Give it up to Jeffery Loria and Dave Sampson. Not only were the Loria/Sampson duo content with ending Major League Baseball’s tenure in Montreal through lies and deceit… Now they’re formally exploring the end of Major League Baseball in Miami.
Marlins president David Samson said Tuesday the team has received permission from the commissioner’s office to investigate its options in other cities. Samson added owner Jeffrey Loria’s primary intention is to keep the team in South Florida, but added that no deal will be struck for a ballpark in Miami.
Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., which both failed to land the Montreal Expos before that franchise moved to Washington a year ago, are likely to try to lure the Marlins. Samson said another possibility is building on land near Dolphins Stadium and owned by the franchise’s original owner, H. Wayne Huizenga.
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Gov. Jeb Bush and other top state lawmakers expressed hope the team remains in South Florida. “I’m more than happy to work with the ownership of the team and the Florida Legislature to come up with a solution,” Bush said.
To give Loria the benefit of the doubt — the team has tried and failed with 3 ownership groups to secure a baseball-only ballpark for the team since it’s inception in 1993… Loria’s efforts have also been during the tenure of an extremely pro-business governor and legislative body… Unfortunately one of their other attributes is pork projects and picking battles in plots for political gain.
I’ve expressed negative views towards the Devil Rays future… But it would seem the Florida Marlin’s future (with two World Series titles to their name to boot) is the one foremost in doubt between the two Florida based baseball franchises.
