Wayne Huizenga passes away

[SonOfJack]

Many disliked his time as owner due to how it ended, but he is responsible for bringing baseball to South Florida in the first place. He also went out and spent to help them win the title in 1997. He also owned the Dolphins and Panthers in the past.

 

I believe a patch or arm band should be worn this year to recognize his contributions to the franchise.

 

RIP Mr. Huizenga.

 

 

[hovertical]

for better or worse, all his moves were always blockbusters

 

 

[SongInTheAir]

for better or worse, all his moves were always blockbusters

 

no don't

 

 

[Entendu]

RIP,  but I don't think he deserves a patch.

 

 

[SonOfJack]

He was also very charitable in the South Florida area for those who weren't aware.

 

 

[SonOfJack]

 

 

Many South Florida fans never forgave him for breaking up the championship team. Huizenga drew boos when introduced at Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino’s retirement celebration in 2000, and kept a lower public profile after that.

 

In 2009, Huizenga said he regretted ordering the Marlins’ payroll purge.

 

“We lost $34 million the year we won the World Series, and I just said, ‘You know what, I’m not going to do that,'” Huizenga said. “If I had it to do over again, I’d say, ‘OK, we’ll go one more year.'”

 

https://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/south-florida-sports-icon-h-wayne-huizenga-dies-at-the-age-of-80-032318

 

 

[CYmarlins]

Sad news. RIP.

 

 

[el_gmac]

No patch, yes to the statue place it in CF instead of the jumping dolphins 

 

 

[Entendu]

Didn't Huizenga, acting as Marlins exec right before he sold the team, concoct a very unfavorable lease with the Dolphins (basically himself) for rights to play in Dolphin Stadium?

 

 

[SonOfJack]

[No message]

[DTrain]

I mean, without Wayne, we might not have a team so I thank him immensely for that. 

 

But I wouldn’t have pissed on him if he was on fire in 1998.  

 

 

[THRILLHO]

It is hard to imagine MLB never going to Miami.  Even without Huizenga’s expansion bid.  Had he not been the one to do it the 93 expansion team probably goes to St. Petersburg.  The four expansion cities from the 90s all addressed their stadium situations differently.  Mile High was already baseball ready.  They’d been playing MiLB there for years.  Phoenix managed to get a new yard paid for by their inaugural season and it was part of their bid for the D-Backs.  St. Petersburg already had a facility built and they were actively seeking baseball teams since the 80s.  Miami didn’t have a park.  It was clearly very difficult to get a baseball park built.  Huizenga’s ownership of Joe Robbie Stadium and his ability to outfit the place for baseball made it all possible.  Maybe by 1995 (when the DBacks and Rays were born) Huizenga gets pulled into the fray.  Maybe not.  Maybe DC gets that expansion team and the Expos relocate to Miami (with their owner!!!).  There’s no telling, but he clearly made it all possible.  Heading into the competition for expansion for teams 27 and 28 Denver and St. Petersburg felt like certainties and Huizenga made the South Florida bid what it was.

 

 

[fanofthefish]

Without Huizenga there is without a doubt no baseball team in Miami, if you get a chance read the book "If they don't win it's a shame" about the 97 season, a lot of insight on the money spent that year and the attendance numbers needed to and that weren't met despite the playoff run. I hated the firesale but his wasn't the first one in baseball and fortunately Dombrowski picked up most of the key pieces of the 2003 championship from it. RIP Wayne

 

 

[THRILLHO]

  The Miami-Dade County government told him that if he got them a championship, they would get him a stadium.  

 

I’m sorry but this sounds made up.  

 

 

[SilverBullet]

Owners who have done less for their teams have gotten patches and other memorial type stuff. Wayne at the very least deserves one of those plaques that they made for Felo and Jose. As for a patch or armband on the uniforms here's an idea... if they won't do something for the entire season maybe wear something during the three games in June that they'll be wearing the 1993 throwbacks since he's obviously a part of the early history of the franchise. 

 

 

[SixYearItch]

Rename the fire sale of this past offseason the H Wayne Huizenga Memorial Fire Sale and call it a day. 

 

 

[THRILLHO]

Goo Gull it.

 

Excellent.  I’ll let let you do that and I’ll check back here for the link you dig up.