Columnist Joe Sheehan thinks the Lords of Baseball have given up trying to contract the Twins... but are they letting a certain owner run his *second* franchise into the ground?

The Angel of Death

The article is brilliant ... but Sheehan left out one point. Baseball needs a threatening market ... they need a place where team owners who want a new stadium can threaten to move. The problem with contraction is that it must be done in pairs. Moves only require one team. In the event that Peter Angelos makes it impossible to move a team to D.C. (not likely throught eh threat of litigation), what markets would be left?

Charlotte? They just lost an NBA franchise -- and the Panthers are pathetic -- it's not looking major league there right now.
Orlando? Nashville? Las Vegas? Way too small -- they make Kansas City or Cincinnati look like a big market.
Mexico City? Canada (much wealthier than Mexico) is having trouble supporting competitive sports franchises in US-based leaguesa team because of the issue of taking in revenues in one currency, and paying expenses out in a strong U.S. dollar. Given 9-11 and border security issues, Mexico City or Monterrey are not viable markets, yet.

So that leaves the Cultural Capital of Latin America. If the Marlins are contracted, Miami becomes the market of choice to move your franchise when taxpayers in Philadelphia or Kansas City or Anaheim or the Borough of Queens won't build the pleasure palaces baseball demands.

It's such a win-win from the Selig perspective.

Contract the Brewers!

[quote]Originally posted by Charlie in the Trees:
If the Marlins are contracted, Miami becomes the market of choice to move your franchise when taxpayers in Philadelphia.....won't build the pleasure palaces baseball demands.

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Ummm, too late

[quote]Originally posted by Charlie in the Trees:
So that leaves the Cultural Capital of Latin America.

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Havana? Or would defections by the team members of the Havana Senators be too big a problem?

The article is great as it reports the truth behind the demise of the Marlins. Jeff Loria was brought in to dismantle and run the Marlins into the ground especially their farm system which has produced the most young talent of any MLB team over the last ten years.

For example, Loria fired the whole front office and remaining coaching staff when he assumed ownership. Who came over to replace those fired people? All of his funkies from Montreal system which they are spending one year warm vacation in Florida. His personnel moves have affected the minor league system in Calgary, Portland, and Kane County. All Marlins farm teams have changed personnel (GM, Managers, Coaches, etc) suddenly after 12 years of stablity in their farm systems. Their farm teams are the most profitable because of their innovatives with marketing and promotions.

If you looked over the roster of MLB teams, the Marlins have their home-grown talent in San Diego, Chicago, etc. I am not meaning the free agents of MLB like Gary Sheffield, Al Leiter, or Mois Alou who were brought in by scumbag Huizienga.

The stadium lease is not beneficial for the Marlins because of Huizienga takes a high percentage of fees for rental, concession rights, premium seating areas, and advertising. When he owned the Marlins, he played accounting games as described in the article to project hugh losses.

One plan would be to merge the Marlins and the Devil Rays then move the merged entity to Orlando metropolitan area where a certain mouse corporation will build a nice, new baseball park supported with taxpayers money. I know that the mouse corporation does owe a baseball team already but the mouse will do a swap just like Hendry did with the Marlins-Red Sox. MLB is not going to give up the four largest state in US population. Florida has the most tv markets because it is shaped in penisula and the population has steady increased over last 50 years.

[quote]Originally posted by J T:
One plan would be to merge the Marlins and the Devil Rays then move the merged entity to Orlando metropolitan area where a certain mouse corporation will build a nice, new baseball park supported with taxpayers money. I know that the mouse corporation does owe a baseball team already but the mouse will do a swap just like Hendry did with the Marlins-Red Sox. MLB is not going to give up the four largest state in US population. Florida has the most tv markets because it is shaped in penisula and the population has steady increased over last 50 years.

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Considering that the Mouse ownership of the NHL's Mighty Ducks isn't working so well anymore, and with baseball's Armageddon looming, I can see them getting out of the major league sports ownership business entirely.