The most profitable team in baseball
Maury Brown has a piece up at his website about the cash cow that is the Florida Marlins.
The Marlins, you ask? Surely you jest...they are poor, losing money, almost had to move the team before the Florida taxpayers agreed to build them a stadium...
However, Brown notes that Forbes estimated the Marlins' operating income in 2007 at $43.3 million. That was the highest in baseball, with the Dodgers coming second, at $25.5 million.
How can the Marlins make money when no one shows up at the games? Well, Florida's share of the MLB revenue sharing pot -- the money that the low-revenue teams get from the high-revenue teams -- is supposed to be $25 million. Florida's 2008 payroll is $20 million.
Not bad. Particularly since Jeffrey Loria bought the Marlins for $158.5 million in 2002 (of which $38.5 million came in the form of an interest-free loan from MLB), and the franchise is now worth $244 million (according to the Forbes estimate).
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Or Dan Lauria
Barry Bonds to Tampa Bay Rays
Pertinent blog post
http://thesportseconomist.com/2007/11/revenue-sharing-in-mlb.htm
Wow...
Thats amazing though if you think about it...
Buys the team in 02, wins the championship in 03.
And now the franchise is worth 100 million more with him cashing in every year...
That is the life right there...
my guess:
by knockoutking24 on Mar 2, 2008 12:59 AM CST up reply actions
Wow
Tom Hicks is no doubt grumbling about how he bought the wrong baseball team right now.
THE MOTHER OF ALL + 1 's !!!!!!!
This is what happens
I really would be intrigued to see promotions/relegations, and no minor league system. I'd much rather see owners face the consequences of losing. Right now, there is nothing that stops a franchise from making money without selling a single ticket, or cutting a single media deal.
Yeah...
It upsets me when you hear guys like this complain about how they "can't" afford something. What they really mean is they choose not to. They would rather suck every year and collect their 25 million from the Yanks/BoSox/Mets, etc. Then once a decade, they compete when their young players are ready.
competing for a championship
I don't think we can really thumb our noses at this notion, can we?
No...
Marlins
Loria is a cancer to the game. My blood pressure raised 15 points reading that article.

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