Marlins Formally Looking to Move

[Valadius]

Unable to Get a Stadium, Marlins to Pursue Relocation

MIAMI (AP) -- 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 wouldn't get into specifics of any trades, but said there would be an immediate "significant market correction" to the team's payroll.

Samson said some cities have called the Marlins to discuss possibilities, but he wouldn't reveal any details. Marlins officials met in December with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

"What does this mean? It does not mean that the Marlins are necessarily leaving South Florida. It does mean, however, that we need to seriously explore all of our options, including those in other markets," team owner Jeffery Loria said in a statement read by Samson. Loria was in Europe.

The team has lobbied for its own stadium since original owner H. Wayne Huizenga sold the team to John Henry in 1999. The team's latest ballpark plan, 38,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof that would be built next to Miami's Orange Bowl, came apart this spring.

The ballpark had an estimated cost of $420 million to $435 million, and the financing plan included $60 million in state funding. While money was approved in April by the Florida House, the state Senate refused to go along.

Then, South Florida government officials and the team didn't meet a June 9 deadline established by Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, for a detailed update on the funding plans.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said he will "continue to be supportive of the team's efforts to build a stadium in South Florida."

Meanwhile, the Marlins appeared to have begun to pare their payroll, which was at around $60 million on opening day last season. The Red Sox and Marlins reached a preliminary agreement Monday night on a trade that would send pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to Boston for three prospects. The trade wasn't finalized because physicals were pending, according to a baseball official who requested anonymity.

The 25-year-old Beckett, eligible for salary arbitration, is expected to earn between $4 million and $5 million next year and can become a free agent after the 2007 season. Lowell, 31, is owed $9 million each of the next two seasons.

[Valadius]

This brings up my absolute favorite topic in all of sports: division alignment, realignment, and team relocation and expansion. I used to spend many hours pondering this topic while the NBA, NFL, and NHL were going through their realignment periods, and frequently come back to MLB, because I don't think they're done.

Here's how the Majors currently look:

NL East

Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals

NL Central

Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

AL East

Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins

AL West

Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

There are problems with this configuration as it is now. There are six teams in the NL Central and four in the AL West. One of the AL West teams, the Texas Rangers, have long been pushing the move to the AL Central, because of the time zone difference between them and the other AL West teams.

A conservative outlook on change in the MLB would have no expansion take place. If the Marlins move to Las Vegas or another western city, such as Portland, here is what I propose:

NL East

Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals

NL Central

Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Las Vegas? (Marlins)
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

Ideally, however, there would be the same number of teams in each division. As it stands now, with 16 NL teams and 14 AL teams, it wouldn't work if applied throughout baseball. Also, some claim, 15 NL teams and 15 AL teams would mean that there would always be an interleague series occurring, diminishing the significance of those games. I say it doesn't have to be so. One team in each league would get a series off, allowing the teams to rest more often. But then, some might say, the duration of the season would be lengthened. Not necessarily, I say. Bring back the time-honored tradition of scheduled double-headers and that crisis would be averted.

[nymr83]

you wont get 5/5/5, 5/5/5 because that would require inter-league play every day which is not something they seem to want. you'll see equal divisions when they expand to 32 (it has to happen some day) at which point i HOPE they do it 8/8, 8/8 with 2 wildcards per league instead of 4 team divisions with only 1 playoff team per.

[nymr83]

this just in! Yankee owner George Steinbrenner will help the Marlins firesale by trading for their longest-tenured member and paying his salary. at the same time, George will be filling a need that has existed on the Yankees for longer than he has owned the team.....

[Valadius]

Consider the following:

50 Largest Metropolitan Areas in the United States

New York
Los Angeles
Chicago
Philadelphia
Dallas
Miami
Washington
Houston
Detroit
Boston
Atlanta
San Francisco-Oakland
Riverside-San Bernardino, California (Inland Empire)
Phoenix
Seattle
Minneapolis-St. Paul
San Diego
St. Louis
Baltimore
Pittsburgh
Tampa-St. Petersburg
Cleveland
Denver
Cincinnati
Portland, Oregon
Kansas City
Sacramento
San Jose
San Antonio
Orlando
Columbus, Ohio
Providence, RI
Norfolk-Virginia Beach
Indianapolis
Milwaukee
Las Vegas
Charlotte
New Orleans (Pre-Katrina)
Nashville
Austin, Texas
Memphis
Buffalo
Louisville, Kentucky
Hartford
Jacksonville
Richmond, Virginia
Oklahoma City
Birmingham, Alabama
Rochester, NY

Excluding Riverside-San Bernardino (which is really just an offshoot of LA), the largest metropolitan area in the United States without an MLB team is that of Portland, Oregon. Las Vegas is the fastest-growing metropolitan area.

[Guest SI Metman]

I came up with a similar switch on the MOFO. The other choice would be to have the Marlins and Rays switch leagues.

Send Vegas/Portland to the AL West
Texas to the AL Central
1 of Detroit/Cleveland back to the AL East
Tampa to the NL East.

[DocTee]

Interesting, Val...A's management always makes noise about relocating within the gretaer bay Area: the Giants would block a move to San Jose, but Sacto (home of Athletics top affiliate) is rarely mentioned-- since it has a larger population, maybe it should be...

I recall the A's playing some pre-season games in Vegas,a nd the rumors of htier impending move to the Desert-- I think the gambling stigma is too much for MLB to overcome, as Edgy mentioned earlier.

[Theoldmole]

I'd like to see a team in Rochester...

[seawolf17]

YAY Rochester! Not big enough, but that would rule.

[Guest sharpie]

Problem with Sacramento, besides being ugly and boring, is that you quickly get to scrubland once you are out of the metro area. San Jose makes a whole lot more sense if Oakland wanted to move in the Bay Area. Thing is, Oakland is probably the best place for Oakland.

[Willets Point]

Put me down in favor of contracting Florida's major league baseball franchises. This is getting ridiculous.

[Mex17]

Let me say this loud and clear:

If MLB puts a team in Vegas than they should PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL OF FAME IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frayed Knot]

One has nothing to do with the other.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He makes a compelling case, what with all those exclamation points.

[Frayed Knot]

He had me at ALL CAPS

[Mex17]

When dealing with potenally blatant unchecked hypocricy, all caps and exclamation points are necessary.

How do you continue to punish one of the greatest hitters in the history of the sport because of his gambling habits and then proceed to to jump in bed with the city that has encouraged those same destructive habits for millions of people for decades??

Hypocracy. Selig is basically acting like the French cop in Cassablanca, IMO.

[Frayed Knot]

"How do you continue to punish one of the greatest hitters in the history of the sport because of his gambling habits"

because he knowingly and intentionally broke the only rule of the game that has such a "death penalty" and in doing so he risked the integrity of the game -- and then continued to lie about it for decades.


"... and then proceed to to jump in bed with the city that has encouraged those same destructive habits for millions of people for decades??"

The same rules that insulate the game from becoming connected with gambling will still apply whether you're in a city that permits it legally or not.

Object to Vegas if you want, but it in no way relates to Rose's situation.

[Valadius]

Whatever happened to that offer from Don King to build a stadium on some of his land in Florida?

[nymr83]

Valadius wrote: Whatever happened to that offer from Don King to build a stadium on some of his land in Florida?

i don't even remember that.

[metirish]

This is a terrible idea...

] Businessman Wants Marlins in Puerto Rico November 23, 2005, 9:17 PM EST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The businessman who brought Montreal Expos games to Puerto Rico now wants to lure the Florida Marlins. Antonio Munoz would like the Marlins to move to Puerto Rico permanently or at least consider playing some of their games there, as the Expos did from 2003-04. He said he will soon discuss his idea with the team to see if it is interested. "We would like to see the Marlins play in Puerto Rico," Munoz said from the Dominican Republic in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Frustrated they have been unable to put together financing for a new ballpark in South Florida, the Marlins said Tuesday they have received permission from the commissioner's office to explore moving the franchise for the 2008 season. Munoz paid millions in 2003 and 2004 to get the Montreal Expos to play more than 40 games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. The franchise moved to Washington and was renamed the Nationals before last season. Munoz said Puerto Rico might consider building a new stadium for the Marlins. "Puerto Rico is on notice to consider the construction of a new park and that is something that we could negotiate," he said. Florida president David Samson said several cities have already shown an interest in becoming the club's new home. Looking to slash payroll, the Marlins struck two tentative deals this week to trade three star players: first baseman Carlos Delgado, pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell.

[DocTee]

How so Irish?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Why? If they are willing to cough up the extortion money that Miami won't, more power to them.

[metirish]

Because it didn't work when the Expos played there, most people in Puerto Rico can't afford MLB prices, plus IIRC the Mets players and other teams that went there hated the travel and the stadium and the heat,and afte the novelty wore off the fans didn't fill the stadium.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Because it didn't work when the Expos played there...

That's a pretty broad statement. What didn't work may not have worked with any team in transition.

]... most people in Puerto Rico can't afford MLB prices...,

Do you know this for a fact? The world is changing. Ireland was a pretty poor place just 15 years ago.

]...plus IIRC the Mets players and other teams that went there hated the travel and the stadium and the heat,and afte the novelty wore off the fans didn't fill the stadium.

Well, the travel can't be much different from travel to Florida, the stadium will be a new one if they get a permanent assignment, and the heat also won't be any worse than Miami.

Novelty wears off with all new teams. A new team that's just passing through is doomed.

[metirish]

All fair points Edgy, and of course saying that all people in Puerto Rico can't afford MLB prices was wrong, I do remember one of the Mets TV guys talking about that though during a series the Mets played there, I think it was Ted Robinson that said that the fans he talked to said that the prices were way to high for them .

Why should we believe that this will build a new stadium?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I believe there won't be a permanent re-assignment anywhere --- Norfolk, Buffalo, Sacramento, Managua --- without a promise of a publicly funded stadium.

[nymr83]

normally i'd hate to see a team, any team, move. but when you win 2 friggin world series since 1997 and still the fans don't come i say screw them, they dont deserve a team.

edgy is right about the stadium thing and thats why in the end i dont think anyone will move again anytime soon. the era of publicly funded stadiums seems to be coming to an end (or at least slowing down considerably) and i'm glad to see it go.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

And if they build a new stadium, they can put a dome on it, so heat won't be an issue.

[smg58]

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/marlins3.shtml

This shows the Marlins attendance records, up to this year. They were actually doing just fine until the 98 fire sale, with especially strong years in their inaugural season and the championship year. They never recovered from 98, though, bottoming out with a disastrous sub-million attendance in 02. Even winning again in 03 didn't undo the damage, but in fairness the attendance has gone up each of the past three seasons (it was 1.8 million this year). It still wasn't great, but the area appeared to be regaining some confidence in the organization. Now, I see no reason not to expect another free-fall.

[Guest Edgy DC]

So, like in Montreal, the fans get the tag as a group that abandoned Major League Baseball, when, in fact, Major League Baseball abandoned them first.