They got off to a fast start after the first month of the season and they just fizzled. Lackadaisical play and no sense of urgency among the players. Now in the final two weeks of the season, the Marlins have a chance to get into the playoffs as a wildcard and they are screwing up. "There is so much negativity, it is depressing. Everytime someone hits a homerun, it turns into a funeral and we can't recover," says pitcher A. J. Burnett.
So what is the problem? First, I think manager Jack McKeon has lost his touch and there needs to be that managerial change. Part of the problem lies with the players, but the type of manager that would be needed is one who is an excitable manager and who can bring excitement to the team. The players, seeing this excitement, can then feed off of that excitement and raise their level play on the field.
One manager that comes to mind that would fit this profile is Bobby Valentine who is currently managing in Japan. He his a proven winner. When he was the manager of the New York Mets, he consistently had them in second place. He even got to the World Series in 2000 against the New York Yankees. This is the type of manager that can bring a certain level of excitement to the team and can bring in fans to the ballpark.
This now brings me to the second problem. South Florida may be looking at the final two years of seeing the Florida Marlins as their baseball team. In 2008, the Florida Marlins will be evicted from Dolphins Stadium at the orders of Wayne Huizenga. 2006 is just around the corner and there is still no stadium deal. The City of Miami is backing the Marlins. However, it is the State of Florida that is saying no. I guess the people in the State government don't care about the economy of South Florida. They must not understand that having this team here brings jobs to the local economy as well as the state in terms of tourism dollars.
There is still one option that has yet to be explored. That is for the team to go public on the stock exchange. Yes, it is possible, as the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League have demonstrated. They are listed on the stock exchange under the ticker symbol PRED. Many companies go public to raise funds. Why not the Florida Marlins? If Owner Jeffrey Loria and President David Sampson really and truly care about keeping the Marlins in South Florida like they have been preaching, then why not look at this option?
If somebody doesn't get up off their ass and start doing something, then start saying bye bye to the Florida Marlins in South Florida.
About The Author
Nick Roy is an HR Researcher, Consultant, and freelance business writer. His website, www.nickroy.com, currently serves 20,000 visitors every month in an effort to be a quality resource for human resources management in their companies. He currently holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Hawaii Pacific University, and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Florida Metropolitan University, Fort Lauderdale. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Organizational Change from Hawaii Pacific University, with theses research on "The Impact of Technology on Human Resources and Organization Effectiveness."
