Forbes Florida Marlins Valuation was 97.4% Accurate

I thought I had been following this issue closely, but in preparing a longer post regarding the stadium deal, I came across an amazing number in the Florida Marlins Ballpark Project Report issued on January 22, 2008 by Miami-Dade County Manager, George Burgess. In section 22(i), Community Benefit Obligations, the Florida Marlins assumed team value is stated at $250,000,000.

Forbes estimated the team's value back in March of 2008 at $256,000,000. As part of estimating every MLB team's value, Forbes determines each team's operating profits and then applies its internally developed metrics [i.e. the hard part] to arrive at the team valuations. The point is that the revenues and expenses are the most straight forward aspects of the data they provide. The valuations themselves are subjective, short of a sale which would provide a benchmark. Or in the case of the 2008 Florida Marlins, a publicly issued document which was negotiated between local governments and the Florida Marlins in which the team ties itself to a reasonable valuation.

End of manufactured controversy. In being off just 2.4% [256/250], Forbes basically nailed the number on the head. Contrast that with Marlins President David Samson's comments to the Sun-Sentinel's Juan Rodriguez at he time the Forbes 2008 numbers were publicized:

'Every year I continue to be surprised at the absolute inaccuracy that a so-called reputable magazine is willing to print,' Marlins President David Samson said. 'We've never gotten called by them. We've never been asked to verify, deny, confirm, nothing. It's just a shame their readership is forced to read numbers that aren't true. 'I know the number they have for the Marlins is simply wrong. They have no information of any kind on which to base that article.'

I had earlier posts which delved into why the Forbes numbers are credible and how Mr Samson has the unenviable task of trying to debunk perceptions as to the Marlins recent profitability. No need to speculate now. The Marlins, through Samson, are lying about their numbers and the county manager's memo is the proof.

Sometimes it's Good to be Poor

In this season more than almost any other, I have been amazed/confused/astonished/bewildered by the payroll disparities in Major League Baseball.

What is so confounding isn't that some teams have low payrolls and others have high ones, that is nothing new. The thing that gets me is the number of silly contracts that have been given out by some of these general managers.

Examining the Marlins' opponent last night demonstrates what I'm talking about.

The Mariners signed last night's starter Carlos Silva to a huge deal that pays him more than $8 million a year. Richie Sexson (who for a big man has the tiniest swing I've ever seen) makes $15 million this season! Miguel Batista makes almost $10 million! I haven't even mentioned the bloated contracts of Adrian Beltre, Jarrod Washburn or Jose Vidro. I don't think any of those guys could even earn a starting spot on the Marlins. No wonder GM Bill Bavasi was fired. Are you serious Bill?

People jump on the Marlins for being cheapskates and they undoubtedly are. But I think the Fish's thriftiness is a good thing. It makes them avoid stupid, costly mistakes like the Mariners, by all accounts a respected franchise. Just because a team has the revenue streams to spend a crap-load of money, doesn't mean they have to spend it stupidly.

The Marlins' big gaffe this season was signing Jacque Jones (it cost about 5o grand.) The Brewers' big gaffe was Eric Gagne's $10 million deal!

Larry Beinfest's and David Samson's mantra is to find players that out-perform their contracts. It is amazing that more teams don't subscribe to the same philosophy. I think other teams (aided by the success this season by the bottom three payroll teams: the Marlins, Rays and A's) are finally beginning to realize that high payrolls do not necessarily directly contribute to wins.

Introducing A Pretty Good Guy (APGG)

This weekend, I had the pleasure of running across an excellent blogger. He goes by the name A Pretty Good Guy, though whether he can live up to that billing remains to be seen. Kidding, of course.

What struck me about this particular personage, however, was how knowledgeable he was on the Marlins...and not just the Marlins, but David Samson and Logan Kensing. You all may remember Logan Kensing as the co-star of the oh-so-popular Logan & Josh pre-game show on FSN (with Josh Johnson). Well, it seems our friend Logan has some pretty sadistic habits.

As APGG reports:

"Our pal Logan likes to:
track wild hogs and coyotes with a helicopter hovering over his native Texas, then gun them down from above."

You don't need to be a member of PETA to find that unsettling. It's one thing to hunt game for dinner, but that just seems unnecessary, senseless killing. Can't he find a video game for that?

It also doesn't help (a comment A Pretty Good Guy also articulated) when Logan Kensing is blowing games left and right. Remember, he turned a 5-4 Marlins lead into a 7-5 deficit on Saturday. If you follow the link, you'll see the questions Evan Goldman asked David Samson relating to this topic. I highly recommend it. From now on, you'll be able to follow A Pretty Good Guy in our left link sidebar, which is reserved for only the best of bloggers!

Is Beinfest jonesing for Jones?

As reported by the talented Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, ex-Tigers outfielder Jacque Jones could be a player of interest in the Marlins' ongoing search for a reliable and productive center fielder and leadoff hitter while Cameron Maybin matures in the minors.

Jones' numbers were putrid so far this season (.165, 1 homer, 5 rbi) for the sedentary Tigers, but his track record is a successful one. Jones, 33, is a .278/.327/.451 player in 10 seasons. He has hit more than 22 homeruns in a season four times. And as Rodriguez points out: "he has 1,339 at-bats from the top spot in his nine-plus seasons and is a .289 lifetime hitter with a .799 OPS there." He could really give the Fish the leadoff hitter they so desperatley need.

From all those years as Torii Hunter's sidekick in Minnesota to a productive run with the Cubs, Jones has proven to be a solid major league outfielder. And he is a player that Marlins POBO Larry Beinsfest has coveted for a while.

Plus, he's cheap, or cost effective or market corrective, or whatever you want to call him in David Samson-speak after being designated for assignment by Detroit. The Marlins can basically get him for free because the over-zealous Dave Dombrowki has backed himself into a corner, and created a team full of prima donna sluggers. Hence, Jones is the odd man out and the Marlins could be the beneficiary.