Sunday, March 28, 2004
Marlins Focus: Fans and Funding.
A sobering article from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald about the Marlins' expectations for the 2004 season. Season ticket sales are up 50%, but only to 7,000, and the Marlins say they'll be pleased to average 20,000 fans/game in 2004. That would still be double their 2002 average, but far below what they averaged before former owner/current leech Wayne Huizenga cut the heart out of South Florida's baseball fans.
After the Marlins shocked the baseball world by winning the 1997 World Series before hordes of rapturous fans, Huizenga traded Moises Alou, Bobby Bonilla, Kevin Brown, Jeff Conine, Dennis Cook, Jim Eisenreich, Charles Johnson, Al Leiter, Robb Nen, Gary Sheffield, and Devon White -- seven of the eight regular position players, two of the top three starters, the closer and a setup man -- before May 15, 1998. Huizenga then sold the club to current Red Sox owner John Henry, who swapped it to Expos' owner Jeffrey Loria as part of the Selig-orchestrated scheme to make the Expos contractable.
By way of comparison, even an average of 20,000 fans/game would have been fourth lowest in the majors last year, ahead of only the Tigers, Devil Rays and Expos. When the defending world champion's goal is to match the Brewers and Pirates at the gate, something's seriously wrong.
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A sobering article from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald about the Marlins' expectations for the 2004 season. Season ticket sales are up 50%, but only to 7,000, and the Marlins say they'll be pleased to average 20,000 fans/game in 2004. That would still be double their 2002 average, but far below what they averaged before former owner/current leech Wayne Huizenga cut the heart out of South Florida's baseball fans.
After the Marlins shocked the baseball world by winning the 1997 World Series before hordes of rapturous fans, Huizenga traded Moises Alou, Bobby Bonilla, Kevin Brown, Jeff Conine, Dennis Cook, Jim Eisenreich, Charles Johnson, Al Leiter, Robb Nen, Gary Sheffield, and Devon White -- seven of the eight regular position players, two of the top three starters, the closer and a setup man -- before May 15, 1998. Huizenga then sold the club to current Red Sox owner John Henry, who swapped it to Expos' owner Jeffrey Loria as part of the Selig-orchestrated scheme to make the Expos contractable.
By way of comparison, even an average of 20,000 fans/game would have been fourth lowest in the majors last year, ahead of only the Tigers, Devil Rays and Expos. When the defending world champion's goal is to match the Brewers and Pirates at the gate, something's seriously wrong.
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