Some Additional Thoughts on the Marlins

Like I said in my last post, I believe the Marlins won the Cabrera/Willis trade, and that it was another good example of the kind of economical, future-thinking decisions the Marlins have become very good at making.

But another point I think needs to be made is this:

The Marlins shouldn't have to work as a high-level farm team for the rest of the league, developing new talent right up until that talent is able to demand a higher paycheck, then shipping them off to the competition in exchange for the next cheap prospect to develop.

Now, there's no doubt they're very good at doing just that, and they've done well with what they have.

But there simply is no fan base in Florida to support a Major League Baseball team. The Devil Rays find themselves in almost the same position. The Marlins' stadium is in an out-of-the-way place, too far to make it easily accessible as part of a day at the beach. Plus, in the blazing-hot Florida sunshine, it's an open-air stadium.

Some columnists have indicated the Florida Marlins fans shouldn't care any more. They should give up on the team. Frankly, I think they already have.

The Marlins keep it interesting and exciting, and they manage to continue to make money, which is really impressive when you consider how poor their ticket sales, merchandise sales, TV contracts, and every other revenue source must be.

Maybe if they are able to swing a new stadium, the fans will come and the money will follow. Or, maybe if they are able to swing some future Hall of Fame talent, signed to long-term contracts, the fans will come and the money PLUS the stadium will follow. The problem is, both scenerios require money to be there in the first place, so they're caught in a Major League catch-22.

Maybe they need to move to a city that is ready willing and able to support a Major League franchise, and everything else will follow.