hialeah to talk about park

The bad news is the Marlins, continuing to explore relocation, are also going to visit Charlotte, NC in February or March. The report said the Mecklenburg (N.C.) County Commission will take a look at real estate lawyer Jerry Reese's proposal to build a retractable-roof stadium as part of a $600 million-to-$700 million development which will also include offices and a residential project.

Marlins plan to visit Charlotte, NC

As a fan of the Marlins, I would be heartbroken to see them leave Miami. However, there is only one city that I would be just fine for them to relocate in, and that would be Charlotte. They still would be my #1 favorite team. If Hialeah can keep them in the Miami metro though, I give my thumbs up for it. :good:

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