anotherrealfan

This is upsetting news. Amezaga is our secret weapon. Hopefully he can be unleashed sometime in April... Our secret weapon who had a .312 OBP and an OPS under .700. I'm devestated :| I am curious to know his numbers for the second half of the year. Seems I recall being upset at his lack of production early on and then being surprised with what seemed to be a very competent showing later on.

Miami Herald, March 6, 2009 http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baseball/story/935292.html BY CHARLES RABIN crabin@MiamiHerald.com Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, Miami's potential swing vote on a Little Havana baseball stadium pitched for the Florida Marlins, said Thursday she met with key county leaders and her concerns over the hot-button deal are being addressed. Her main worry: that her inner-city Overtown district wouldn't receive a sizable share of revenue likely to come from a larger city revitalization that would also benefit a stadium. Last week, the commissioner said that unless Overtown got its fair share of community redevelopment money, the Marlins wouldn't get her vote. Soon after, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, one of the stadium's biggest backers, called a press conference and blasted elected officials for making demands that he said had ``nothing to do with baseball.'' Spence-Jones said she met with Alvarez on Thursday in a session she called ''very enlightening.'' She said the mayor assured her that he would push through the county's end of the redevelopment plan to benefit her district. Spence-Jones made the comments during a workshop meeting she called for Thursday evening to address how the expansion of the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency would spur new tax dollars to aid the community. The city's five commissioners act as its CRA board, with Spence-Jones as chairwoman. Although only two commissioners -- Spence-Jones and Marc Sarnoff -- attended the workshop, the session provided a window into their differing views regarding the CRA. On March 12, the CRA will vote on expanding and extending the life of the Overtown/Park West CRA -- a key piece of the $3 billion Global Agreement reached in December 2007 to reinvigorate downtown Miami. Because of Spence-Jones' demand, the CRA vote could be an integral part of that larger plan -- which includes the Florida Marlins' long quest to build a $609 million ballpark and parking facility. Spence-Jones' comments do not ensure a ''yes'' vote on the stadium, which has encountered roadblocks since Miami commissioners deadlocked 2-2 while she was on maternity leave last month. But for supporters, it may offer promise amid a new legal challenge and questions over whether tourist tax dollars will be ample enough to help build the facility. Thursday's meeting at the Overtown Youth Center began innocently enough, with Spence-Jones explaining how CRAs were created to address slum and blight, then asking city officials to outline how the expansion of the special taxing district could benefit the community. But the meeting turned feisty when Sarnoff questioned Miami Chief Financial Officer Admin Spring's projection that growing the district could mean up to $500 million for Overtown. Sarnoff represents the Park West district. Spring admitted that the projections were created before the market collapse last year. ''You probably only have, at a maximum, $100 million in bonding capacity, not $500 million,'' Sarnoff said before Spence-Jones cut him off, asking that everyone focus on the workshop. Later, Sarnoff pressed Spring on how the county planned to bond out its lion's-share responsibility of the stadium cost of more than $450 million. When Spring said he wasn't privy to the county plan and Sarnoff pushed further, Spence-Jones again cut off the conversation. ''I just want to make sure the most needy people are not left behind,'' said Spence-Jones. ``If we can't bond $500 million and we know the market won't support it, we're not going to do it. But if we can bond $100 million -- guess what -- we'll take it.'' Sarnoff said it was more important to share his concerns than to give the people ``ear candy.'' He followed that with a statement that drew boos: ``When you're really, really poor, you really don't know there's a bad economy out there because it's pretty much the same. I get that.'' I am amused at the part when Sarnoff drew boos. It was a very inappropriate comment. Maybe he does not realize that a poor economy affects job opportunites for the whole spectrum. It is not the same, it is worse and the jobs that development will generate may very well open up opportunities for these people that Sarnoff so easily dismisses.

I felt and still feel this is her way of getting dollars she was going to get anyway but making it look like it was because she applied pressure to the stadium deal. This way she comes off a hero(oine) to her district and she can support the stadium and Mayor Diaz, as she has in the past. Now, let's hope that after she gets her allocation that there is no double cross.

Just sent letters to Sarnoff, REgalado and Spence-Jones. For those of you who continue to misspell her name, if you write her, please be sure to spell it correctly.

03/04/2009 8:33 AM ET Local economic impact of World Baseball Classic to reach at least $30 million 25,000 visitors already booked for South Florida Miami - With the first game of Round 2 of the World Baseball Classic only 10 days away, officials have conservatively estimated the economic impact to the South Florida region to reach at least $30 million. The announcement was made by Marlins Sr. Vice President, Stadium Development, Claude Delorme. As of this morning, over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the six games scheduled at Dolphin Stadium from March 14-18. Contributing to the economic impact is the 25,000 visitors to the State who have booked rooms in local hotels. In addition, Major League Baseball has already reserved 1,200 rooms for media, VIP's, players and family and MLB representatives. These numbers will increase significantly once the final four participating countries are confirmed. "The Marlins are proud to be hosting this world-class tournament and we are extremely pleased on how ticket sales and interest from fans outside the State have both increased in recent weeks," said Delorme. "We expect sales to increase significantly once the final four teams are confirmed. We appreciate the opportunity to welcome baseball fans from throughout the region and around the world and we hope to build on this excitement for the next tournament in 2013. Fans will be treated to great baseball, featuring the best players from around the globe." Thought this was very interesting... I understand its a big world tournament, but its baseball period!!!!!! These douche bags that run this city need to step it up and find away to get this Marlins stadium done! It'll bring in the money! Thoughts? My thoughts are that baseball would not put it here if they didn't think they had a deal worked out. Now the city is backing out with the last minute changes and the "you rub my back and I will rub yours" (oh it is a $500 million back rub for Michelle). If the numbers are true, then the people visiting do come back later. The benefits build on events like this for a tourist destination.

Friday, CRA Chairwoman Michelle Spence-Jones demanded $500 million in CRA money for her Overtown district before she votes for a new $609 million ballpark and parking facility for the Marlins. That money would come from the expansion and extension by up to two decades of the Overtown/Park West CRA. ---------------- Anyway, if the expansion of the CRA is a logical one, meaning that the expansion will not claim other areas of the city not actually included in Overtown/Park West, there may not be significant opposition from the other commissioners. Spence-Jones will get her way and she may vote in favor of the Marlins stadium the next day together with Sanchez and Gonzalez. Of course, the other commissioners may argue that expanding the CRA would decrease the area from which the general fund collects its funds and therefore decrease the money available for their districts. Commissioners Sanchez and Gonzalez will probably vote for the CRA expansion if it means the Marlins will get their stadium. Who knows what Sarnoff will come up with this time! Regalado will probably get on his "high horse" and have some kind of reason to oppose it. However, if Spence-Jones can save face in her community by pointing to her victory on the CRA expansion, she will vote for the stadium and we will not need Sarnoff nor Regalado. The vote on Thursday is indeed critical! You make an interesting point for optimism. We know that Spence-Jones is an ally of Manny Diaz and he wants the stadium. We know she has many in her community against it. But if she gets what she would have gotten anyway, but makes it look like it was only because of her "positioning", then she will be able to support the stadium but show those in her district that they are getting this only because of her demands and how she used the stadium as leverage for their benefit. Maybe, just maybe this works.

for the first time in tis whole process, i am not feeling good about the outcome. i dont think this is going to happen. we live in sh*tty city. I question whether we live in a city or county at all, instead of a loose federation of sovereign districts out to line their pockets for their individual benefit instead of the community as a whole. Each district should just secede from the city and become their own city/county and we can have separate military and just have border wars for the wealth and resources of the area. Frustration definitely setting in.

She has too much pressure to vote no from the pastors in her community, so she needs to bring something back. They have already told her that to vote yes would be akin to a sellout. It goes back to people's belief that the dollars are available for the poor, education etc. The opposition has done a good job selling that lie to the misinformed and those who choose to be misinformed. I just received a mass e mail from a miami beach activist who got involved in the group ?Coalition Against Marlins Bailout?. What irks me is that anyone from the Beach who is active in Beach politics has the hidden agenda regarding the dollars becoming available for the convention center. I have no respect for them because the last thing they care about are the disadvantaged. Just look at the history of the Beach and how they squeezed out the low income people in the 80's, and don't solicit me with an appeal against the stadium based on virtue.

The "suffering taxpayers" aren't even paying for this unless they use Miami-Dade hotels. Try "suffering tourists". And I thought it was Sarnoff that had designs on running for Mayor. But let's not let the facts stand in the way for the opposition. I love the city of miami beach going against it-for the schools, right? uhh, police protection? uhh well, lets try, "so we can get all the money we have been promised plus the stadium money to expand the convention center". Well, that should help those in need.

Do we really need a link to all the articles published at the official Marlins' site? Most people visit the site for updates already. Not really. I read it sometimes, read the papers but appreciate what some people link here. I can choose not to read a thread posted, so, keep linking.

Should we get a new stadium I know that parking will be at premium at the proposed site . I think they stated a little over 5000 spaces . I am a limited season ticket holder 15 game plan one would assume that once the stadium is built more people will be buying season tickets full game planes 41 game plans etc . So it is unlikely I would have access to those parking spots , is there a plan to have a team approved satellite parking lot with shuttle service ? The same plan that worked for decades when there were 75,000 fans going to games. Just get to know the residents-they are nice people and be sure there there is no blocky. I have no doubt there are plenty of good people around the Orange Bowl , problem I have is I am not a local even when I lived in Miami I lived by the Falls mall ,(not a fan of the canes) so I have no knowlegde of the area at all . Additionally I generally prefer to park my car in a gated lot , the few times a year I travel to gainesville to see the Gators play I park in a gated church parking lot . I pay more to park there than it would cost to park on a students front yard but I feel more comfortable doing things that way. Is that the church just west of the law school? I have parked there also, but it is a shlep to the stadium. Anywhere within a few block area of the Orange Bowl area, I have found, is fine. The people really do watch the cars and want nothing to happen to them. Safer than parking in a lot behind Flagler street where once the "attendant (if they even legit)" gets your money, they are gone. Anyway, usually, getting home after the game is faster from a someone's lot than a parking garage.

Should we get a new stadium I know that parking will be at premium at the proposed site . I think they stated a little over 5000 spaces . I am a limited season ticket holder 15 game plan one would assume that once the stadium is built more people will be buying season tickets full game planes 41 game plans etc . So it is unlikely I would have access to those parking spots , is there a plan to have a team approved satellite parking lot with shuttle service ? The same plan that worked for decades when there were 75,000 fans going to games. Just get to know the residents-they are nice people and be sure there there is no blocky.

Marlins extend manager Fredi Gonzalez through 2011 Juan C. Rodriguez | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 1:26 PM EST, February 17, 2009 The Marlins announced on Tuesday that they extended manager Fredi Gonzalez's contract through 2011. Owner Jeffrey Loria made him the offer Saturday. Gonzalez said he didn't let Loria finish the sentence before agreeing. "We are extremely pleased to have Fredi continue his great work with our organization as we enter another exciting chapter in Marlins history," said Loria. "Fredi's ability to work closely with our players and staff has made us a better organization and I look forward to future success with Fredi at the helm." Gonzalez, 45, was named the ninth manager in club history on Oct. 3, 2006 and has compiled a 155-168 record in two seasons with the Marlins. He led the team to a 84-77 mark in 2008, becoming just the third Marlins manager to guide the team to a winning record (Jim Leyland - 1997; Jack McKeon - 2003-05), and was named The Sporting News 2008 NL Manager of the Year. Gonzalez, who won his Major League managerial debut, 9-2 at Washington, also served as a coach under manager Tony LaRussa for the 2007 National League All-Star Team. Spring Training Central: Schedules, stadium locations and more The first minor league manager hired in Florida Marlins history, Gonzalez was named manager of Single-A Erie in 1992 and served seven seasons managing Marlins' minor league affiliates. He was the third base coach on the Marlins' Major League staff from 1999-2001. Gonzalez re-joined the Marlins for the 2007 season after five seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization, including four as the Braves' third base coach. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-gon...,0,158941.story

The way Sarnoff was speaking, he wanted every cent of profit from a potential sale. Exactly. While he spoke about "sharing in" he used $250 million as the benchmark (repeatedly) ignoring the Marlins $120+ cash million investment in a stadium they don't own plus the rest of their committed $$$ so in theory a sale potentially triggered by Loria's death could result in the the remaining owners and the Loria estate receiving less than the team was worth before the stadium was built. I think the appropriate expression is "snake in the grass". I just see the big picture as keeping the Marlins here-even long after Loria is gone. Why force Loria to keep ownership to avoid a potential net loss. The City thus gets nothing anyway and a new owner has the same obligations as the old owner with a much higher cost basis, thus a lower return on his investment. While it would be nice for the city to recognize a rapid return, and as someone pointed out there was already some provision for profit sharing, to bring it out at this time indicates to me that Sarnoff is posturing for his own political purposes. You can squeeze and squeeze, but at one point all parties have to show good faith and accept the terms-and I thought all the squeezing had taken place during months and months of negotiations.

Does anybody know anything about this Spence-Jones lady? Has she shown support of this stadium in the past? I don't feel comfortable at all about the fate of an entire franchise resting in the hands of one person :confused I think even if we do win 3-2 in the city, we have to PRAY that we only need a simple majority in the county. The only reason Sarnoff was able to put on a show for his constituents was because Spence-Jones wasn't there. He could count, he knew nothing was going to get through *yesterday* today. He won a small battle, looked good for those he needed to look good for but he'll be back to being the impotent little pr*ck he is when there is a full board. Spence-Jones is for the stadium. She was originally appointed to fill Art Teele's seat after Art blew his brains out in the lobby of the Miami Herald and Diaz has been her political protector and mentor. She is running for re-election, it is hard to believe there is anything the other side could offer her that Many Diaz and his political machine can't so your money should be on a 3-2 vote with the good guys prevailing. 03, do you know, or anyone, if Spence-Jones could have called in her vote, as some reports said. I am appalled at a person, who is one of only 5 people in the whole population of Miami to have a vote on such an important matter, could simply say when asked by the media, "I am on ..leave". This just irks me and sends a message to the young as to how to represent themselves in the workplace-if you are on leave, then the hell with all your responsibilities. "Let the city burn, I am on leave, leave me alone". No one is asking her to come in and work 16 hour days and give up her family time-she knows the issues-all she has to do is vote. Why is she getting such a pass? She has been at the side of the mayor and he has mentored her throughout. Besides, all the passionate speeches and researched data, Samson, Dupuy, the opposition-none of the speeches mattered. Each commissioner had their mind made up as to what they were going to do and no logic or information was going to change that. Just frustrated.

District 8: Katy Sorenson 305-375-5218 305-372-6073 i spoke to lady her office she make her mind voting no Was she always a no? I am unclear wot commissioners are leaning towards yes, no and undecided since I am not a local Yeah...she's been a NO since day one. Don't bother contacting her. She's a lost cause. Always has been-her main purpose is to fund museums and orchid shows.

I wonder if the damage is done . Jesus ! they ran 4 weeks of slanted negative stories designed to rile up the citizens and now they publish one pro stadium editorial . A total shock to read the editorial this morning-this after basically negative articles all week leading to the vote. Even today, with the editorial, the front page story was basically negative regarding the bad deal the city and county is getting.

Too little, too late......asshole. i say get over it... seriously. people need to stop bitching & crying about something that happened over a decade ago. Then he should not be bringing it up-what good does it do. I am not crying about it anymore-but he said it and it does illicit a response from those of us who care and have had to endure all the negative things that have happened since. It was the catalyst-so it is not old news, just the start of the whole sequence of events.

Venezuela has Jews??? :blink: News to me... From many of your anti Israel posts-why does this not surprise me. Do you know that most Arab countries had Jews, numbering in the hundreds of thousands for generations-until most have been expelled in the past few decades, or forced to leave for reasons of safety. But there is little coverage of this fact. Yet in Israel, there are 1.5 million Arab-Israeli citizens who are provided with the full benefits of citizenship (health care, representation in the government, education) without the fear of expulsion. You do not hear of them living in danger for their lives, because they are not in danger. Not like the fear PA members live under in Gaza from their own people and Hamas. Think-Jewish is a religion-not a nationality-and like all religions, people of the faith have lived throughout the world, until hatred like in Venezuela, state supported and fully encouraged, occurred. It is why Israel fights to defend itself and American Jews are so supportive, because the concept of the elimination of Israel is the beginning of the end.

03-one of the more interesting reads on this forum in quite awhile-thanks

4.2 for Gregg?!! wow. Super Wow-400 Ft. centerfield, wind blowing out at Wrigley, 36,000 drunk cub fans, 9th inning and Gregg out to save the game. My oh my.

Heyman's comments were almost word for word what she discussed with me when I brought up the matter with her when I saw her at the gym. She wants specifics and she is not getting them to her satisfaction. As far as Seijas is concerned, why is Samson allowed to meet with any one who is still unsure-we all know that his social skills will not be effective with anyone dissenting or asking probing questions. IMO, there must be someone better for this lobbying effort.

Israel should just attack them themselves... If the US was not controlling Iraqi airspace they would. I am still surprised they haven't attacked Egypt, Jordan, Syria or Lebanon. They seem like they are itching for an all out war and want to be the centerpiece. They won't do anything unless they have the support of our government. We typically have a government overrun by Zionists but I don't think we've gotten quite to the point of permitting Israel to launch massive offensives over those countries. ha ha-baiting anyone penguin? What is an example of our government being "overrun" by Zionists. You mean like a mass of Jews out of control. Or do you mean Americans who support a free and democratic country defending themselves. Are the Jews in our government, our business not Americans? Cmon, be honest you believe in this-"Some people think," he told a Berlin rally in June 1935, "that we haven?t noticed how the Jews are trying once again to spread themselves over all our streets. The Jews ought to please observe the laws of hospitality and not behave as if they were the same as us."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels) I know, most people don't respond to you-they truly are smarter than me-they just let your drivel go by without comment.

I spoke with Sally Heyman about 2 weeks ago for about 20 minutes. I did not back down and was vocal in my support for reasons far more important to S. Florida in the near future and distant future. The matter is far more important than the life expectancy of Loria. She has strong concerns about the lack of information being provided to her on specific questions of responsibility, overruns and committments. I would assume that these are the matters that kept everyone working on holiday eves etc. Maybe she will waver, but she was evidently bothered by the issues. It should be noted that I have known her many years, so it was not as if a stranger constituent backed her into a corner. The discussion was based on a long standing relationship and mutual respect so I know she was honest.

Sure seems like a lawsuit against GNC and/or the supplement manufacturer would be warranted for the loss of income-unless it is not true.