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Florida Doesn’t Deserve Pro Baseball


By Mike Silva ~ November 23rd, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.

The beginning of the end for the Montreal Expos was when MLB decided to have them play home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico. Within two years they were called the Washington Nationals. Today there are reports the Florida Marlins, just recently approved for a new stadium, will be the next team to call San Juan their home when they play the Mets next season. I realize the stadium is a done deal, but I have my doubts if Florida baseball is worth the time, money, and energy. This doesn’t just mean the Marlins, but Tampa as well.

According to the Sun Sentinal Marlins attendance was up 12.5% thanks to a large turnout at the end of the season. I am sure, since MLB counts only tickets sold, that many of those fans were disguised as empty orange seats. I still can’t get the picture of Land Shark Stadium late in the year where it appeared there was only a couple hundred fans. Mind you this was a team that contended in 2009 and has some of the young and exciting players in the sport.

Tampa is another story. The team is coming off their first pennant in history and they were outdrawn by a Canadian team. Who says baseball is America’s pastime? Even sadder is Rays ownership seems unable to keep their young stars. Scott Kazmir, stolen from the Mets, was traded to Anaheim in a clear salary dump. Reportedly Carl Crawford is the next one to be shown the door. It’s not crazy to think that 2008  very soon will seem like a distant memory. Fortunately all the losing forced Tampa to develop a stellar farm system. The fans may not see an on field impact immediately since it appears there is plenty down on the farm to replace the aforementioned stars.

The Marlins obviously can teach Tampa a thing or two about breaking down teams. They have successfully done it twice. Amazing that this tiny franchise in South Florida has more World Series appearances than the Mets since their inaugural season of 1993. The thought in March was that a new stadium would mean the Marlins would keep their stars and increase payroll. Just the other day they sent the exact opposite message by failing to sign ace Josh Johnson to a long term deal. Reports are abound about Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu being on the trading block. What gives?

I don’t believe baseball in Florida is in jeopardy. The new stadium in Miami means the “Fish” will be there for the foreseeable future. There is no indication the Rays are going anywhere as well. My point is that I believe there are cities that deserve these teams more. Former WFAN host Sid Rosenberg was on my show earlier this year and talked about how the transient nature of the state makes it difficult to develop a loyal followings like the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, and Cubs. I am not asking for Yankees type loyalty, but how about showing up like other small markets such as San Francisco, Denver, and a terrible pro sports town like Atlanta.

The crime in all this is both these teams receive revenue sharing from the league. The Marlins will add insult to injury by using taxpayer dollars to fund their new stadium. How will those taxpayers feel when Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and others play there for the visiting team? You can’t get mad at the constituents of Florida because maybe baseball isn’t their thing. They enjoy it for six weeks in spring, but can’t seem to support a pro team when the games count. I think it’s time to see if Las Vegas, Portland, and even San Juan deserve these franchises. Something tells me that San Juan is a bad sign for baseball in Florida. New stadium or not I don’t think sustainable success is in the cards.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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19 Responses to Florida Doesn’t Deserve Pro Baseball

  1. Ryan
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Hey man as a floridian i find your column to be a little ridiculous and fast in judgment. The idea that Florida teams havent sold out every game and need to be moved is childish. The Rays and Marlins have been in the MLB for 2 decades (roughly) combined. Tradition is what makes baseball successful. Generations of support is what cities like NY, BOS, and DET have had and that also explains the level of support. Try not to be so quick to call for the dismissal of teams when you do not take into account the entire situation. Also, where is this “Crawford leaving” story coming from other than you?

  2. Mike Silva
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:06 pm

    Ryan

    It’s no secret that Crawford is on the block. Doesn’t mean it’s absolute, no rumor is absolute, but we believe the Rays can’t afford the extension and will deal him.

  3. jim
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    the games are being scheduled as much for the Mets as the Marlins maybe more considering the relationship between San Juan and NYC.

    but why let the facts get in the way of an over zealous blog post…

  4. pete abe
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    move these teams to places that will actually support a team

  5. PatrickInNC
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    “Revenue sharing,” my ass. Not when the Yankees buy their 27th World Series title with a payroll larger than the gross domestic product of some developing nations. I guarantee you the Rays and Marlins would fill every seat if they could buy a contender the way the Yankees and Red Sox do.

    And the Rays play in ST. PETERSBURG. Not Tampa (although they should, IMO).

  6. PatrickInNC
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    And where are these teams going to go? You REALLY think they’re going to do better anywhere else in THIS economy?

  7. PatrickInNC
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:23 pm

    And the Yankees have had their own attendance problems, as recently as in the past 15 years (http://armchairgm.wikia.com/Article:Did_George_Steinbrenner_Help_Decrease_Yankees%27_Attendance%3F) . I didn’t hear any “Move the Yankees” clamor. I guess that means fans will support a winner in Noo Yawk same as anywhere else.

  8. Mr. Awesome
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm

    “I think it’s time to end the discussion and respectfully agree to disagree on this topic.”

    - Mike Silva
    November 16th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

    —-

    But surely this blog post has nothing to do with the backlash from last week. After all, the argument being made here is an entirely new and original topic that would have been posted even if everyone agreed with what was reported a week ago.

  9. Mike Silva
    November 23rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    Mr. Awesome, this post was prompted by the San Juan story – nothing to do with Crawford. My issue is more with Joe Smith’s use of the world “false” would I find unprofessional. He can disagree with our report, but nothing we said is false, it’s information that we came by.

    Patrick, the Yankees discussed moving to NJ back in the eighties so there was talk about moving albeit of a different nature.

  10. firejerrynow
    November 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm

    MIke, you’re taking the Tampa Bay Rays blogs and newspaper discredit of your story a little too much.

  11. Andrew
    November 23rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    I’m guessing the fact that the Rays won 14 more games than the Mets while spending $100 million less on payroll probably stings a little bit.

    But hey, that 2006 Mets team was good, right? Remember them?? I’m sure that’ll be comforting when the Rays are in the playoffs again next year and the Mets are looking up at everyone except (maybe) the Nationals….

  12. Joe
    November 24th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    By this logic, the Braves, Indians, and Mariners should have been moved years ago when they all struggled drawing fans. The Orioles and Pirates attendance sucks now, let’s move them too. Oakland is dead last in attendance. Find them a new home.

    This article is absurd. Teams struggle to draw fans in lots of different places for a variety of reasons. The Marlins have played their entire existance in a football stadium with no roof. Try drawing people to a place where there is a 50/50 chance they will be rained on and have to sit through an hour delay. Until this past year when the stadium deal finally got done, nobody knew for certain if the team had a future. You can’t expect people to fully embrace a team under the constant threat of being moved. Now that the retractable roof stadium is on the way, the Marlins will finally have chance to really take hold in this market.

  13. Mike Silva
    November 24th, 2009 at 4:56 pm

    Its like the old chicken and the egg dilemma. How do you keep a team if you don’t show up and how do you show up if you don’t know if you won’t have a team.

    Btw – Oakland is proving to be a miserable baseball town and probably doesn’t deserve their team either.

    Time to give these places their football and build a fan base in areas that understand and embrace the game.

  14. firejerrynow
    November 24th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    The Yankees got horrible attendance in the 90′s. The Mets had poor attendance at the end of this year. Lets contract both teams.
    You really are taking this Crawford thing to far

  15. Mike Silva
    November 24th, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    FJN with all due respect that is a horrible comparison.

    The Marlins historically have been poor drawers and Tampa not much better. South Florida is a dubious pro baseball town and I just thought it’s time to look at more viable options. It’s about sustainable success and I don’t see that happening down there. It has nothing to do with Carl Crawford rumors.

  16. steven gerrard
    November 25th, 2009 at 6:58 am

    Mike, you wouldn’t have started this anti-Florida thing if they hadn’t dissed your work.
    Pittsburgh hasn’t drawn well in years. Contract them! Toronto sucked in attendance this year. Contract them, along with Atlanta, the White Sox, Texas, Baltimore, Kansas City, Washington, Cincinatti and Cleveland. They all finished under 70% of capacity. Oh, and so did 2 playoff teams, Minnesota and Colarado. I guess they don’t deserve baseball.

  17. Matt
    November 25th, 2009 at 7:26 am

    The Rays are chock full of young talent. They will be contending again next year. A new stadium is just what this team needs. As for Kaz he’s a bum. He’s consistently 100 pitch by the 5th and when he does find the strike zone he grooves it down the middle. Such promise but he rather waste it playing the famous game at Tampa bar @ 3am night before he pitches. My only problem was why to rush to unload him during the season. I really can’t tell you why the Marlins are getting a new stadium. I would hope for the tax payers that it has a retractable roof. Tampa has barely been on the baseball scene and you think they should end it.
    The Yankees wouldn’t have 27 rings if there was free agency back then. I struggle the remember 10 players from the 80′s who played for the Yankees. Not all change is instant.
    Oh and Carl not going anywhere.

  18. Patrick
    November 25th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    The first line of your blog post is inaccurate. The beginning of the end for the Expos here in Montreal was the 1994 strike that ended the season and effectively put a dagger in what was the best team in baseball that year.

    The team was 74-40, had the lowest payroll in MLB ($19 million) and that team featured Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Cliff Floyd, Marquis Grissom, John Wetteland and one Pedro Martinez. We were on track to draw 2 million fans that year.

    If 1994 were to be played out, the Expos no doubt win the World Series, the proposed ballpark gets built in downtown Montreal and the city would still have a team there today.

  19. Allen
    November 27th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Both Florida teams are great and deserving of loyal fans. That isn’t the problem. I bought a small house in a low income largely Spanish speaking Tampa neighborhood in 2003 for the purpose of following spring baseball. I’m not hispanic but I didn’t think it would matter. Better neighborhoods were out of my price range. I have an apartment in NYC which is still my legal residence. I’m in the process of selling the Tampa house at a huge loss and will shortly return to my apartment in NYC. I have tried every day to talk up baseball to anyone I meet in Florida. It’s not happening. Florida isn’t a market like others. Time won’t change it for the better. And Rays owners berating fans for not supporting their team (ie buying more tickets) isn’t going to work either. The immigrants here-in general- stay in their own group. They’re not interested in speaking English. Many are on some form of government assistance. It takes a lot of money to drive to baseball games. You have to have your car air conditioning running the whole time too which adds to the cost. Spring training is different, I’ve seen fans there and the majority are middle aged or older.
    People don’t understand Florida is a state of poor people who are about to get poorer. Remember the sub-prime mortgage scam that caused a global depression with Florida among the worst hit? Well, they’re doing it again, ie making loans to people who can’t pay for them. 90% of housing loans today are FHA (meaning to people who have very little money and are poor credit risks). Yes, some people can afford the time and money to travel to see a baseball game, but not enough. Things are very bad here and getting worse. Sorry, but that’s the way it is.

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