2011 MLB Offseason Discussion - Rangers choking edition

[Bregor]

Larry King joins group to buy Dodgers

Larry King, the legendary talk-show host and longtime Los Angeles Dodgers season-ticket holder, is part of a group of investors assembled by Chicago White Sox executive and Beverly Hills insurance agent Dennis Gilbert in hopes of buying the club, a source confirmed on the condition of anonymity.

King, like Gilbert, is a frequent presence in Dodger Stadium's Dugout Club seats during home games. King also has been a frequent visitor to the team during spring training and occasionally on road trips.

The source said King's financial stake in the ownership group is comparatively small. The group's primary investors, the source said, are two high-ranking executives with Imperial Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment bank with offices in five other U.S. cities.

Jason Reese, Imperial Capital's chairman and chief executive officer, and Randy Wooster, the bank's president, are providing much of the financial backing for the group, although Gilbert would be the public ownership face if the Dodgers were to be sold to his group.

Gilbert is a longtime special assistant to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.

http://www.tvweek.com/2009/02/06/LarryKing.jpg

"Matthew, from Oklahoma, center field, GO!"

[Rhinox]

Unbelievable: MLB official says if Reyes joins Bell in Miami, #Marlins only hand #Mets 3rd-round pick. Explanation: http://t.co/IrThuxFG


LOL.

Mets can't get a break.

[Bregor]

And it's no wonder the Miami Marlins got plenty of breaks:

Federal authorities have opened a wide-ranging investigation into the Miami Marlins' controversial ballpark deal with Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami, demanding financial information underpinning nearly $500 million in bond sales as well as records of campaign contributions from the Marlins to local and state elected leaders.

In a pair of lengthy letters delivered to government attorneys Thursday, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission gave the city and county until Jan. 6 to deliver everything from minutes of meetings between government leaders and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, to records of Marlins finances dating back to 2007.

In the almost-identical subpoenas, the SEC also requested documents concerning stadium parking garages built by Miami. The Miami Herald reported Nov. 22 that city leaders are now complaining they were hoodwinked into likely having to pay an annual $2 million tax bill on the garages.

We shouldn't be shocked to discover that the Marlins paid off a bunch of local politicians. We should be shocked that someone might actually do something about it. Because I can promise you, with metaphysical certitude, that there's not been a ballpark built in this country in the last 100 years that didn't include some crooked dealings between the moneyed class and the elected class.

...

Our government has never worked perfectly, and never will. No government has, or ever will. What we can do is look at individual cases, and attribute degrees of brokenness. Houston? Hard to say without doing some research. I suspect that Drayton McLane made some targeted contributions that didn't hurt his case, and I suspect he outspent his opponents on the way that slim margin of victory in the ballpark referendum. My personal opinion is that elections shouldn't hinge on who's got more money to spend. The Supreme Court disagrees with me. Que sera, sera.

The Washington Nationals' new ballpark was built over the objections of nearly everyone, to the point that the politicians who finally made it happen were almost immediately voted out of office. But once you've spent the $686 million, it's gone. Where has it gone to? Well, someday the current owners of the franchise will make a tidy little profit, financed largely by the District of Columbia.

How broken was that process? Again, it's hard to say.

But let me be the first to say, Praise the SEC and pass the ammunition. We know the process that resulted in a $634 million project for the Marlins, financed almost completely by the citizens, was broken. They all are. But this time there's actually a chance that we'll find out how broken. And that someone -- and my wouldn't this be delicious -- might actually go to jail.

No, we shouldn't get our hopes up. There will be powerful forces trying to protect the millionaires and the billionaires, just as there always are. But usually the SEC doesn't get involved unless they've got a pretty good reason.

Friends, that $634 million is gone. But we might at least hope that if someone goes to jail, or pays a fine that actually hurts a little, there might be some small chilling effect on the perfidy that leads to these deals. Maybe the system would be just a little less broken, for a while.

Oh, except it really won't matter for a while. Because nearly all of the ballparks that anyone wanted have already been built. Thanks a lot, Securities & Exchange Commission. Your timing, as always, is impeccable.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/0...nto-miami.html
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/12/3/26...-investigation

[Soa]

Jose Reyes signs with the Marlins for 6 years $106 million. I wonder how long it will take for the fire sale his time around.....

[*Shinzon*]

Of for fucks sake really. REALLY A MARLIN REYES YOU FUCK. You mean to tell me they were willing to offer around 90m but not 100? Gdi oh well. Time for the Ruben Tejada era.

[Cail]

marlins got heath bell and reyes so far...inc pujols or fielder to miami too

[*Shinzon*]

marlins got heath bell and reyes so far...inc pujols or fielder to miami too

The year of the marlin?

[Cail]

about time loria started spending money

[Soa]

about time loria started spending money

Well he did get a free new stadium from the good people of Miami, and also pocketed millions of dollars in revenue sharing, so its not like he's hurting for money or anything.

[Cail]

Well he did get a free new stadium from the good people of Miami, and also pocketed millions of dollars in revenue sharing, so its not like he's hurting for money or anything.

plus he hasnt spent money on his team in years if ever

[Ohemgee]

Well he did get a free new stadium from the good people of Miami, and also pocketed millions of dollars in revenue sharing, so its not like he's hurting for money or anything.

Have you seen the new ballpark? Its amazing. There's a fish tank behind home plate. A fish tank

Good thing I live in Broward county where I can take a 30 minute drive down to the new stadium (20 minutes more than Joe Robbie) and relish in the new year.

I have a hunch Buerhle then Fielder will join soon.

[Valisk]

There's a fish tank behind home plate. A fish tank!

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...p_NH6XiSNqjaTL

[Dominico]

Have you seen the new ballpark? Its amazing. There's a fish tank behind home plate. A fish tank

Good thing I live in Broward county where I can take a 30 minute drive down to the new stadium (20 minutes more than Joe Robbie) and relish in the new year.

I have a hunch Buerhle then Fielder will join soon.

Amazing stadium except for that atrocious rainbow colored statue thing that shoots fireworks. It cost roughly 2 million and it's the ugliest chunk of shit I've ever seen. I'm guessing Fielder MIGHT join, but I still won't believe it until I see it happen.

[Valisk]

Amazing stadium except for that atrocious rainbow colored statue thing that shoots fireworks. It cost roughly 2 million and it's the ugliest chunk of shit I've ever seen.

Was actually an article on it about it being uglier than the new logo.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/10/7/24...at-gaaaaaaaaah

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/739480/marlins.gif

[Melena]

Jesus that thing is ugly, yet strangely hypnotic.

[Rhinox]

Grats to Ronnie almost year to the day of his death gets voted into hof

[Conrad]

The year of the marlin?

dream team

[Ohemgee]

That's very ironic coming from a phillies fan.

[Conrad]

That's very ironic coming from a phillies fan.

thatsthejoke.jpg

[Ohemgee]

thatsthejoke.jpg

http://susanmernit.com/blog/images/r...aka-mcbain.gif