Published by: MLB.com
Written by: Joe Frisaro
Posted: August 4, 2008

This is part of an MLB.com/floridamarlins.com exclusive series with Marlins president David Samson chronicling the progress and developments of the new retractable-roof stadium that is scheduled to open in 2011. As part of the series, which will run twice monthly, fans are encouraged to e-mail David at d.samson@flamarlins.com. The fan who presents the best suggestion for this two week period will receive free tickets to an upcoming Marlins game.

MIAMI — Next year, the second round. In the near future, perhaps the championship game?

Lost last week in the hysteria of baseball’s July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline was the fact Dolphin Stadium was awarded Round 2 games for the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Landing World Baseball Classic games between March 14-19, 2009, is expected to provide a big economic boost to South Florida. It’s also a reminder of what may rest ahead for the market once the Marlins eventually move into their new retractable-roof ballpark, scheduled to be built at the Orange Bowl site in the Little Havana section of Miami.

Down the line, Miami would be a likely host for a Classic championship game, along with a Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Conservative economic impact numbers say the Classic should bring in $25 million to South Florida.

“The World Baseball Classic is very much related to our new baseball stadium,” Samson said. “I think that MLB, giving the Marlins the second round, shows that this market is seen as a gateway to Latin America.
“It’s one example of what can come to Miami, as a result of the new stadium, and the economic benefits that come with those events. Without the Marlins here, those sort of extra economic benefits would disappear.”

Much of the credit for South Florida securing Round 2 Classic games is going to Claude Delorme, the Marlins' senior vice president of stadium development, along with the negotiating team for Dolphin Stadium.
Dolphin Stadium is no stranger to major events, as it has been the site for the Super Bowl and annual college bowl games.

But in the case of the World Baseball Classic, a major reason South Florida is getting games is because earlier this year, local officials approved a baseball-only facility for the Marlins.

The status of the Marlins’ new home, however, remains stalled in a lawsuit, challenging some of the financing for the 37,000-seat park.

A final decision on the lawsuit is expected in mid-September, which is threatening groundbreaking sometime this year. The prospect of the ballpark not being ready by 2011 is a concern.

As the new ballpark sorts itself out, the team's current facility will be gearing up for the Classic.

“The World Baseball Classic is one of the great baseball tournaments around,” Samson said. “When you get the best players from each country competing against each other, you have many cities around the world paying close attention to those games.

“What hosting those games does is it brings an international taste to your city. Miami, to me, is the perfect example of a city that is an international melting pot. It deserves to have that type of attention. It really is an example of what can happen when you have a Major League city. In the absence of being a Major League city, these things do not happen.”

Skeptics of a new ballpark question if the facility would increase the Marlins' home attendance. Florida ranks last in attendance, with just over 16,000 a game. However, since the All-Star break, with the team challenging for first place in the National League East, there has been a bump in home crowds. Three straight weekday games recently against the Mets each drew more than 23,000.

Ballpark figures, however, don't tell the whole story in interest in the ballclub. The Marlins rank in the top 10 of all MLB teams in TV ratings.

“We’ve had very competitive teams here with two World Series championships over the past decade,” Samson said. “There is no question that we believe our attendance can and should be higher.”

Samson underscores two main reasons for low crowds.
First, the team plays in a football stadium, with 65,000 seats available for baseball. So the demand for the ticket isn’t there because seats are readily available.

Secondly, the frequent rains and scorching hot conditions can make the game experience uncomfortable.
“There is such a huge supply of tickets at Dolphin Stadium that there is no urgency for advanced ticket buying,” Samson said. “The second factor is climate. You simply can't underestimate the impact summer weather has on our attendance. You're talking about the threat of rain every day, along with the heat and general discomfort.

“It causes people to stay home and watch on TV and listen to games on the radio. That’s exhibited this year again as we are in the top 10 in all ratings for Major League Baseball teams. The series with the Mets brought record [local] TV ratings. While our attendance was good -- in the 20,000 each day of that series -- there is no question they would have been sellouts in the new stadium.”

The Marlins are still a comparatively young organization. In their inaugural 1993 season, they drew more than three million fans, and there have been signs that the market will respond to big league baseball.

Saturday night crowds have been solid all year.
“The marketing and entertainment we provide -- it all combines to lead me to believe that we are a retractable-roof stadium away from performing the way this market should,” Samson said. “We’ve never believed that this was a small market. It’s simply been a low-revenue team. What this [new] stadium will do, it will better enable our revenue to reflect what it should be.”

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