http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11693901/

 

By W. Scott Bailey

San Antonio Business Journal

Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET March 5, 2006

 

If the Florida Marlins do decide to relocate, the fight to win them could be fought from both sides of the Texas-Oklahoma border.

 

And it could be fought by a pair of cities that saw their sports status rise after providing temporary homes for a pair of hurricane displaced New Orleans teams.

 

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff is arguably the strongest advocate for Major League Baseball in San Antonio. He is convinced that South Texas can reel in the Marlins should the team look to depart South Florida.

 

But there could be a hitch. San Antonio does not have what Oklahoma City and the other contending markets possess: A Triple-A baseball franchise.

 

Oklahoma State Sen. Scott Pruitt says he has no idea when, or if, the Florida Marlins will elect to relocate, or where they might ultimately land. But asked which of the handful of cities the Marlins are considering would be the best fit for the Major League Baseball team, he says it should be one that has proven itself at the Triple-A level.

 

In addition to San Antonio, Marlins officials have met or are expected to talk with officials in Portland, Charlotte, Norfolk, Las Vegas and Oklahoma City. San Antonio is the only city on that list that does not have a Triple-A baseball team. Its Missions play at the Double-A level in the Texas League.

 

Pruitt is part of the ownership group that acquired the Pacific Coast League's Oklahoma City 89ers in 2003. He tells the Business Journal that the team drew more than 540,000 fans to SBC Bricktown Ballpark last season.

 

"If I'm Major League Baseball," Pruitt says, "I'm going to look at the Triple-A markets where there has been real success, where there is a proven fan base in place.

 

"Triple-A (baseball) serves as a great test market for where Major League Baseball can work," Pruitt adds. "I really believe that."

 

Wolff says San Antonio has proven that it is a baseball town because of its lengthy history with the sport.

 

"It can work here," Wolff says. "I am convinced of that. This is a great baseball city."

Opportunity knocks

 

Wolff says San Antonio has proven its major league merit with the NBA Spurs. Others point to the success the New Orleans Saints enjoyed for three games here after the team was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

 

Ironically, that same hurricane drove the NBA's New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma City. Pruitt says the relocation, even if temporary, has allowed Oklahoma City to prove its ability to support big-time professional sports. Since evacuating to Oklahoma City, the Hornets have enjoyed larger crowds and more corporate support than they did in the Big Easy.

 

"I do think Oklahoma City has gained national attention with what has gone on here with the Hornets," Pruitt explains. "I think Oklahoma City has answered the questions about whether it can support a major league sports franchise."

 

Pruitt says he is not certain Oklahoma City could support two big league teams. But the NBA has indicated that it intends to move the Hornets back to New Orleans for the 2007-08 season.

 

Oklahoma City is not unfamiliar territory for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. That's because Loria once owned Oklahoma City's Triple-A team.

 

While San Antonio's pursuit of the Marlins has been headed by city and county leaders, Oklahoma City's effort is already getting support at the state level.

 

"I know the state of Oklahoma is very hungry for this kind of growth and attention," Pruitt says.

 

Asked about Oklahoma, Wolff says, "I don't know what all that state is willing to do, what it will come up with in incentives." He adds that any potential state participation in San Antonio's bid for the team would likely be limited mostly to roadway improvements around any new stadium.

Leaving Las Vegas

 

Las Vegas has been eyed by many as a favorite to land the Marlins. It's a community with a growing population and a massive tourism industry propped up by tens of millions of visitors who roll into that community annually armed with plenty of disposable income.

 

Equally important: Las Vegas has no major professional sports franchise. But it does have some aggressive city leaders eager to change that.

 

"Out of all of the markets (interested in the Marlins), because of the gambling and tourism revenues, I would think that Las Vegas could do a lot more things than some of the other cities," Wolff says. "But at least at this point, because of the gambling issue, it's my understanding that it's not a favorite market for Major League Baseball."

 

Cutting Las Vegas out of the Marlins action would no doubt help San Antonio if the team decides to depart Florida. But not everyone is convinced that the team is interested in making a move.

 

"I do think they are looking (for a prospective new home)," Pruitt says. "With what motive, who knows."

 

Marlins officials are not pleased with the attendance problems the two-time World Series champions have had in Florida.

 

The team recently hosted a fan festival at Dolphins Stadium, which the Marlins share with their NFL neighbor. The event was intended to spike off-season interest in the team and to drive up advance single-game ticket sales.

 

Team officials say some 13,000 such tickets were sold during the event.

 

Marlins President David Samson was less than thrilled with the response. "While the number of tickets sold met our expectations," Samson says, "we would have liked more."

The team recently hosted a fan festival at Dolphins Stadium, which the Marlins share with their NFL neighbor. The event was intended to spike off-season interest in the team and to drive up advance single-game ticket sales.

 

Team officials say some 13,000 such tickets were sold during the event.

 

Marlins President David Samson was less than thrilled with the response. "While the number of tickets sold met our expectations," Samson says, "we would have liked more."

 

Yeah, and I would have liked a 2006 team that will finish with fewer than 100 losses. Touche.

I find it absolutely hilarious that David Samson is disappointed in the number of tickets sold at fanfest after he gutted the team. This guy just doesn't get it.

Or the fact that Samson has basically ripped the fan base a new *** since the day this all started.

Samson rips into the fans because he knows we have no levarage and wouldn't abandon the team. The Miami politicos, Huizinga and Talahasee all have tremendous leverage and are the real reasons for this process being so tremendously unsuccessful, yet they are seldom the target of Samson's little comments.

 

He is the very last person to be the president of a ball club, he's handled this situation so horribly, PR-wise, which leads me to think he is just absorbing fire for the real villian, Loria. He is just a fall guy.