"In a year that has been so improbable,
the impossible has happened!"
Those were the words of Vin Scully when Kirk Gibson hit his legendary pinch-hit home run in the 1988 World Series. They were never more appropriate than tonight when Anibal Sanchez threw a No-Hitter for the Marlins.
For those that aren't familiar with what I'm talking about, the Marlins completely sold off their team that fought to get inot the playoffs until the final weeks of last season. The reason was financial. The team payroll went from $60 Million to $15. There's actually something like 12 PLAYERS in baseball that make more than the entire Marlins team.
So here we are in September after the Marlins were 20 games under .500 earlier in the year and they are only a couple of games behind the leader of the wildcard chase, San Diego. And then tonight Sanchez throws a No-No.
This season truly is one for the ages. Larry Beinfest, the General Manager of the Marlins, is making a lot of baseball executives look foolish these days.
11 comments:
10k in the stadium is an insult to the young marlins crop... hoepefully the bandwagon will get fuller next week
time is running short
The paid attendance was 10k but the actual crowd at the game was less than half that...according to the Y! Sports recap:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260906128
See what you people in south florida miss when you dont go to your team's games? Don't cry when the team is moved to Las Vegas or Havana :)
I would not mind to see the Havana Marlins..
sounds great to me
miamians dont care about baseball as much as football or Nba games
well , if the stadium was in hialeah maybe they get 20k per game , just maybe
Look Anonymous, I don't know if you live in Miami but we had record rainfall today (more than 5 inches in some places). That's why the club needs a domed stadium, except they want they want the taxpayers to pay for it. I'm all for it, but many understandably are not.
If you think driving 45 minutes or more in heavy rush hour traffic after work to sit in a stadium when it's raining or when it's 85 degrees with a 95% humidity is a blast then you'd be right at home here. It's just a hell a lot of a lot easier to watch the games at home. I should know, I'm a full plan season ticket holder and I've been to half a dozen games this year. Are you a season ticket holder in your city? How many games do YOU go to?
Last year we averaged more than 20,000 per game. That's low by league standards but considering all the problems with the stadium it's not bad and it was growing year over year. Then the ownership decided to get rid of all of the players. Then they decided to shop the team around to other cities. Do you think that's highly motivating behavior by the ownership?
Yes, this team is good but a lot of people don't even know who they are because they completely tuned out of baseball when all of this movement talk and the fire sale occurred.
Enrique, I disagree Miami loves baseball it's just that the various owners have shit all over the fans. People vote with their feet. Once the stadium deal gets done (it's supposed to be announced this month) attendance will increase for next season.
Henry to tell you the truth Miami will be best served if the franchise moves somewhere else.
Huizienga , Henry and others have betrayed the real fans many times selling their best players....
and last year the got rid of paul loduca, mike lowell ( fan favourite) and the two pitchers i cant recall now currently with Boston and Blue jays...
Ahora mismo las vegas esta en veremos por la situacion del gambling pero creo que esa es una buena movida ...
Lo correcto y mas deseado por nosotros seria tener una franquicia en la Habana en un futuro no muy lejano..
Eso ocurrira pero nada que ver con los Marlins....
How about the SugarCane Kings of Havana
Players from last year that are gone include: Mike Lowell, Luis Castillo, Alex Gonzalez, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca, AJ Burnett, Josh Beckett, Jeff Conine, and others.
But Enrique I don't see your logic that the fans should be the ones that pay for the ownership's blunders by losing our team.
Baseball can survive in Miami but only if the stadium issue is resolved in a satisfactory manner.
i've been following the fish for years. While it is difficult for me to go to many of the games now (I used to be a season ticket holder), I watch the games on tv everyday. In fact, I've been watching every game since the 2003 season when after being disgusted with them, I went to a game and liked what I saw. It was fun. I followed them to the World Series that year and managed to get portraits of all the players months before anyone knew who they were (when they had a fuji photo meet the players day).
2004 and 2005 were disapointments with the talent they had on those teams. I was bummed when the firesaled the team, but I continued to watch them this year even when they were 20 games below. But as these young guys started winning and playing with heart, frankly, I get more excited watching this team than I did the last 2 years. In 2004 they got screwed by the hurricanes and having to play home games in chicago etc. But this team has won me over with exuberance. They are the underdogs. Almost like the '69 Mets. If I had my choice, I'd keep this team over the past Marlins teams. It's exciting to see these young guys who will be superstars one day.
Henry you know the stadium issue is a dead issue with the politicians... plus it will take 2 or 3 years for the stadium to be built..
location, location, location
Can the fish survive 3 more years drawing 10k.. no way
time to move west
Of course the fish can survive. All the small market teams survive on tv revenue and revenues from radio; licensing; etc. With their payroll what it is? believe me, they could survive
The stadium is not dead. I heard from a source within the Marlins that an announcement would be made in September. If you have followed it closely you would know that there is a plan in place to build the stadium in a newly annexed part of Hialeah. The UDB (Urban Development Boundary) has also been moved to accommodate the Stadium and the surrounding commercial/residential area that will be built. The team will make money this year because of their $15 million payroll. They could have zero fans all year and still make money because of the broadcasting revenues. The reality is that the difference in Revenue between averaging 10,000 and 20,000 fans per game is not that much because the Marlins are tenants in the stadium and incremental revenues such as parking and concessions go to the landlord and not the club.
Besides wherever they move to, they won't be able to move to until that city builds a ballpark. It's the same 3 years. It's much better to spend those 3 years building up excitement because the club is staying than to spend those 3 years with nobody in the stands because the club is leaving.
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