"It Just Seems To Continue To Spiral For Jeff."

- quote from Greensboro Grasshoppers president Donald Moore after an arrest warrant was issued for Jeff Allison. (HeraldSun.com)

Joe F. Looks Back at the Fish in the Year '06

(MLB)

Dontrelle (As Represented by Lawyers Reynoso & Reiff) Speaks!

"Related to the incident on December 22, 2006, I want to thank everyone involved for their support and encouragement. Concerning the specifics of the evening, I acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and I understand that there is a legal process that needs to be followed. As I respect this process, the police and those involved, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Thank you again for understanding my position and for your continued support." (MLB)

Willis' Mom Speaks

'Without passing judgment on Willis' guilt or innocence, Harris felt compelled to reach out to her son's fans.

'"I felt like in my heart I owed it to the people in Florida because I just feel like after all the friends I've made, how all the people have treated us, I wanted to say something on behalf of the whole family," Harris said. "In my heart, I'm really sorry and really sad and I'm still in shock. ... Dontrelle just made a mistake."

'"I hope everybody can kind of forgive us," Harris said. "I'm taking responsibility too for what has happened. It'll take a little bit for people to process. That's human nature, but he's still the same loving kid who loves the game and is going to give Florida all he has when he's on the field." (SunSentinel)

Something I Didn't Know About Dontrelle

'On Feb. 13, 2003, Willis walked away from a horrific accident on Highway 101 in San Jose, Calif. A rear tire blew out, causing his green Mustang to flip at least five times. Alcohol was not involved, according to reports.

'"Every day I wake up I think about it," Willis told The Palm Beach Post in August 2003. "How much fun life is now and how it would have been if something unfortunate had happened."' (PalmBeachPost)

Marlins Playing Exhibition In Dayton, OH!

It will be against the Reds March 31 at always-sold-out Fifth Third Park (DaytonDailyNews)

Where's Charlie?

The Fish' opening-day pitcher is now pitching coach for the Class A California League's Inland Empire 66ers. (OurSportsCentral)

Mysterious Rumor Pops Up...

...about a three-way Marlins/Devil Rays/Rockies trade. (MinorLeagueBall)

Rays Prez Promoting Baseball Under Marlins-Like Conditions?

'Rays President Matt Silverman of the Rays moving a May series to Orlando: "It allows fans to enjoy Rays baseball at home in an open-air environment."...I implore Mr. Silverman to sit out in the bleachers of Al Lang for 81 days a year during the summer, for three hours at a time if he wants to see an open air stadium built in the future. It is easy for the purist in you to say that "baseball should be played outdoors". All climates equally temperate, I agree. However Florida is a tropical climate. It is humid. It is rainy. It is full of mosquitos. It is not comfortable. We invented air conditioning for a reason. If you want to build a retractable dome, that is a good idea. However you can't build an outdoor stadium and play baseball in it day after day in the sweltering heat and expect fans to show up, especially considering the team isn't stellar. Look at the Marlins for proof of this. It isn't practical. For every 75 degree, sunny day there is a 90 degree day with sun showers occurring every 30 minutes, or
(OOOPS-EDIT) essentially every day in July and August.' (DRaysBay)

Dave Hyde: Bargain-Basement Beinfest Befuddled By Below-Best Ballplayers Bolstered By Big Bucks

'If (Gil) Meche is worth $11 million, the Marlins' starting young pitchers are worth their weight in gold bullion. Not simply for their talent. But, outside of Dontrelle Willis, the likes of Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez will make $360,000 next season.

'So how can the Marlins afford to trade something as fragile as starting young pitchers, even if they're loaded with them? To replace them would be impossible.

'This isn't to say the Marlins have no money to spend. Too many people see the Marlins' attendance and majors' puniest payroll and say that. But do some simple math.

'The Marlins get approximately: $30 million in revenue sharing; $12 million in local TV; $18 million in national TV and $10 million in licensing and merchandising from Major League Baseball. That's $70 million before selling a single ticket, which is a good thing considering the number of tickets they sell.

'They can't spend like the Yankees or Red Sox. And they aren't so desperate as to roll the dice like the Royals and Orioles. But for the past several years Beinfest hasn't just made trades that smartly upgrade the roster but to spot bargains that worked out for everyone.

'This winter might prove the end of that.' (SunSentinel)

Marlins Strive To Allieviate Armando's Arthritis

'Benitez currently is in his native Dominican Republic, but he is scheduled to return to South Florida next week to continue rehabbing his arthritic knees...

'One member of the Benitez camp said getting him out of San Francisco's cold, damp weather and into South Florida's temperate climate again would alleviate the pitcher's condition.' (SunSentinel)

Good Luck Jack

McKeon scheduled to get hip-replacement surgery today. (MLB)

Blast From The Past: Whatever Happened to Chuckie Carr?

The man who made every catch a thrill during the inaugural season is now hitting coach for the Advanced Class A Salem Avalanche in the Astros organization. (OurSportsCentral)

Dean Treanor Returns as Isotopes Manager

'Treanor spent part of the offseason managing Escogido of the Dominican League. Treanor was fired from that post in mid-November after leading the Leones to a 10-10 record.

'"They wanted me to bring in some discipline; they said they didn't have any and they didn't," Treanor said of Escogido. "They wanted me to play certain players, some of them hadn't played in the states last year. I played some (different) younger guys and they said they wanted to go in another direction."

'Treanor noted the Leones were 10-10 when he was fired and are now 14-29.

'"I'm not sure what direction they wanted to go," he said.' (AbqTrib.com)

MORE: Rest of Marlins minor-league managers decided. (MiamiHerald)

'You Gotta Be Here!'

That seems to be the new Marlins ad slogan - at least it's prominently placed on the mailer I received about the Select-A-Seat day this Saturday. (More details about that at this link.)

Padres Fans Discuss the Mermaids...

...and whether San Diego should emulate their inspiring example. (GasLampBall)

Meet the New Team - Same as the Old Team

'Rather than go out and spend freely on high-priced free agents, the Marlins have committed themselves to retaining their own.

'As expected on Tuesday, the Marlins tendered formal contract numbers to all 36 players on their 40-man roster.' (MLB)

No Way! No More Eddie K.?

The best anti-'sports-talk' sports talk show is being cancelled - WQAM's Ed Kaplan, who suffers fools not at all and doesn't let being a fan blind him to the realities of the sports business (for example, pointing out the steriod issue years before it became a hot topic), or screw up his chances of making a couple of bucks in Vegas, is being replaced by syndicated ESPN programming. (MiamiHerald)

Devil Rays to Take Over Florida

Tampa Bay already has 4,000+ more attendees per game than the Marlins - now it spreads its tentacles (or maybe its stingers) to Vero and Port Charlotte, and is finalizing its plans to play regular-season games in Orlando (against the Rangers May 15-17). Says team president Matt Silverman, "It's a big state...And I'm sure the Marlins look at it the same way (insert fiendish laugh here)." (MiamiHerald)

MORE: They also want to take away the Marlins' pitching.(FishStripes)

Girardi Lets Loose

'Just when you thought you had heard the final word from Joe Girardi on the Marlins comes this unusual revelation: At a recent Dolphins Touchdown Club luncheon, the ousted manager told host Jim Mandich he was uncomfortable with the Marlins' scantily-clad Mermaids performing at games.

'"We have a 7-year-old daughter going to the ballpark," he said. "I don't want to teach my daughter to dress like that or shake her body like that." (The Marlins knew about Girardi's sentiments.)

'Of his firing, Girardi told the audience, "I'm still bitter and I'm still angry and that's probably why I'm not managing. It's hard to fire the Manager of the Year for what he did on the field, so you have to say something else" to discredit him.' (MiamiHerald)

Acquisitions

Marlins pick up 3 in Rule 5 draft, and Dontrelle picks up a wife today. (PalmBeachPost)

Marlins Inquiring...

...about Benitez, Hernandez, Boone, Burgos, Ellsbury. Meanwhile, Borowski is an Indian, and Griffy mentions Hanley. (SunSentinel)

Kranitz Named B.A.'s MLB Coach of the Year

(MLB)

Marlins' Dealings with Rays for Baldelli at 'Dead Ends'?

'Friends had been filling him in on the rumors, which include everything from logical possibilities such as the Orioles, Rangers, Red Sox and White Sox, to some odd fits, such as the Phillies and Tigers, to some dead ends, such as the Marlins, with whom the Rays apparently had significant differences of opinion.' (StPeteTimes)

DuPuy in South Florida Again

'Keeping a promise to help the Marlins find a solution to their stadium dilemma, Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy met with local politicians and team officials in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday.

'Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he spoke with DuPuy about progress toward building a stadium in Hialeah west of I-75. Sites in downtown Miami are also under consideration.

'"I think our site is very accessible to baseball fans throughout South Florida," Robaina said. But, he added, "at the end of the day wherever this community decides baseball should be, I'll support it because my goal has always been to keep baseball in South Florida."' (SunSentinel)

Ozzie Dines With Miguel

'"He has lost 15 pounds. He is going to have a great year," Guillen predicted of the Marlins' All-Star third baseman.'....ALSO, Fish interest in Kolb, Rocco, Elijah, and Jose Hernandez...and Fredi chokes down a stogie with Jack. (PalmBeachPost)

Socialist View of Today's 'Stadium Mania'

'In the early 1900s, baseball stadiums were built and paid for by the teams. By the late 1960s, new parks were springing up in most major cities. These modern venues catered to baseball and football, were usually located downtown, and were built on the public dime. Owners, politicians and the media often trumpeted these new stadiums as part of a downtown renaissance.

'But Roger G. Noll, co-author of Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums, disputes this claim: "There's never been a publicly subsidized stadium anywhere in the United States that had the effect of increasing employment and economic growth in the city in which it was built."

'In some cities, crucial services deteriorated after stadiums were built. Baltimore and Cleveland have mostly publicly funded baseball and football facilities, but their public schools are in receivership. (Cleveland's schools were actually once promised $15 million per year income from the stadiums.) And as Washington, D.C. built its new baseball stadium, thanks to the insistent "leadership" of Mayor Anthony Williams, the city also closed its only public hospital.

'In the old days, sports venues hosted multiple activities and were expected to last 60 or 70 years. By the early 1990s, owners began asserting that facilities built in the '60s and '70s were already obsolete.

'Not satisfied with simply having a new stadium, team owners also began to demand separate stadiums for each sport. They decided these new stadiums must come with private suites that teams could sell to corporations and individuals for thousands of dollars per year. For example, indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff had private suites at every sports facility in D.C. to woo his clients.

'How do sports owners get their new stadiums? Many threaten to move their teams, painting local pols as "bad guys" who won't work with them. Wealthy owners also enjoy backroom access to politicians, who get campaign donations for their troubles. Donations quadruple when you add the ones from "community leaders" who show their appreciation after stadiums are built.' (Socialism.com)

SOMEONE ELSE SPEAKS: 'Recent studies have confirmed a fatigue with public financing for stadiums. It just is not worth it. The economic advantages for the host city are less and less. The internet and cable television have made everything far closer; you can see a game anywhere in any city through such creations. Do you really need a stadium?

'Also, the greed is simply out-in-the-open now. People making $50,000 a year paying costs for billionaire owners to house millionaire players is a sham. The players have proven they don't care which city they play in, just the one paying the most. Why should a fan go out of his way and take more dough out of his pocket for this sort of thing? He should not.

'At the very least, there should be some sort of reward for public funding. How about the team making sure ticket prices remain in the bottom ten? That would be both rewarding and gracious. Instead, we often get owners who raise ticket prices almost immediately. Gee, thanks for the support, Mr. Billionaire.' (from InternetGilletteStadiumCompilation...also check out the "Top Ten Myths Surrounding the Montreal Expos")

Florida Marlins - the Chevy Aveo of Baseball

'Major League Baseball is awash in cash, having drawn a record 76 million fans and taken in a record $5.2 billion in revenue last season. And that money is trickling down by the bucketful.

'The sport's new TV deal, which kicks in next spring, will pay each club $20 million. And last summer's sale of the Washington Nationals netted each team another $10 million.

'Figure in the $195 million from MLB Advanced Media the teams will share and the revenue sharing, luxury tax and merchandising money that the majority of the 30 clubs will get, and it leaves most teams with about $50 million to spend before they sell a ticket.

'As a result, the Kansas City Royals are projecting a franchise-record $55 million payroll for next season. The Pittsburgh Pirates might top $50 million for the first time since 2003. The Orioles, Dodgers, Angels and Red Sox are spending big. And even the Tampa Bay Devil Rays paid a $4.5 million posting fee just to negotiate with Japanese infielder Akinora Iwamura.'

...And then there's the Marlins...

'"We still have our [revenue] challenges here," said Beinfest, whose payroll is expected to grow slightly, to between $22 and $30 million, still the lowest in baseball.' (MiamiHerald)

New Florida Governor 'Supports' New Marlins Stadium

"It's not a stretch at all to view it as economic development for our state...I would be very unhappy if any of our teams would leave the state. And I'll do everything I can within reason to make sure that does not happen." (Gainesville.com)

Double-Update

...on last Tuesday's post....

1. Scott Olsen Won't be appearing at Sawgrass Mills Mall - Robert Andino will be. (FishStripes)

2. Tom Verducci's findings don't seem to be statistically valid. (HardballTimes)

Maverick's Top Marlins Prospects

(FishStripes)