Some people hate Loria with a passion. They want him gone, some want him drawn and quartered or worse.

 

Could Selig do it?

 

The MLB Constitution http://www.bizofbaseball.com/docs/MLConsititutionJune2005Update.pdf speaks to involuntary termination of ownership rights in Article VIII Section 4.

 

There's lots of stuff in there about gambling, throwing games, failing to show up, not playing, disbanding, not paying your bills, filing for bankruptcy, violating the player's agreement, and failing to comply with any requirement of the Commissioner -- indebtedness ratios would be an example of that.

 

Being a jerk, being a "bad" owner held in low regard by fans, or being cheap or greedy aren't on the list of sins. Failure to maintain a suitable ballpark is a problem, but not a Marlins' problem.

 

One thing that Loria critics, and maybe Selig could possibly hang their hat on is this:

 

VIII 4 (h) Transfer or assign such number of its player contracts as will prevent it from functioning as a Major League Club

 

Might have some potential, right?

 

If Selig decided that VIII 4 (h) justified the involuntary removal of Loria's ownership rights, he would have to put his charge in writing, hold a hearing during which Loria could respond, and then put it to a vote of MLB owners -- 23 of the other 29 owners would have to agree and vote for it under the 75% rule in Article V 2 (b) (8.)

 

Problem is that Selig approved the TOR trade after Hanley and Bell and Mujica and Infante and Gaby Sanchez were traded. Even if Loria fielded a team of 25 minimum-salary guys, it's pretty much impossible to satisfy VIII 4 (h.) Maybe if they were all AA/AAA guys with no MLB experience. But what Loria's doing isn't even close to that. Nolasco, Stanton, Pierre, Polanco, Cishek, Webb, Dobbs, Ruggiano, Morrison, and a half-dozen others are MLB players.

 

And Loria would only need the votes of 7 other owners to survive. That would be 7 out of the 20+ medium and small-market owners who could easily see themselves unexpectedly being in Loria's position at some time in the future.

 

In other words, there's almost no chance that Selig could force Loria out via the provisions in the MLB Constitution.

 

Maybe a behind-the-scenes threat to drag his name through the mud to get an agreement to sell voluntarily would work. But, again, Selig approved the TOR trade in the face of all of the previous trades and it was routine. It would probably take one or more future major situations where fans revolted wholesale before Selig would even consider trying to force Loria (or anyone else) out. Not likely to happen.

 

The normal Loria-bashing can now resume in the knowledge that there's a less-than-minuscule chance that he's ever going anywhere.

Seriously, which one of the FO guys are you?

Loria/Samson for Executive of the Year.

Well clearly the other owners are not going to vote him out. Then that would open up the potential for the Marlins to actually compete with them. This situation works much better for them. Not to mention what possibilities of pure gold the Marlins are willing to send over in any trade.

Seriously, which one of the FO guys are you?

Hey, it's the off-season with not much going on.

 

Lots of people (mostly on the radio and in comments in the local rags) think that Selig should just snap his fingers and make Loria go away. So, being bored, I decided to look into just what he can and can't do.

 

I wish I did work for a FO, any FO, it would be great fun.

I never used to think that I could work in a major league baseball front office until I learned that the Marlins allegedly considered Jeff Mathis to be a player significant enough to make or break the largest trade in franchise history.

To be fair, the Blue Jays felt the same way.

To be fair, the Blue Jays felt the same way.

I know. That only reinforces my belief.

Imagine if we said d'Arnoud instead and they said yes immediately ...

Zephyr -

 

Couldn't agree more, but doubt it would ever happen. Selig could make the mAAArlins play at the Trop and give Marlins Park to the Rays.

Zephyr -

 

Couldn't agree more, but doubt it would ever happen. Selig could make the mAAArlins play at the Trop and give Marlins Park to the Rays.

 

I'm pretty sure he couldn't, because he has no say on who owns the ball park.

To be fair, the Blue Jays felt the same way.

I know. That only reinforces my belief.

Or maybe the Blue Jays were just clever enough to pretend like that was a big deal in a case of highway robbery?

 

Either way, point still stands.

Unrelated to this thread, but related to Loria:

 

Tension exists between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and some MLB players, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explains. “Players don’t trust him,� one prominent agent told Jackson following the Marlins’ recent trade with Toronto. Players say the owner gets too close for comfort. “He’s always looking in the dugout,� one former Marlin told Jackson. “Mind your business!"

Unrelated to this thread, but related to Loria:

 

Tension exists between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and some MLB players, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explains. “Players don’t trust him,� one prominent agent told Jackson following the Marlins’ recent trade with Toronto. Players say the owner gets too close for comfort. “He’s always looking in the dugout,� one former Marlin told Jackson. “Mind your business!"

 

It is his business. Owning a company and not knowing how the day to day and menial things are transpiring is a sure sign of failure. What's he supposed to do? Read about it in the Miami Herald?

could the city change the terms of the contract on the ballpark, and force him to field a good team or lose a portion of his bottom line?