SUNDAY FOCUS | BUILDING BASEBALL BALLPARKS

Boondoggles, not boon

Although new stadiums have brought increased revenue to baseball teams, more times than not in the past five years it was not the answer for assuring a winning product on the field.

BY BARRY JACKSON

bjackson@herald.com

 

 

HERALD FILE

 

EMPTY FEELING: A fan sits alone as he watches the Marlins and Padres play at Pro Player Stadium. 'Every franchise is different, and this franchise hasn't won in 10 years,' said former Marlins GM and current Tigers president Dave Dombrowski.

 

 

The Marlins say a new stadium would produce more revenue to spend on players and, in turn, increase the team's chances of remaining competitive.

 

But in the past few years, it has become obvious new ballparks do not guarantee on-field success.

 

Eight Major League Baseball teams opened new stadiums in the past five seasons. Only one -- the San Francisco Giants -- made the playoffs this past season. The combined record of the eight teams in 2003 was 619-676 (47.7 winning percentage).

 

''Does this surprise me? Not particularly,'' sports economist, professor and author Andrew Zimbalist said. ``Unless an owner is smart enough and willing to put a good team on the field, a new stadium is not going to do very much after the first month or so, after the novelty wears off.''

 

Of the eight teams that opened parks since 1998, four -- Detroit, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Cincinnati -- finished with losing records this past season, and none has made the playoffs since their stadiums opened. The Tigers went 43-119, barely avoiding the 1962 New York Mets' modern-day record for losses (120).

 

''Every franchise is different, and this franchise hasn't won in 10 years,'' Tigers president and former Marlins general manager Dave Dombrowski said. ``Here, the facility itself was not the answer.''

 

Beyond the Tigers, Pirates, Brewers, Reds and Giants, the three other franchises that recently opened stadiums -- Arizona, Houston and Seattle -- had winning records in 2003 but failed to qualify for the postseason. However, each of those has made the playoffs at least once since its new stadium opened, and the Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series.

 

Marlins president David Samson said he is not concerned by the lack of success of some teams that recently moved into new facilities.

 

The Marlins last week announced they will contribute $137 million toward a new stadium, with Miami-Dade County covering $73 million, pending approval by the county commission on Tuesday. The Marlins have a self-imposed March 15 deadline to come up with the additional $115 million needed to fund the $325 million retractable-roof ballpark that would seat 38,000.

 

If the stadium materializes -- the site is undetermined -- Samson said, ``We are going to have to count on our baseball people to make intelligent decisions and spend our money wisely.''

 

BUILDING SUCCESS

 

BALTIMORE, CLEVELAND SUCCEED WITH NEW STADIUMS

 

At one time, if a team opened a new stadium, on-field success seemed inevitable.

 

The Baltimore Orioles opened Camden Yards in 1992, saw attendance skyrocket and were back in the playoffs four years later. The Cleveland Indians, a moribund franchise for decades, experienced an almost immediate renaissance when they moved into Jacobs Field for the strike-shortened 1994 season.

 

The Indians made the playoffs five straight years (1995-99), including World Series losses in 1995 and '97, and sold out every game during that period.

 

''With Baltimore and Cleveland, you had owners in place with an aggressive plan to build their teams,'' Zimbalist said. ``And they were the first ones in the downtown-stadium architectural boom, so there was much more attention. They got $30 million to $40 million more revenue than anybody else had. As more teams get new stadiums, it becomes less interesting and less of a revenue advantage.''

 

Although their payroll increased by more than $10 million over the past few years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have finished with a losing record in their first three years at PNC Park, including 75-87 this past season.

 

''A lot of us saw what Cleveland did in 1994 -- a beautiful, fan-friendly park, a team that was starting to blossom -- and have tried to use that as a model,'' Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. ``Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out that way in Pittsburgh. Our park is a beautiful, tremendous asset for the community. But the biggest component is the players, and they have not performed as well as we had hoped.''

 

Often, disappointing performance is accompanied by payrolls that are lower than what fans expected. Before the Milwaukee Brewers opened Miller Park in 2001, ownership reportedly promised a payroll of at least $50 million. But this season the Brewers (68-94) had a payroll of $40 million, third-lowest in baseball.

 

''The Brewers are talking about cutting payroll again next season, and fans weren't expecting that,'' said Dale Hofmann, a sports columnist for The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. ``It was built with the idea it would make the team more competitive, and it hasn't worked out that way. Fans are disappointed.''

 

There also was anger this year in Cincinnati, where the Reds completed their first season in Great American Ballpark. The team opened with a payroll of $57 million, which ranked 17th of 30 teams, but that figure plummeted after Cincinnati traded several high-priced players during the summer, including third baseman Aaron Boone to the New York Yankees.

 

The Reds, a team some fans thought would contend, finished 68-93. And Great American Ball Park's first-year attendance average of 29,077 was less than what most teams draw when they christen new ballparks.

 

''The people in Cincinnati are very knowledgeable and tolerant, and what irked them more than anything else was the promise of increased [spending that did not happen],'' said Andy Furman, a sports talk-show host for the past 18 years at WLW radio in Cincinnati.

 

``Not only was a new stadium not a panacea, but why do they need a new stadium if the budget was lower than last year? It was a train wreck this season. If anything could have happened worse, I don't know what it would have been. And the new general manager, Dan O'Brien, won't say what next year's budget is. He says it doesn't pertain to the fans.''

 

WHERE'S THE MONEY?

 

NEW REVENUE STREAMS DON'T MEAN IT GOES TO PLAYERS

 

Of the eight teams that opened new stadiums in the past five years, none had a payroll in the top five this past season. Only two entered the season in the top 10 -- Seattle ($87 million, seventh) and San Francisco ($82 million, ninth).

 

Two were in the bottom third -- Detroit ($49 million, 25th) and Milwaukee. The average payroll of the eight teams was $64.8 million, less than baseball's median payroll of $69.4 million.

 

''We can support a larger payroll, but we have to get our attendance up,'' Dombrowski said. ``You don't recommend adding payroll unless it makes a difference where you are in the standings.''

 

None of the eight teams that opened ballparks in the past five years will necessarily increase payroll much next season, and several have spoken of reductions. The Giants confirmed last week they will trim roughly $8 million from their $85 million payroll.

 

''We need to rein things in -- we need to be in the mid-70s range,'' general manager Brian Sabean told San Francisco reporters.

 

Even though the Giants have exceptional attendance at Pacific Bell Park, which will be called SBC Park beginning next season, and are successful on the field, they are in the process of paying back a $145 million loan to finance the stadium.

 

The Pirates also will cut their payroll, although Littlefield said the amount hasn't been determined.

 

''Attendance has declined here [to a 20,984 average in 2003], and that's not a good business model when attendance decreases and payroll increases,'' he said. ``Our payroll will go down to some degree.''

 

For several teams in new parks, there's a vicious cycle. The team doesn't perform, so attendance falls short of expectations. And because attendance is disappointing, the payroll goes down, which often reduces the chance of winning.

 

''In Milwaukee, the ownership is moribund,'' Zimbalist said. ``In Detroit, it's handicapped. And in Cincinnati, it's similar. All these guys were expecting a handout, but you have to fill the seats.''

 

All of the parks built between 1992 and 1995 -- Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, Ballpark at Arlington (Texas) and Coors Field in Denver -- enjoyed exceptional attendance early, surpassing what the Reds, Pirates, Tigers and Brewers have been able to sustain.

 

Because of that, teams that moved into a new park between 1990 and 2000 produced an annual average of $20.2 million more in gate receipts and $35.7 million more in revenue than other teams during that period, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas-Arlington.

 

And because much of that extra revenue was spent on players, teams that opened new stadiums during that decade had, on average, a $53.1 million payroll, compared with a $38.9 million payroll for everybody else, according to the study.

 

But those discrepancies have been reduced, or even eliminated, with the recent ballpark openings.

 

''Ten years ago, opening a new ballpark meant an attendance explosion,'' Dombrowski said. ``I don't think new ballparks necessarily mean that after a year or two now. Now, there are a lot of new parks in play. It's not the same attraction [to fans] after one or two times. When there were only a few new ones, people kept coming to the new parks.''

 

PUTTING UP

 

HOW MUCH GOVERNMENTS, TEAMS CONTRIBUTE VARY

 

It's also notable that the amount a team contributes toward construction costs does not necessarily impact its ability to compete. Of those eight teams that have opened new parks since 1998, the one that contributed the most private financing, San Francisco, was the only franchise to make the playoffs this year. The Giants covered all but $10 million of the $255 million construction costs.

 

''But the Marlins should not be expected to pay [for the entire stadium],'' Giants owner Peter Magowan said. ``We were in a booming economy when the stadium was built, and we're in the heart of Silicon Valley. Other markets don't have that type of corporate [support].''

 

Of the teams with ballparks that opened in the past five years, the average team contribution toward construction costs was $107.5 million, but that was skewed by the Giants' deal. Remove the Giants from the mix, and the average team contribution would be $87.9 million.

 

Samson said the Marlins' planned $137 million contribution -- stemming mostly from future ballpark revenues -- was ''the maximum'' owner Jeffrey Loria thought he could contribute while maintaining a competitive team.

 

Despite the mixed results of teams that recently moved to new stadiums, Dombrowski says a new facility remains essential for most teams.

 

''In today's game, the new ballpark is almost a necessity to compete because you need the revenue,'' he said. ``You just hope you're cresting [when you move into the stadium] so you can put a winning product on the field.''

 

Dombrowski said South Florida ''is a good baseball market'' and predicts a stadium would be successful.

 

''If Loria is willing to invest in his team, he will get the benefit [of a new stadium],'' Zimbalist said. ``I think South Florida will support it.''

Great read. While its true that a new ballpark doesn't exactly guarentee success, it does increase the chances. If the money is spent wisely and there is a GM(like Beinfest) that is knowledgable enough to put together a winning product on the field, then any team can have great success with a new ballpark.

 

 

 

We are just going to have to wait and see how this turns out for the Marlins. :unsure :

selig's solution to everything is "new ballpark".

 

"nobody goes to expos games eh? don't worry, we won't contract them if they build a new ballpark "

 

"the tigers are about to become the worst team in baseball history? that's because commercia's too old; they need a new home to play in."

 

"what's that? jeter messed his shoulder? a new ballpark should heal him good."

 

pretty dumb if you ask me, but i'll admit that the marlins are one of the few teams that could actually use a new ballpark. IMO location would be the biggest benefit, but the roof is def needed for miami summer showers.

out of all the teams in professional sports that need a new home, the Marlins are the one who have a legit reason and need. Maybe MLB can lend the Marlins some money for the new ballpark kinda like the NFL does?

Maybe MLB can lend the Marlins some money for the new ballpark kinda like the NFL does?

 

 

 

Unfortunately, MLB isn't the NFL and there is no way that Bud Selig is going to give money to a team that he wants to contract so that they can build a new stadium.

Because Bud Selig sucks.

While it is true that a new stadium does not neccessarily equate to success on the field, the Marlins are in a unique situation that cannot be compared to many of the teams used in this article. None of those teams were "renters" with equivalent onerous stadium deals that drained away revenue like the deal the Marlins face at PPS. Many of these teams have been badly run for years and continue to be. It doesn't matter where Pittsburgh plays as long as the front office continues to fail miserably. The same goes for several other teams used as examples.

 

One either believes that the current ownership (and management) is competent or one doesn't. I am not a lover of Dave Dombrowski, a man totally devoid of an ounce of backbone who, regardless of a few successes, traded away almost the entire team and stayed on the job. For every Mike Lowell, Brad Penny or Derrek Lee there are three guys who never made it to the bigs. Dave Dombrowski is living proof that "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

 

But that's irrelevant to the this thread I suppose.

 

As the article clearly points out, Loria is willing to commit almost $50 million more than the (Giant-less) $89 million average owner contribution, which to me is a very positive sign. He's stepped up to the plate (metaphorically speaking) and put his money where his mouth is.

 

Competitive teams are built, they aren't bought at a concession stand. It isn't "give a cheeseburger, some nachos and an all-star firstbaseman". I believe the Marlins did the right thing in giving Admin Beinfest a new long term contract when they did and I further believe Admin will keep this team competitive for years to come.

 

It's the front office not the ballpark that makes for good baseball teams and we're lucky to have Admin running the show.

out of all the teams in professional sports that need a new home, the Marlins are the one who have a legit reason and need. Maybe MLB can lend the Marlins some money for the new ballpark kinda like the NFL does?

Didnt MLB Give The DBacks Some Money for there Stadium or something like that?

out of all the teams in professional sports that need a new home, the Marlins are the one who have a legit reason and need. Maybe MLB can lend the Marlins some money for the new ballpark kinda like the NFL does?

Didnt MLB Give The DBacks Some Money for there Stadium or something like that? MLB has been loaning the Diamondbacks money for everything. Maricopa County owns Bank One Ballpark, but the D-Backs helped pay for it.

BTW, the D-Rays make money and save it by having a low payroll and presenting Tropicana Field as a place for everything. They make almost $1 million profit because of the dome.

I am not a lover of Dave Dombrowski, a man totally devoid of an ounce of backbone who, regardless of a few successes, traded away almost the entire team and stayed on the job. For every Mike Lowell, Brad Penny or Derrek Lee there are three guys who never made it to the bigs. Dave Dombrowski is living proof that "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

Wha-?????

 

You do realize of course that it was not Dombrowski who traded the entire team away don't you? Dombrowski did the best he could with Huizenga's fire sale demands. I don't understand your point at all....

It's the front office not the ballpark that makes for good baseball teams and we're lucky to have Admin running the show.

 

 

While I agree with you, the problem is that if you don't have a steady revenue coming in, you may only have your one chance.

 

 

Do I think the Marlins can repeat next year? Yeah. I think that if certain moves are made and some guys are brought back then the Marlins have a great chance at being the '04 WS Champs. Problem comes in a few years when players like Beckett and Dontrelle and Cabs and several others all want big contracts. They aren't going to have the money to resign these guys and that sucks big time!

 

 

Championships are build in the front office, no doubt! But you need money to help you do it.

I am not a lover of Dave Dombrowski, a man totally devoid of an ounce of backbone who, regardless of a few successes, traded away almost the entire team and stayed on the job. For every Mike Lowell, Brad Penny or Derrek Lee there are three guys who never made it to the bigs. Dave Dombrowski is living proof that "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

i dont understand.

Although I too think that PPS needs to be replaced, looking to a new ballpark in SoFLA is not the answer.

 

And it's not because of all the other reasons I've heard before like weather, location, increased revenue, etc.. (All of which possess some validity). The biggest reason is that the population of SoFla will not come out to a stadium in droves, regardless of how new it is, what it looks like or where it is. Simple as that.

 

The Panthers play to a half-empty arena, even though it is one of the nicest facilities in the NHL.

 

The Heat (Who are downtown) can't draw flies.

 

And everyone's favorite football team, the Dolphins, can't sell out playoff games at home, even though they are one of the winningest franchises of the last 30 years in the NFL.

 

SO then, what exactely makes everyone think that people will come out to see the Fish? Even if you could guarantee that they would be extremey competitive on the field, in baseball that still doesn't mean World Series games every year. HEck, being successful in MLB doesn't necessarily mean even making the playoffs every year.

 

If they build it, people will come... For a year or two. This is the reality of the SoFLa sports market.

The Panthers play to a half-empty arena, even though it is one of the nicest facilities in the NHL.

 

The Heat (Who are downtown) can't draw flies.

 

And everyone's favorite football team, the Dolphins, can't sell out playoff games at home, even though they are one of the winningest franchises of the last 30 years in the NFL.

 

 

 

The Panthers haven't been good since they played in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Heat haven't been good in a couple of years now and everyone is sick and tired of watching the Dolphins make it to the playoffs, only to get knocked out early.

 

 

Yes, South Florida as a sports town sucks but the key is winning. You don't think more people would head out to ODC and AAA if there was a winning team being put out there? You don't think a chance to play in the AFC Title game or even the Super Bowl would reignite the Football fans here that see this as being just another year?

 

 

The Marlins drew like **** up until they started to win and we all know the story behind that franchise. I'm not saying that Mickey Arison or Wayne aren't commited to winning....because they are. But you have to take that extra step if you want to bring the people in and the Marlins did that this past season...will they?

Yes, South Florida as a sports town sucks but the key is winning. You don't think more people would head out to ODC and AAA if there was a winning team being put out there? You don't think a chance to play in the AFC Title game or even the Super Bowl would reignite the Football fans here that see this as being just another year?

 

 

Yes the key is winning, in that SoFla fans want immediate satisfaction and success. The problem is that MLB is not like Hockey (Where everyone makes the playoffs), or the NBA (Where a franchise can make 3-8 year periennial run at the playoffs) or the NFL (Which is insanely popular).

 

Success in MLB is much more understated than in the other leagues. Are people going to come out and support the FIsh because they showed a great deal of progress over the course of a year or two on heir way to a playoff run down the road?

 

Of course not.

 

At least build it somewhere other than downtown. Build it somewhere with better traffic, more money and less crime.

 

Fire up for a big white elephant in downtown Miami.

Ok, so you say that downtown Miami is a bad idea. Fine, I'll agree with you for a second on that.

 

 

Now where in Miami-Dade do you put it? Close to PPS would be nice, but thats a long shot. Where else can we put the thing? :mischief2

 

 

And Fish Fillet, I want you to be realistic with everything that you know of the stadium right now. Saying to build it in Broward County isn't feasible because they don't want to pay for it there. I want to hear where you would rather see it be put?

Washington DC

 

Like you said, real fans will travel anywhere to see their team. Wanna road trip?

 

Besides, it's safe to travel through Washington DC..... If you're a bullet.

I am not a lover of Dave Dombrowski, a man totally devoid of an ounce of backbone who, regardless of a few successes, traded away almost the entire team and stayed on the job. For every Mike Lowell, Brad Penny or Derrek Lee there are three guys who never made it to the bigs. Dave Dombrowski is living proof that "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

Wha-?????

 

You do realize of course that it was not Dombrowski who traded the entire team away don't you? Dombrowski did the best he could with Huizenga's fire sale demands. I don't understand your point at all.... Not to mention that the ratio of studs to duds was quite good considering the average. I'm not saying DD is a god, but he did well with zero bargaining power thanks to the Devil.

Ok, so you say that downtown Miami is a bad idea. Fine, I'll agree with you for a second on that.

 

 

Now where in Miami-Dade do you put it? Close to PPS would be nice, but thats a long shot. Where else can we put the thing? :mischief2

I think Pro Player is a great location. Why is it a "long shot" to build a new one in the same area? Just no available land I guess? There seems to be plenty of land around Pro Player.... does Wayne own everything around there???

 

There's got to be some land that the city owns somewhere around there....

Yea there is alot of land there by PPS but i think they like the OB or down here. Where the stadium is right now is fine....it takes me about 35-40 Minutes to get there which is fine by me.