Florida (soon to be Miami) Marlins' ballpark vote passes

03/23/09 11:56 PM ET
Marlins' ballpark vote passes
Retractable-roof stadium slated for 2012 opening

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

MIAMI -- At last, a home the Marlins can truly call their own.

Miami-Dade County commissioners on Monday put to rest more than a decade-long quest by voting in favor of a retractable-roof ballpark for the Marlins on the Orange Bowl grounds. Commissioners cast two separate votes, the first came back, 9-4, and the second was 10-3.

Since winning the World Series in 1997, three separate Marlins owners have sought a baseball-only facility. Now that will become a reality. The next step is moving toward breaking ground by July in hopes of getting the building open by 2012.

"You'd kind of hope that after eight, nine, 10 years, something does come out of it," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. "It got done tonight. Eventually, I thought it was going to happen. Miami is really a great place to live. You need a baseball team not to leave. It's now resolved."

From the time they entered the league in 1993, the Marlins have shared Dolphin Stadium with the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

The retractable-roof park will seat 37,000 on the Orange Bowl grounds in the Little Havana section of Miami.

Moving into their own home is part of rebirth of the franchise. When the team begins playing at the Orange Bowl, it will be renamed the Miami Marlins. The club's lease at the park is 35 years.

The vote came after 9 1/2 hours of meetings.

MLB President and COO Bob DuPuy was at the meeting, representing the league.

"Major League Baseball is thrilled over the outcome tonight," DuPuy said. "This was an extraordinary session, and I thank everybody in the county for their hard work. There is a lot of hard work still to do, but the fun part starts now."

The team is under lease to remain at Dolphin Stadium through 2010. With the new park scheduled to open in 2012, the team will begin negotiating with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for a one-year extension.

Literally thousands of hours went into negotiating the project. And the current stadium deal on the Orange Bowl grounds has been in the works for 2 1/2 years.

The cost of the project is $625 million for the stadium and a parking lot. It's a public/private venture that includes input from the Marlins, Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami.

"I want to thank Jeffrey Loria, the owner of this team, who from Day 1 made a mandate and committed us to getting this deal done," Marlins president David Samson said. "I'm very humbled today, because the work starts. The partnership starts now.

"All the work we've done to get to this point is very exciting, and I'm very glad. But when you hear Mr. Loria talk about the benefits of Miami-Dade and all the people of Miami-Dade, that starts today."

Before reaching the county commission, the city of Miami approved the project by a 3-2 vote on March 19.

After the votes were counted, representatives from the city of Miami joined Miami-Dade County commissioners during the news conference. Also on hand were Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and city of Miami mayor Manny Diaz.

"Now, we've got to get the stadium built," Alvaraz said after thanking the work of the city and county. "It means a lot of jobs, and that's what we heard from our community tonight. ... It's a good day for Miami-Dade County."

With the park now a reality, Major League Baseball and the Marlins will move forward with the construction of an Urban Youth Academy in Hialeah, Fla., which is north of downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County.

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina spoke publicly in favor of the park, and he noted the benefits the youth academy will make for all of South Florida.

"My goal is to have it ready by the end of 2010, the beginning of 2011," Robaina said. "There is a lot of infrastructure that has to be done. We're hoping to have it done by that time frame."

Officially, the county will own the ballpark.

The Youth Academy will be similar to the one MLB opened in Compton, Calif.

Monday brought finality to a stadium agreement that was first approved in February 2008. Even though the tentative stadium agreement passed more than a year ago, remaining documents needed the approval of commissioners. Because of a series of setbacks -- including a lawsuit challenging funding of the project filed by local auto dealer Norman Braman -- the vote was delayed until Monday.

In the Braman lawsuit, all seven of his charges were defeated. But while the judge ruled in favor of the Marlins, the length of the suit caused a delay in finalizing the project. Initially, the stadium was slated to open in 2011. The holdup pushed the new timeline to 2012.

Major League Baseball has stressed its commitment to South Florida, considering it the "Gateway to the Caribbean." The league has offered a series of initiatives to help promote baseball in the market.

Last week, Dolphin Stadium was the site of second-round games of the World Baseball Classic.

The Marlins will seek hosting the finals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. And the organization is confident it will be awarded an MLB All-Star Game within a few years after the doors in the new park are open.

DuPuy has been a fixture at the meetings, and he addressed the commission, urging the benefits of the ballpark.

"When you finally have the All-Star Game, which you deserve here in a new ballpark, it's a five-day celebration for the community," DuPuy said to commissioners during the meeting. "When you have the finals of the World Baseball Classic, the World Series, your county will be showcased in 13 languages in 225 countries and over 100 million people. No brochure can bring you that type of exposure."

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/24/09 2:50 PM ET
Stadium vote lifts Marlins' spirits
Players ecstatic to have franchise's long-term future resolved

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

Marlins' ballpark vote passes Watch
New Ballpark Pictures VIEW>

JUPITER, Fla. -- Hanley Ramirez says he loves Miami, and now that the Marlins have the security of a new stadium on the horizon, it increases the chances of the All-Star shortstop remaining with the organization for years to come.

The Marlins on Monday received franchise stability after Miami-Dade County commissioners passed final documents to construct a 37,000-seat retractable-roof park on the Orange Bowl grounds in Miami. Groundbreaking is expected in July, and the building is scheduled to open in 2012.

News of the stadium vote uplifted the Marlins' Spring Training clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium.

"Everybody was positive," Ramirez said. "When we got in here today, everybody was happy. There were a lot of happy faces."

The new ballpark eventually will change the way the Marlins do business. With increased revenue streams created by the stadium on the way, the team will be better positioned to sign or retain players.

At age 25, Ramirez is the centerpiece of the organization. Last May, he signed a six-year extension through 2014. Ramirez is slated to make $15 million in 2012, which raises questions as to if he will be around.

He said on Tuesday that he is hopeful of being with the Marlins to usher in the ballpark.

"It's a great city. Everybody loves it here. I love it," Ramirez said. "But, like I always say, it's a business. And you've got to find a way to win. That's what it's all about."

After Monday's vote, team owner Jeffrey Loria said the payroll will rise when the team moves into the new building. Projections are the club's payroll will rank among the league average then.

"When we're situated in the new stadium, revenues will be spent on an increase in payroll," Loria said.

Florida plans to match payroll with revenue until then.

The Marlins have a number of talented young players like Ramirez, Cameron Maybin, Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco.

Realistically, several arbitration-eligible players on the club now likely won't be with the team in 2012. But some of the young players like Maybin and prospects like Michael Stanton, Matt Dominguez and Kyle Skipworth are projected to be ready to be key contributors by 2012.

"Can you imagine this team being together for Opening Day in 2012?" Ramirez said. "We're going to be like brothers. We will have been together a long time."

Obtained after the 2005 season from Boston, Ramirez is thankful to the Marlins for giving him his first big league chance.

"You never know, I could wind up [spending my whole] career here," he said.

Maybin will be entering his first year of arbitration in 2012, and he projects to figure into the team's plans now and in the future.

"I think the stadium is definitely the first step in making moves towards keeping more players around," the 21-year-old center fielder said. "They did it with Hanley. Hopefully, that's a sign for more to come."

Normally, the Marlins are skeptical about signing pitchers to multiyear contracts. Johnson, however, could be an exception.

"Hanley got a multiyear deal, and he's one of the best players in the game," Johnson said. "That's what everyone hopes for, to get a deal like that, or whatever, so you know what's in store for the future. And you can buy a house down here. It's definitely a good feeling.

"A lot of us here are excited. We're getting a new stadium. We know which direction we're going. We know we're not going to be moving. We've heard all sorts of things over the past three years. Hopefully, a lot of us can be here [long-term]."

For many who have followed the long stadium quest, Monday's vote came as a suprise. Skeptics questioned if the team would really have its own home.

"I had my doubts there for a while, because it gets so close or delayed, voted down, or there are lawsuits or whatever," said Jeff Conine, a special assistant. "Something seems to go wrong. To finally know that it's a reality, and know that it's coming to fruition, is exciting."

An original Marlin, Conine was on Florida's 1997 and 2003 World Series title teams. Getting its own park, Conine says, should improve the image of the franchise around the league.

"The Marlins have always been considered like second-class citizens," Conine said. "Because of [stadium issues], we're not viewed as the team we should be."

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/24/09 6:15 PM ET
New stadium will break ground in July
Renewed optimism felt throughout Marlins organization

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- Groundbreaking on the new Marlins ballpark is scheduled to take place sometime in July.

An exact date has yet to be set, but around July 6 could be a possibility.

"That is certainly a possible day, but we don't have an exact day yet," Marlins president David Samson said late Tuesday afternoon. "We're actually comparing calendars with various parties and trying to pick the best day that will be a good day for the fans and for everybody else."

The Marlins will be in San Francisco on July 6, so the team must decide whether to put shovels in the ground on a day the club is out of town.

There is a renewed optimism surrounding the club now that its long-awaited retractable-roof ballpark will become a reality. On Monday, Miami-Dade County commissioners approved the final documents to move forward with a 37,000-seat park on the Orange Bowl grounds in Miami.

By breaking ground in July, the team will be on pace to open in 2012.

Because the Marlins' lease with Dolphin Stadium expires after the 2010 season, Samson plans to talk with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross about a one-year extension.

"I actually have his name on my call sheet as we speak," Samson said.

The Marlins president joked: "I'm trying to figure out exactly what leverage I have."

Monday's favorable stadium vote created an immediate impact on Marlins' ticket sales. As of late Tuesday afternoon, more than 15,000 individual game tickets had been sold since the bill's approval. That's more than five times what the club sees on an average day.

"We sold 15,000 tickets today, which was a well-above-average ticket day," Samson said, noting the rush is directly related to the stadium vote. "The thing we're seeing most now are the people are taking the seating priority seriously, because they want to get ready for 2012."

Tickets are available at marlins.com.

"It's great that our fans now can focus only on the field," Samson said.

A hot topic for the organization is figuring out what the stadium vote means in terms of the team's payroll. Florida has consistently ranked last or near the bottom in payroll. This year, the Marlins are around $33 million.

In the team's new building, Samson said the payroll projects to rank near the middle of the pack in the league.

Until the club moves, it plans to keep matching payroll to revenues.

"I really don't believe our expectations will change at all, no matter what our payroll is," Samson said.

Considering the fact the Marlins have remained highly competitive with a low payroll is a credit to president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest, general manager Michael Hill and their staff.

"Sometimes I wonder whether the constraints we put on them leads to better decisions and more disciplined decisions," Samson said. "Then I remember that we've got the most talented baseball organization that there is.

"It further occurs to me that the sky will be the limit when they have increased resources. ... I really don't believe our expectations will change at all, no matter what our payroll is."

Samson noted that long-term deals are considered when Beinfest approaches the team about them. Last year, Beinfest requested the team consider signing Hanley Ramirez, and the All-Star shortstop inked a six-year, $70 million extension. The front office hasn't approached upper management on doing a long-term deal on anyone else.

Samson added: "[More revenues] certainly enables you more flexibility on either long-term deals or just higher short-term deals."

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They play in Miami
Plus Florida has another team.

I mean nobody would want the California (whoevers). Wait, they tried that with the Angels.

Then again, there's still the Texas Rangers who play in the same state as the Houston Astros. At least with the Diamondbacks there's no other Arizona team. Then again, other than Tempe (a suburb of Phoenix) and Tucson, there aren't any big cities in Arizona anyways. The NHL and NBA teams are known as the Phoenix Coyotes/Suns. On the other hand, they still have the Arizona Cardinals.

I could go either way on that.


----------

On the plus side, maybe they can actually develop a fan base

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They play in Miami
Plus Florida has another team.

I mean nobody would want the California (whoevers). Wait, they tried that with the Angels.

Then again, there's still the Texas Rangers who play in the same state as the Houston Astros. At least with the Diamondbacks there's no other Arizona team. Then again, other than Tempe (a suburb of Phoenix) and Tucson, there aren't any big cities in Arizona anyways. The NHL and NBA teams are known as the Phoenix Coyotes/Suns. On the other hand, they still have the Arizona Cardinals.

I could go either way on that.


----------

On the plus side, maybe they can actually develop a fan base

They better at least keep the name Marlins

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They play in Miami
Plus Florida has another team.

I mean nobody would want the California (whoevers). Wait, they tried that with the Angels.

Then again, there's still the Texas Rangers who play in the same state as the Houston Astros. At least with the Diamondbacks there's no other Arizona team. Then again, other than Tempe (a suburb of Phoenix) and Tucson, there aren't any big cities in Arizona anyways. The NHL and NBA teams are known as the Phoenix Coyotes/Suns. On the other hand, they still have the Arizona Cardinals.

I could go either way on that.


----------

On the plus side, maybe they can actually develop a fan base

The Angels have been the LA Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels and now the LA Angels of Anaheim


How many times do you change your name?

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They made a deal with someone, in order to get their park, they have to change their name.... stupid.

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They play in Miami
Plus Florida has another team.

I mean nobody would want the California (whoevers). Wait, they tried that with the Angels.

Then again, there's still the Texas Rangers who play in the same state as the Houston Astros. At least with the Diamondbacks there's no other Arizona team. Then again, other than Tempe (a suburb of Phoenix) and Tucson, there aren't any big cities in Arizona anyways. The NHL and NBA teams are known as the Phoenix Coyotes/Suns. On the other hand, they still have the Arizona Cardinals.

I could go either way on that.


----------

On the plus side, maybe they can actually develop a fan base

The Angels have been the LA Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels and now the LA Angels of Anaheim


How many times do you change your name?

They're the Anaheim Angels. Period. When they played at Wrigley Field they were the Los Angeles Angels. If they move to an Anaheim suburb, they're the Anaheim Angels. Move back to LA and they're the LA Angels.

Calling Anaheim "Los Angeles" is like calling Ann Arbor "Detroit"

I don't care about the stadium, how in the FUCK are they 9-1?!?!?

gdennis59 wrote:

I don't care about the stadium, how in the FUCK are they 9-1?!?!?

They are good!

gdennis59 wrote:

I don't care about the stadium, how in the FUCK are they 9-1?!?!?

Watch your fucking mouth. What the fuck is wrong with you?

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Why are they changing their name to Miami Marlins?

They play in Miami
Plus Florida has another team.

I mean nobody would want the California (whoevers). Wait, they tried that with the Angels.

Then again, there's still the Texas Rangers who play in the same state as the Houston Astros. At least with the Diamondbacks there's no other Arizona team. Then again, other than Tempe (a suburb of Phoenix) and Tucson, there aren't any big cities in Arizona anyways. The NHL and NBA teams are known as the Phoenix Coyotes/Suns. On the other hand, they still have the Arizona Cardinals.

I could go either way on that.


----------

On the plus side, maybe they can actually develop a fan base

The Angels have been the LA Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels and now the LA Angels of Anaheim


How many times do you change your name?

They're the Anaheim Angels. Period. When they played at Wrigley Field they were the Los Angeles Angels. If they move to an Anaheim suburb, they're the Anaheim Angels. Move back to LA and they're the LA Angels.

Calling Anaheim "Los Angeles" is like calling Ann Arbor "Detroit"

I thought the Angels were known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

They should go back to being the California Angels

There's a bunch of California teams - can't call them the CA Angels.

Right now they're the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which is retarded.

If Ann Arbor ever ended up with a team for some reason you wouldn't call them the Detroit Something-or-others of Ann Arbor.

catbox_9 wrote:

There's a bunch of California teams - can't call them the CA Angels.

Right now they're the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which is retarded.

If Ann Arbor ever ended up with a team for some reason you wouldn't call them the Detroit Something-or-others of Ann Arbor.

Orange County Angels?

The Detroit Pistons of Auburn Hills?

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

There's a bunch of California teams - can't call them the CA Angels.

Right now they're the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which is retarded.

If Ann Arbor ever ended up with a team for some reason you wouldn't call them the Detroit Something-or-others of Ann Arbor.

Orange County Angels?

That would be reasonable, but there are no large cities in Orange County other than Anaheim. Most non-Californians are not familiar with cities such as Fullerton.

bobrob2004 wrote:

The Detroit Pistons of Auburn Hills?

Auburn Hills Pistons

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

There's a bunch of California teams - can't call them the CA Angels.

Right now they're the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which is retarded.

If Ann Arbor ever ended up with a team for some reason you wouldn't call them the Detroit Something-or-others of Ann Arbor.

Orange County Angels?

That would be reasonable, but there are no large cities in Orange County other than Anaheim. Most non-Californians are not familiar with cities such as Fullerton.

Either that or the Angels leave California