Baseball Musings: Blaming the Fans

December 10, 2007

Blaming the Fans

Dan Le Batard blames the fans for the Marlins fire sales:

Besides, the Marlins tried to cash in on the 2003 World Series by completely forsaking their philosophy and giving long-term and guaranteed contracts to Mike Lowell and Luis Castillo. Later, they won a bidding war for Carlos Delgado. And it bought them nothing in terms of following, political support, benefit of the doubt, playoff wins or a stadium. So they tried. And failed. And now they're choosing a cheaper route. This isn't altruism or charity or a non-profit organization. It's a business, and it's as cold as cash.
South Florida is the worst baseball town in the country, and there is plenty of blame to go around for that. Blame a flawed baseball business model that demands taxpayer help. Blame god-awful rain. Blame a poor city and indifferent fans. Blame an ownership group that is hard to trust. Blame Cabrera for being too good at his job, making him too valuable, and Larry Beinfest for being too good at his. Young Devil Rays and Pirates don't seem to get too expensive too fast.

But don't blame the Marlins for behaving like what they are.

It isn't fair to tell them to spend when you aren't willing to do the same.

Baloney. In 2003, the Marlins attendance was around 16,000 per game. Winning the World Series, it jumped to 22,000 in 2004. In 2005, it went up to 22,800. Then they sold off the team and it dropped to 14,000. After the 2006 team did well, attendance went back up to 16,000.

If you win, they will come. Twenty-two thousand per game isn't going to lead the league, but 1.8 million a season is nothing to sneeze at either. The Marlins were building a fan base, then just threw them away. Don't blame the fans for that.

Posted by David Pinto at 08:18 AM | Management | TrackBack (0)

Comments

There simply shouldn't be a team down there, period. When a major league team can measure attendance in three digits for a game I don't blame anybody but the demographics.

While they're at it, they can contract Tampa Bay as well.

Posted by: Mr. Furious at December 10, 2007 09:32 AM

Hear, hear.

The Yankees and Red Sox don't sell out their home games (and their away games) because the uniforms are pretty. Certainly, the 100 or so years of history help, but the teams keep winning, and so their spectacle is worth watching. The Marlins don't have the benefit of history--one generation raising the next on watching the team, so they need to start trying to create some. Make for themselves an identity in the league. Try to win now and tomorrow, and 10,000 becomes 15,000 becomes 20,000 and 25,000.

It just has never seemed that complicated to me.

Posted by: TC at December 10, 2007 09:33 AM

Bam!

Posted by: Yankee Fan in Chicago at December 10, 2007 09:37 AM

I don't know. I was down there, and after the team won it all, there didn't seem to be a marked increase in attendance. LeBatard does have a point about the fan apathy in South Florida, but the team still has no excuse for not making an attempt to build a fan base. Of course, the locals will read that column and be even more turned off.

At the time I remember talking to a lot of fans down there, and the rationale was always the same. The fans still remember the first fire sale, and have never forgiven the franchise for it. Plus, any time you bring up the stadium financing issue, the locals go ballistic.

Oddly though, I remember reading somewhere that local TV ratings for the team were practically off the charts. It seems that the locals do follow the team, they just refuse to drive all the way out to the Everglades to watch them play live. Or, it could just be that there are so many people from the Northeast living in South Florida, and having the Mets and the Phillies in the same division helps.

Also there is the Atlanta superstation problem. A lot of people down there are Braves fans first, and Marlin fans second.

Posted by: glenn at December 10, 2007 10:52 AM

Le Batard is a jackass and he should never be on PTI. The show sucks whenever he's on.

Posted by: tc at December 10, 2007 12:26 PM

There's no reason why a team can't be successful in South Florida. Look what happened in Arizona, where a new team built a fanbase by signing good players and actually winning. Loria's a scumbag, and that's the big reason why the Marlins can't build and sustain a fanbase. Look at how he ruined baseball in Montreal. The Expos were good as recently as 1994, but after Loria bought the team in 1999 it only took a couple of years before the team was ruined. Taxpayers refused to foot the bill for his stadium, that he needed to make more money for himself, and he uprooted the team. It looks like he wants to do the same thing in South Florida; it's the Loria 5-year plan.

Posted by: Tuco at December 10, 2007 12:52 PM

The Marlins should give back whatever luxury tax and revenue sharing money they receive until the owner is willing to invest the money back into the team. Loria is making a fortune off of the team even if no one attends the games. He is a joke of an owner.

Posted by: raymagnetic at December 10, 2007 01:21 PM

Dan Le Batard doesn't get it. And never has. The fans will come if management at least tries to put a competitive team on the field. The Marlins are just a minor league farm team for the MLB teams that want to win. Beinfest does the best he can in the situation. Loria and Samson are the culprits in this matter.

Posted by: SouthFloridaFan at December 10, 2007 04:20 PM

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