Selig speaks Marlins Stadiums

MrAndMrsFish · July 12, 2005

The Florida Marlins remain confident they

will be able to assemble financing for a new ballpark,

according to baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

The team's latest ballpark plan, 38,000-seat stadium with

a retractable-roof that would be built adjacent to Miami's

Orange Bowl, came apart this spring. The ballpark has an

estimated cost of $420 million to $435 million, and the

financing plan included $60 million in state funding. While

money was approved in April by the Florida House, the Florida

Senate refused to go along.

South Florida government officials and the team did not

meet a June 9 deadline established by Bob DuPuy, baseball's

chief operating officer, for a detailed update on the funding

plans.

??They keep saying they still think they're going to get

something done, they need to get something done,'' Selig said

Tuesday during a pre-All-Star game meeting with the Baseball

Writers' Association of America. ??If they're optimistic and

hopeful, I am, too.''

Florida's home attendance average of 22,385 is last in the

National League and 27th among the 30 major league teams,

ahead of only Tampa Bay (12,257), Kansas City (18,849) and

Cleveland (22,037).

??I'm always concerned about teams that need new stadiums,

and it's obvious they do. That's not a secret,'' Selig said.

??Somehow there has to be the political will and the

private-sector will to get a stadium built. I mean, they are

struggling mightily.''

Marlins officials met in December with Las Vegas Mayor

Oscar Goodman, but Selig said a move isn't currently under

discussion.

??There isn't anybody at the front of the line for moving.

There isn't anybody moving anywhere right now,'' he said.

Selig also expressed worry about Florida's other major

league team, the Devil Rays, who are a major league-worst

28-61 and have never finished above .500 since starting play

in 1998. Manager Lou Piniella last month criticized the

team's ownership, saying: ??They're not interested in the

present, they're interested in the future. And that's their

right.''

New York investor Stuart Sternberg last year bought 48

percent of the team, which is run by managing general partner

Vince Naimoli. There has been speculation that Sternberg will

take over at some point.

??That's a thing that he and Vince Naimoli are going to

have to work out,'' Selig said. ??Obviously, they're

struggling on the field and off the field in a lot of

different ways. It's another area that if you look at the

basic demographics, it should be a good major league market,

and the fact that they've struggled as much as they have is

obviously ? it's always a concern.''

Source: AP

MarlinsFan253 · July 12, 2005

If the Marlins could get a new stadium and a whole generation of South Florida kids could grow up knowing this team, there is a great potential for creating a decent-sized fan base within the next 10 years. It is a well-populated area, right? So why can't baseball really take off? I think it is just because most people are too concerned with the teams they grew up with and not many people have grown up with the Marlins. I have been a fan since I was 10 and I am 22 now so I am getting there... I really want this team to stay where they are even without me there.

FLRyan23 · July 12, 2005

I lived in Tampa for the longest time and follow the Rays as well, they don't need a new stadium. The Trop could be renovated, for instance, getting rid of the catwalks around the roof, but other than that, a Domed stadium in Florida is worth it and it's not that old, finished around the late 1980's and re-renovated in 1997 for baseball, it's fine. If they won games, they would sell seats.

It's actually a good place to watch baseball and the people that put it down often times are people that have never seen a game there.

The Rays also have 27 more years on their lease with Tropicana Field.

The Marlins are in a diffrent boat, I think a 38k seat stadium is too small for a team in Miami, a New Stadium actually IN MIAMI will be very popular, especially for those that don't like to drive and have nothing better to do than go downtown for a game.

It would really be a better situation for the Marlins to build a 40-42k seat stadium and put it downtown.

imho.

PBMarlin · July 13, 2005

It sounds like the same old blah blah. I don't see where any progress has been made since the Senate refused to hear the bill.

At least Selig is saying there are no plans to move the Marlins.

marlin2266 · July 13, 2005

38,00 permanent seats is fine for this market, as long as the walkways can see the field and an extra 5K could be sold for SRO/big events.

SilverBullet · July 13, 2005

yeah keep it small, 38 is fine but leave it open to expansion...dont forget, the BoSox sell out every game...but then again, Fenway is baseball's smallest park in terms of capacity... I'd rather have a Marlins stadium be small to create demand for tickets...to look more full if its not sold out, and honestly, to punish those extra 10,000 or so fans who only come to the park on a supposedly big day....

basically allow it to be easy for the (somewhat) "usual" 25-30,000 fans to get in, and let the last 10,000+ struggle to get in...cause if they really wanted to see the Fish...they would have done so at Pro Joe Dolphins Stadium

FLRyan23 · July 13, 2005