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Yankee Stadium auction; South Florida has two of SI.com’s worst sports team owners
Catching up from a couple of days away:
+ As you no doubt know, items from old Yankee Stadium are now up for auction through July 24. The auction includes 1,500 distinct pieces, ranging from stadium signs to the dugout bat holder to the actual seat Jeffrey Maier occupied during the 1996 playoffs. New pieces will be added each week. Visit auctions.steinersports.com to register and check for updates.
Other items for sale include 1 square foot pieces of live sod for $120; pairs of stadium seats from $1,499 to $1,999; and bricks from Monument Park in a glass case for $150.
+ And SI.com says South Florida is lucky enough to have two of its four pro team owners included among the worst five owners in the four major sports.
The Web site placed Panthers owner Alan Cohen as second worst among NHL team owners ahead of only MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Web site says Cohen hasn’t connected with fans and made the “wrong hire” with Jacques Martin.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was ranked fourth worst among MLB owners. Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos was worst, followed by Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, and Kansas City Royals owner David Glass. The Web site says Loria may have overseen a shocking 2003 World Series championship over the New York Yankees, but blames him for letting go of his young talent when it gets too expensive.
Do you agree with SI.com’s assessments?
Comments
SI.com's assessment of Loria is simplistic. It ignores the historical context of Loria's actions following 2003.
After the 1997 championship, Huizenga, for still unexplained reasons, ignored the baseball economic truth that a team that has won a World Series has its best year AFTER winning the series. By foolishly and heartlessly selling off the team, he destroyed much of the growing interest in baseball in South Florida.
Now fast forward to the end of the 2003 season. Loria also eschewed that same baseball truism. But what was worse, since south Florida fans had experienced this once before, his decisions to dump some of the key players had a double impact here. In baseball terms, by not keeping Lee and Rodriguez for 2004, he sacrificed that huge financial and emotional upsurge that would have followed in 2004. Not only that, later in 2004 and 2005, in his efforts to get the team more competitive, he paid more in terms of both money and players to replace Lee and Rodriguez that it would have cost him to keep them.
Loria might not be the worst owner, but he shortsightedly placed dollars over the chance to really increase marlin fan base and baseball interest in this area. Since that time, no one has really trusted him.
Posted by: Peter - Boca | May 14, 2009 8:39 AM
Once again the Yankees fleece the city- they paid about 11 mill for the right to strip and sell everything. They'll make more than that and line their pockets at the public's expense. Typical- the city owns it and the team gets the profit.
Posted by: Yank Meese | May 13, 2009 10:02 PM