Marlins hold offseason event, confirm suspicions

Turns out that ownership might actually care, which might be even worse than greedy indifference.

On The Miami Marlins And Ballpark Backdrops

There's been some expressed concern that the Miami Marlins' colorful home-run feature in the outfield could be a distraction for batters. Let's investigate with words and pictures.

David Samson: Live And Uncensored

Miami Marlins president David Samson spoke before a group of Miami businesspersons on Tuesday, and according to Miami Today, it was something of a George Carlin rant without the humor.

"I don't have to hold back now that the stadium is built — not that I ever have," Mr. Samson said while addressing a group of about 75 people who came to hear him speak at a Beacon Council breakfast meeting.

And he didn't hold back, calling politicians stupid, declaring that "we're not the smartest people in Miami," and revealing that Jose Reyes would have signed with any team that was willing to pay him the most.

The Miami New Times channeled its inner Milo Bloom when they opened their article on the talk with "​In a smarmy speech before a group of Miami business leaders ..." It was, by all accounts, an unexpectedly candid speech.

It seems that Samson's major bone of contention had to do with the criticism of how Marlins Park was paid for. But now that the park is built and the flamingos are a go, there's no reason to be coy, apparently.

Marlins Park Opens Its Doors, And ...

Thanks to a FanFest and an exhibition game against the Miami Hurricanes, there are a lot of pictures out there now of an almost-completed Marlins Park. Here are some first impressions ...

How Marlins Park Will Affect Offense

The new Marlins Park might change offense significantly in south Florida. What will it do to sluggers like Giancarlo Stanton?

Could The Marlins' Home Run Structure Have To Be Dismantled?

The Marlins have spent a lot of money, and received a lot of attention, for the kitschy home run structure in their new stadium. A month before Opening Day, though, there's a potential problem.

'Flamingos Are A Go!'

Marlins, Jeffrey Loria Being Weird And Short-Sighted Again

The Miami Marlins aren't giving out raises this year for their pre-arbitration players. Times are tough.

Amazin' Avenue: Defending The Marlins' Home-Run Feature

Amazin' Avenue's James Kannengieser rises to the defense:

The consensus seems to be that Marlins Ballpark's home run celebration machine is tacky, over-the-top, nonsensical and just plain awful. All of those adjectives are accurate, except for "awful", which should be replaced with "awesome."

--snip--

I want to hate all things Marlins -- especially considering the crony capitalism and theft of citizens' dollars which were integral for building Marlins Ballpark -- but I have to admire the home run celebration machine for the absurd spectacle that is is. Do I want every team erecting their own? Not necessarily, but some fresh architectural and attraction ideas in MLB would be welcome. I have lofty expectations for the Mercury Mets' stadium.

So here's hoping for further innovation in stadium design. And also an epic letdown of a season from a team managed by a guy who regularly tweets things like this.

Not necessarily every team? I think we have an early leader in the battle for Understatement of the Decade.

Seriously, I can see Kannengieser's point. It is refreshing to see something unique in a new ballpark. And the Marlins' home-run feature does seem of a piece with the more garish aspects of Miami's heritage.

But I'll say what I've (probably) said before: This thing is just too big, too garish. It'll be a lot of fun -- for both the ironists and the regular people -- for a year or so, but will wear out its welcome relatively quickly. If the damned thing weren't so expensive, I would give it a year, or two at most. But since the Marlins -- well, actually the region's taxpayers -- have "invested" $2.5 million on the damned thing, it will probably last for at least as long as Jeffrey Loria remains the owner.

The Marlins' Home-Run Feature: A Sense Of Scale

Wondering how big the Marlins' home-run feature really is? Thanks to a webcam tracking the progress of the construction, we now have a sense of perspective.

FISH STRIPES: The Miami Marlins Are Not The Worst Thing Ever

Over the weekend, I wrote an article titled “The Miami Marlins Are The Worst Thing Ever”, detailing my dislike for all things Marlins.

Admittedly, the headline was a bit over the top. “Why I Hate The Miami Marlins” might have been a better introduction to the idea.

Michael Jong, proprietor of SB Nation’s Marlins blog Fish Stripes, penned a response to my feature, called The Miami Marlins Are Not The Worst Thing Ever, which is a reasonable reply coming from a Marlins fan.

In it, he admits that quite a bit of what I wrote is true, particularly the section about Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria:

A lot of the Marlins hate is centered around Loria. When it comes to reprehensible owners, Loria fits the bill perfectly. He orchestrated the second-worst fire sale in the team’s history. He deflated payroll an enormous amount. He claimed poverty and swindled tax money from the city of Miami to pay for a stadium. Prior to this, he bullied the Montreal Expos with threats of relocation before getting subsidized to escape Montreal and buy the Marlins, I mean, this is a terrible rap sheet.

He then makes some excuses for Loria holding up the city of Miami for a new stadium, saying:

But rare is the owner that does not bully their city to fund them a stadium. It is happening in Oakland. It happened in Washington. It may not come in as strong-armed a fashion as it did in Miami, but sports owners almost inevitably get their publicly-funded stadiums, and Loria’s case is just the latest case of that happening.

So, essentially, it’s a case of “everyone does it, don’t hate on us.” Which, again, isn’t unreasonable. Jong sums up by saying:

The truth is that the Marlins will never look good to outsiders, especially those who hold a fan’s perspective rather than an objective outlook.

Absolutely true. I almost feel bad now, since he was so reasonable. Almost.

The Miami Marlins Are The Worst Thing Ever

Oh, sure, their shiny new stadium looks nice from the outside. But beginning this April, it will host the most reprehensible franchise in baseball.

What An SEC Investigation Means For The Miami Marlins

An investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission is serious business. Here's the skinny on how investigations work and how it might affect the Miami Marlins.

Just In Time, Government Investigating Marlins' Ballpark Deal

In a somewhat shocking twist, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission is investigating the Miami Marlins' efforts to garner political support for the financing of their new ballpark.

New Miami Marlins Logo, Uniforms Officially Unveiled

After months of guesses and speculation, the Miami Marlins officially unveiled their new logo and uniforms in a private ceremony.

New Miami Marlins Uniforms, Logo Leaked In Advance Of Unveiling

Friday night, the Miami Marlins will reveal their official new logo and uniforms, but, as should come as no surprise, we've already got our hands on leaked images.

What Would Happen If The Marlins Signed Albert Pujols?

The Miami Marlins are hosting Albert Pujols for a free-agent visit this weekend. What would the world be like if they actually signed him?

The New Miami Marlins Uniforms Are The New Worst Thing Ever

The Marlins may be leaving their football stadium's orange seats, but they're taking the color with them in another way. Unfortunately.

The New Miami Marlins Logo Is No Longer The Worst Thing Ever

Did you have a good laugh about the new Marlins' logo? Yeah? Pretty funny, for sure. But it gets worse.

Marlins' New Logo Is Real, And It's ...

The Marlins' old logo was actually pretty good. But they've got a new name and a new ballpark, so the old logo has to go. Unfortunately, the new logo will actually cause serious retinal injuries.

Miami Marlins' (Rumored) New Logo: Really Bad, But Not The Worst Possible

A logo rumored to be the soon-to-be-Miami Marlins' new logo has surfaced, and it's... well, it's strange-looking. But it's not as bad as it could be. Here are five mock-ups that could possibly be worse.

The New Miami Marlins Logo Is In