I don't care what Brantley or the naysayers say, I'm proud to have Jeffrey Loria as our owner and fan #1. I'm as optimistic as he is that this franchise has turned the corner and in years to come we'll look back on these days with humor instead of frustration.

 

We're just living through the nightmare that John Henry (groan, what a liar and jerk) left us with and thankfully JL understands that.

 

HYDE: Owner's passion is winning out

Published September 1, 2005

 

MIAMI GARDENS ? The biggest upset in South Florida sports isn't the '96 Panthers or Ricky Williams returning or the University of Miami 31, Nebraska 30.

 

It's the guy sitting behind home plate at the Marlins game Wednesday night, raising both hands in the air and shouting at the umpire's ball call, "Come on! Where was that pitch? That looked like a strike!"

 

Jeffrey Loria was pegged as a con-man or carpetbagger when he bought the Marlins four seasons ago. Now he wears a World Series ring and watches another night at the pennant race from the fourth row, seat 23.

 

This isn't his seat most nights. But the Marlins scored three runs in the first inning Tuesday when he sat here and so here he is again.

 

"I'm superstitious that way,'' he says.

 

Seats. Game companions. Driving patterns. If the Marlins succeed, he'll repeat a routine until it doesn't work. He's their first fan that way. And in other ways, too, like after a routine, first-inning ground ball that shortstop Alex Gonzalez throws low and first baseman Carlos Delgado muffs.

 

"Oh, come on, that's sloppy!" he shouts, slapping both hands to his thighs. "Both of you! A ground ball!"

 

He looks down his row. "Does anybody care out there?"

 

That's the question of this baseball market everywhere but on the field these days. It's what makes Loria's story compelling. He answered whether he would dismantle the Marlins by winning the pennant and if he'd spend money by first signing Pudge Rodriguez, then Delgado and now having a payroll over $60 million.

 

Still, the Marlins are 28th in the majors in attendance.

 

"Purely a factor of the weather,'' Loria says. "If we get a new park, with a dome, where people know they won't be rained on, they'll come out. I believe in this market."

 

Told he's optimistic, he answers, "If you don't have a degree of optimism in this business, you couldn't do it. And here's what I say about attendance: We're up over last year.''

 

As if on cue, raindrops the size of nickels come down as Luis Castillo settles in the batter's box in the bottom of the first inning.

 

"Did you know Luis Castillo leads the league in batting from the right side?" Loria asks.

 

He's a fan like this. He gets to the park hours before the first pitch. He'll stay up until 2 a.m. watching Baseball Tonight or catching the late scores. When his business of buying and selling the work of 20th century artists like Henry Moore and Joan Miro takes him to Europe each summer, he listens to play-by-play "I get up at 4 a.m. if it's a West Coast game" with the phone to his ear for a few hours.

 

"I have two careers, but I give 100 percent of my time to each one,'' he says.

 

It's a good line, and he knows it, but as the calendar turns to September his work as the Marlins' owner is done except for some cheering ...

 

"We can hear him ragging on the umpires when there's a bad call,'' Jeff Conine said.

 

... and some observing.

 

"He'll come in and check out the lineup card and maybe say, `I see so-and-so isn't in tonight,' and I'll say, `I think he needs a rest,'" manager Jack McKeon said. "He'll say, `I'm just observing, not interfering.' The best thing is he lets you do your job. Maybe he doesn't like what you do all the time. But he's never once interfered."

 

The magic of the Tuesday night's seat 24 won't work Wednesday. St. Louis wins 10-5. And by the second inning the rain is coming down hard enough that Loria retreats under the stadium to watch on a television.

 

He sits at a table in a corner of a ballpark caf?. His Marlins will sit a game out of the wild-card playoff spot after this night. The season is theirs, if they can take it.

 

"I expect this team to win,'' he says. "It was built to win."

 

More than David Woodley starting a Super Bowl, beyond the Heat landing Shaquille O'Neal, this is the upset of our sporting times. The man everyone figured would ruin baseball here thinks of winning it all a second time.

 

Dave Hyde can be reached at dhyde@sun-sentinel.com.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basebal...-sports-marlins

Me too '03. He's done nothing but positive things since he came here, and he didn't exactly come in here with the reputation of a knight in shining armor riding in to save the franchise either. He had a lot of work and a lot of convincing to do when he got here. He's added to the payroll, done a lot of building corporate relationships, started to win back fans, and has made some good steps toward hopefully getting a stadium built. I have zero complaints.

A great article. I love it and it is about Damn time this man gets some good press.

 

Everything has been bashing him when he came. Then it was how he didnt keep D.Lee or should of kept pudge. Come on this guy has dont more for a sport in this town since the robbies solid the dolphins. That is the only person in the history of south florida sports I am more proud to call an owner (joe robbie).

 

I hope Loria gets his stadium, I hope that he gets his pennant this year too. I hope I someday can take kids to the marlins games when I am 50 like I go with my father now. If anyone can do it, it will be Loria

great article

Every time I hear Nats and other baseball fans in DC tell their warped history of the Expos' franchise, I just laugh.

 

This is a man who knows what he wants and knows how to get it. He wants a winner even at the expense of breaking. I hope he hasn't met his match in Senator Lee and others in Tallahassee, because owners like this only come around every so often.

Great article. :thumbup

Every time I hear Nats and other baseball fans in DC tell their warped history of the Expos' franchise, I just laugh.

 

This is a man who knows what he wants and knows how to get it. He wants a winner even at the expense of breaking. I hope he hasn't met his match in Senator Lee and others in Tallahassee, because owners like this only come around every so often.

925039[/snapback]

 

Gee, Rferry, every once in a while you say something gracious and I think there may be hope for you yet :thumbup

"Purely a factor of the weather,'' Loria says. "If we get a new park, with a dome, where people know they won't be rained on, they'll come out. I believe in this market."

 

... And here's what I say about attendance: We're up over last year.''

 

Good example of why Loria is such a succesful man. He knows how to tell you EXACTLY what you need to hear, without having to disclose too much. David Samson should take notes.

 

Little by little, I'm starting to believe he's the real deal -- and not another John Henry.

 

For the sake of baseball in SoFla, I hope it's true.

:notworthy

Every time I hear Nats and other baseball fans in DC tell their warped history of the Expos' franchise, I just laugh.

 

This is a man who knows what he wants and knows how to get it. He wants a winner even at the expense of breaking. I hope he hasn't met his match in Senator Lee and others in Tallahassee, because owners like this only come around every so often.

925039[/snapback]

 

Gee, Rferry, every once in a while you say something gracious and I think there may be hope for you yet :thumbup

925433[/snapback]

 

Ha...LOL!!!

 

Amen to that.

 

:notworthy ...

 

RFerry

Loria is an awesome owner. I won't live down here when the new stadium is built, but I would definatly drive twice as far to go to more games if the the whole atmosphere of the game is better.