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Trouble for Marlins Portland's chance
Local groups want talks with the financially strapped team to show the city's interest
By JOHN HUNT
The Oregonian
Wednesday, November 23, 2005

The Florida Marlins are willing to pursue relocation, and Portland is willing to talk.

Citing failed stadium financing efforts in Miami, Marlins President David Samson said Tuesday that he has received permission from the Major League Baseball commissioner's office to look into opportunities in other cities.

Those cities include Las Vegas and Portland, which were among the markets that lost out to Washington, D.C., when Major League Baseball relocated the Montreal Expos before the 2005 season.

Shortly after Tuesday's announcement, Oregon Sports Authority President Drew Mahalic called MLB officials and the Marlins to "begin a relationship."

Steve Kanter, president of the Portland Baseball Group, called it "a significant announcement," although talks are preliminary.

"It just reminds everybody that Portland needs to think about this hard in the next six months or so, and if we want to make a pitch for it, we really need to do it," Kanter said.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who sold the Expos to Major League Baseball and bought the Marlins in 2002, said this does not necessarily mean the Marlins are leaving South Florida.

"We must now acknowledge that Miami -- the gateway to the Americas -- could well be the first American city in 35 years to see its baseball franchise leave," Loria said in a statement. "And people in Washington, D.C., know very well how long it took to get a team back."

The Marlins have used the threat of relocation before in an attempt to secure stadium financing. Team officials took a well-publicized trip to Las Vegas and met with Mayor Oscar Goodman in December.

But the team's dire financial situation is evidenced by a mandate to decrease payroll. The Marlins tentatively have agreed on a five-player trade that would send pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to Boston for three minor-leaguers -- a deal that would save the Marlins as much as $30 million.

The Marlins' lease at Dolphins Stadium expires in 2010, and Samson has refused to consider extending that lease, thought to be baseball's most onerous.

Kanter said he is aware that the announcement could merely be another financing ploy, but "certainly we want to be in conversation with them."

Portland does have the baseball stadium financing bill in place, passed in 2003, that would contribute an estimated $150 million from the income taxes of players and team officials to the construction of a ballpark. There also has been progress on moving the U.S. Post Office from downtown and freeing up what could be the best stadium site -- that could be accomplished within five years, Kanter said.

Portland continues to show strong major league interest, despite losing out on the Expos, as evidenced by television ratings from Game Four of the World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.

Of the markets not in Texas or Chicago, Portland ranked fourth in the nation with a 14.8 rating, behind St. Louis (22.9), Minneapolis-St. Paul (15.5) and Phoenix (15.0).

Portland has a baseball proponent in Gov. Ted Kulongoski, but he is seeking re-election, and Mayor Tom Potter has not come out in favor of baseball.

John Hunt: 503-294-7643; johnhunt@news.oregonian.com

Take the risk Tom and Ted. This Democratic Party member would support you.

BB

So would an independent like me. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so if the Marlins are serious, let's go for it.

The action and excitement around the OSC could pick up again in a hurry, folks!

So would a Republican like me!

After working for the Legislature this last session, Ted didn't do much to impress me, but nor did he do anything to warrant me disliking him. Plus the fact of no viable Republican candidate that I would support. Teddy's got my vote, being the Baseball supporter he is!

Last night I saw this on the news...

Ron Pivo states -Vegas is the obvious frontrunner

Joe Donlon quips -I won't hold my breath...

So would a Libertarian like me!

The Libertarian mantra is a smaller more efficient government. However, this is such a sound good plan which financially blows away any other public project finished to date I have to support it. Ted needs to come out swinging on this one in spite of the election year. The public is still so misinformed on the myths of our plan. Last night I listened to Victoria Taft on 860 KPAM. She did a segment on bringing MLB to PDX. Almost every caller gave the same tired myths why MLB would be a bad idea for Portland. I feel like we are partially responsible for the misconceptions. I don't think we were very effective in getting the true facts out to the public when vying for the Expos. This caused some politicians to hesitate from endorsing a stadium plan. We should learn from that and initiate a P.R. campaign. i.e.: Get local celebrities who back MLB2PDX to do radio and TV interviews. Maybe bulk mail cards to all Portlanders. On one side "Good news for Portland" on the back bullet points of the myths and truths about a MLB stadium. Well you get the idea. Get the public behind us and politicians like Ted and others will run with the ball.

The brilliant and hilarious Colin Cowherd said on his ESPN Radio show today that PDX should get the Mahlins, but they'll end up in Vegas...

If this was any other ownership group I would say Portland, for tons of logical reasons has a big advantage over LV, but Loria/Sampson are just the kind to go for glitz over real numbers and facts and make a bad decision. I have followed these guys since their Montreal days and one minute they make a smart decision the next a decision seems to come out of proverbial left field. LV is an attendance disaster waiting to happen after a honeymoon period, just to much to do there and to large of a non-native transient population. It would be another Miami/TB except worse.

If moving the USPO to the Airport was truly going forward, don't you think we would have heard about it. Maybe Steve has been in conversation with our US House Representatives unofficially. I sure would like to hear the cost estimates for the two main sites for land purchase, land prep., construction of the stadium, construction of the needed transportation improvements, federal costs, local school district costs.

And which location can be done faster. I would think the Blanchard site would be buildable sooner (less red tape versus the federal requirements for the new distribution center at the airport, etc.).

I personnally think five years to move the USPO is optimistic and its more like seven to ten years (GOP budget deficits and all). Maybe it can never to done since it will be considered pork spending in the current situation and the required federal spending needed in the Gulf Coast during the next five years. Can a team owner wait that long?

My thought is the location will need to be a local decision with local cost implications. Just like with issues around the peaking of oil production and global warming, we are on our own.

BB