Least respected owner in MLB: Jeffrey Loria?

[DrungoHazewood]

Last time I checked, winning World Series rings was all that matters. Fire sales, so what?

Answer me this, would you trade the Orioles for the Marlins since spring of 1997? I know that there'd be some dark times if we had the Marlins history but at least we'd have some winning seasons, some playoff baseball and some World Series titles to show for it.

I don't know... would you be a huge Orioles fan if, after 1996, they'd immediately traded away Cal, Eddie, Brady, Raffy, and Alomar for a bunch of random minor leaguers? Or if they'd done something similar the year after OPACY opened?

I'd have enjoyed the World Series years if I'd been a Marlins fan, but I'd be really bitter after ownership systematically destroyed a pretty good organization three times in 15 years. Each time you do something petulant like that you lose part of the fan base that will never come back.

If winning rings is all that matters, what are you doing during the firesales? Just going to the beach, occasionally checking in every couple years to see when the next Series might happen?

[Can_of_corn]

Successful and respected are two different things. Obviously the Marlins under Loria have had more success then the O's.

[OFFNY]

Successful and respected are two different things. Obviously the Marlins under Loria have had more success then the O's.

Yes, and I think that that is part of what Hazewood was getting at (my apologies if it wasn't.)

Also, since Loria didn't come into the picture until 2002, shouldn't he be credited with only ONE World Series title ???

Wayne Huizenga was the team owner when the Marlins won it all in 1997.

Talk all the trash you want but they've got more rings than we do since their inception. IMO the answer is Angelos.

[Can_of_corn]

There is a theory out there that the Marlins traded their competitive balance pick (#39) simply to clear payroll for ....Kevin Gregg.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-marlins-live-down-to-their-reputation/

On Monday, the Marlins signed free agent reliever Kevin Gregg, giving him the pro-rated portion of a $2.1 million salary for 2014. Because the deal only covers the final two-thirds of the season, he’ll receive $1.4 million in actual salary from the Marlins this year. Not coincidentally, $1.4 million is exactly the amount of money the Marlins saved by giving away the 39th pick in the draft.

The Marlins payroll ranks 29th in MLB, but more tellingly, they are $30 million below the Tampa Bay Rays, who come in 28th in spending this year. The Rays play in a terrible ballpark and average 3,000 fewer fans per game than the Marlins, and yet they still found $30 million more to spend than Jeffry Loria’s organization this year.

[notyourbuddy]

That is quite a bit of effort to go through just to sign a bum like Captain Chaos. :slytf:

[weams]

There is a theory out there that the Marlins traded their competitive balance pick (#39) simply to clear payroll for ....Kevin Gregg.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-marlins-live-down-to-their-reputation/

I don't believe that Florida franchises are viable.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't believe that Florida franchises are viable.

Of course they are viable, there is too much shared money for them not to be.

They are certainly hobbled by their locations.

[DrungoHazewood]

Of course they are viable, there is too much shared money for them not to be.

They are certainly hobbled by their locations.

And their history. Or lack thereof.

[Can_of_corn]

And their history. Or lack thereof.

If there was a quality stadium, in a quality location, then the Rays could be a regular small market club in another ten years. This recent run of success has impacted the youth.

[Elbren]

If there was a quality stadium, in a quality location, then the Rays could be a regular small market club in another ten years. This recent run of success has impacted the youth.

Eh, I'd have to see that to believe it.

My brother used to live in the St. Pete area for quite awhile and I still remember visiting him. That's Yankee's country. They're only there for spring training, but you can definitely feel that 'presence' year round. It's on their bumper stickers, it's on their little car flags, their hats, their jersey's ... I even remember seeing a billboard or two. Anywhere you went that was sports related, pinstripes weren't too far behind.

They've already been there 16 years and they've been competitive for ... what, 5 or 6 years now? If they don't have a fan base now, I just don't see them ever having one.

[Can_of_corn]

Eh, I'd have to see that to believe it.

My brother used to live in the St. Pete area for quite awhile and I still remember visiting him. That's Yankee's country. They're only there for spring training, but you can definitely feel that 'presence' year round. It's on their bumper stickers, it's on their little car flags, their hats, their jersey's ... I even remember seeing a billboard or two. Anywhere you went that was sports related, pinstripes weren't too far behind.

They've already been there 16 years and they've been competitive for ... what, 5 or 6 years now? If they don't have a fan base now, I just don't see them ever having one.

Like I said it would take another decade. They have done a good job appealing to the kids.

[Elbren]

Like I said it would take another decade. They have done a good job appealing to the kids.

That seems like an awful long time to wait though ... almost 30 years into a franchises existence and hoping that they've not only grown a fan base, but one large enough to sustain a competitive ML club?

Too long to wait, IMO, on a state that should have never had a ML franchise to begin with, let alone two.

[Can_of_corn]

That seems like an awful long time to wait though ... almost 30 years into a franchises existence and hoping that they've not only grown a fan base, but one large enough to sustain a competitive ML club?

Too long to wait, IMO, on a state that should have never had a ML franchise to begin with, let alone two.

I'm not arguing that.

The time before the current ownership were pretty much wasted years.

[weams]

Like I said it would take another decade. They have done a good job appealing to the kids.

Yep. But after losing for the next four or five, it will fall back.

[DrungoHazewood]

That seems like an awful long time to wait though ... almost 30 years into a franchises existence and hoping that they've not only grown a fan base, but one large enough to sustain a competitive ML club?

Too long to wait, IMO, on a state that should have never had a ML franchise to begin with, let alone two.

Why is that too long? How were the White Sox or Indians or Red Sox drawing in 1918? I think it's very easy to take for granted the advantages teams have that have been in place for 60 or 100 years. They all have old men whose fathers took them to the park when they were young. Tampa has 20 year olds who were alive before they had a team.