As a lifelong Expos fan, the distaste for Loria and Samson is palpable. Still, I want to read the book, drawn to it like the rubbernecker and a highway accident. Won't ever be a fan, the wounds are too deep for Expos fans. Probably go with the audiobook version. Appreciate the insights and enjoying my subscription thoroughly.
As an older guy, always loved stream of consciousness posts. Takes me back to a couple Sporting News columnists back when that was my only source for baseball news and more recently Larry King.
I used to like Larry King’s “King’s Things” column in USA Today.
Met him several times. He sometimes came by the booth before games in LA to ask questions about our team and get our thoughts on various baseball-related topics that interested him.
Had him on the air once some years ago. Probably around 2015 or 2016. As you know he was an incredibly passionate baseball fan who loved baseball play-by-play but had never done it before. Dave and I invited him to call an inning of a Marlins-Dodgers game when he was in town with his family.
He knew a thing or 2 about broadcasting.
And what an amazing interviewer. I talk about his interviewing style and philosophies in the broadcasting class I teach at FAU.
I saw a lot of Spring Training and Florida State League games at old Miami Stadium back in the day. Was a cool old park back in the day, but also a reminder of how far Spring Training had come.
2. Short lived senior league.89/90 If my memory is correct Paul Blair hitting hard line drive at Dock Ellis that hit him in the face. Instead of running to first, Paul ran out to Dock to make sure he was OK.
3. Cal Sr shaking his head in exasperation while Billy goofing off with Cal playing catch
4. Kevin Bass drawing a line inside homeplate indicating the called strike was inside and ump (hero) Steve Palermo kicking the sand and being very entertaining
I also read the Loria memoir, and as somebody with no relationship to him whatsoever and a generally negative perception of his ownership tenure, I still recommend it. Like it or not, he's an extremely significant figure in the team's history.
As I said, I understand why fan perception of him is what it is. But, as I know you’ll understand, when I have personal relationships with people or, to borrow a phrase, my own “front row seat” to watching them operate, that informs my feelings more than things I read in the paper or think I know from a distance.
Things aren’t always as black and white as they can be portrayed. There’s some nuance involved. That’s why my feelings about an owner or about various players/coaches/managers/execs over the years may be different than other people’s. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.
I think Jeffrey always seemed aloof and distant to fans. It’s not his personality to do this, but if he had let down his guard a bit at times and allowed people to get to know him and see his genuine passion for the game when he came to Miami, it might have changed things a bit.
Didn’t you get to the end of this book and think, “This guy’s led an interesting life, and I had no idea about 99 percent of it”?
The man genuinely cared and genuinely wanted to win. Maybe he could have channeled those emotions differently. Sure. But a lot of things he did that are remembered as huge mistakes, if you think about it, came from his desire to win.
Working around execs to sign this catcher or that pitcher in an overpay didn’t often have a happy ending (although there are some examples that did). Do they win the World Series in 2003 without Pudge and Jack McKeon? Rash decisions to fire managers or send down players weren’t always the best look. I fully understand that.
But I think we’ve also seen how having an owner who is entirely hands-off and just lets people he’s hired have total autonomy is less than ideal, especially when many of the people he’s hired and entrusted with great responsibility aren’t necessarily the best and most experienced.
Under Jeffrey’s leadership, the Marlins had a competent front office on the business side. That’s not the case today with Sherman having run off the competence he inherited and even a couple of competent professionals that he and Jeter brought in (specifically Adam Jones and Chip Bowers).
Some people are critical of Jeffrey and David because they didn’t like the ballpark deal. Isn’t your issue actually with the politicians if you don’t like that deal? When you go in to buy a car, don’t you try to get the best deal you can? The dealership may give it to you, or they may not. But you look for the best deal. They got the best deal they could. Is that their fault?
The people who couldn’t wait to see him sell the team begrudge the man for finding an owner who overpaid to buy it. Again, is that Jeffrey’s fault? People wanted him out. They got what they wanted. But then they’re going to complain that he got too much for the team?
Despite everything, Jeffrey and David got the ballpark built and saved baseball in this community. There is no way the team is here in 2023 without that park opening in 2012. I know not enough people down here care about that, but those people who do need to acknowledge that Jeffrey and David did what Huizenga and Henry couldn’t.
I’m struck by the number of people who told me they couldn’t wait to support the team as soon as Jeffrey sold it. Where are they now? Not among the 11,000 to watch Sandy pitch on a Saturday yesterday.
I’ve gone on long enough. But there’s definitely a little nuance missing when most people remember Jeffrey.
As a lifelong Expos fan, the distaste for Loria and Samson is palpable. Still, I want to read the book, drawn to it like the rubbernecker and a highway accident. Won't ever be a fan, the wounds are too deep for Expos fans. Probably go with the audiobook version. Appreciate the insights and enjoying my subscription thoroughly.
As an older guy, always loved stream of consciousness posts. Takes me back to a couple Sporting News columnists back when that was my only source for baseball news and more recently Larry King.
I used to like Larry King’s “King’s Things” column in USA Today.
Met him several times. He sometimes came by the booth before games in LA to ask questions about our team and get our thoughts on various baseball-related topics that interested him.
Had him on the air once some years ago. Probably around 2015 or 2016. As you know he was an incredibly passionate baseball fan who loved baseball play-by-play but had never done it before. Dave and I invited him to call an inning of a Marlins-Dodgers game when he was in town with his family.
He knew a thing or 2 about broadcasting.
And what an amazing interviewer. I talk about his interviewing style and philosophies in the broadcasting class I teach at FAU.
Never met him, but sat a row behind him and Edward Bennett Williams at Bobbie Maduro many years ago, figuring Orioles spring training
I saw a lot of Spring Training and Florida State League games at old Miami Stadium back in the day. Was a cool old park back in the day, but also a reminder of how far Spring Training had come.
Have a few specific memories:
1. Caribbean series ,
2. Short lived senior league.89/90 If my memory is correct Paul Blair hitting hard line drive at Dock Ellis that hit him in the face. Instead of running to first, Paul ran out to Dock to make sure he was OK.
3. Cal Sr shaking his head in exasperation while Billy goofing off with Cal playing catch
4. Kevin Bass drawing a line inside homeplate indicating the called strike was inside and ump (hero) Steve Palermo kicking the sand and being very entertaining
I also read the Loria memoir, and as somebody with no relationship to him whatsoever and a generally negative perception of his ownership tenure, I still recommend it. Like it or not, he's an extremely significant figure in the team's history.
As I said, I understand why fan perception of him is what it is. But, as I know you’ll understand, when I have personal relationships with people or, to borrow a phrase, my own “front row seat” to watching them operate, that informs my feelings more than things I read in the paper or think I know from a distance.
Things aren’t always as black and white as they can be portrayed. There’s some nuance involved. That’s why my feelings about an owner or about various players/coaches/managers/execs over the years may be different than other people’s. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.
I think Jeffrey always seemed aloof and distant to fans. It’s not his personality to do this, but if he had let down his guard a bit at times and allowed people to get to know him and see his genuine passion for the game when he came to Miami, it might have changed things a bit.
Didn’t you get to the end of this book and think, “This guy’s led an interesting life, and I had no idea about 99 percent of it”?
The man genuinely cared and genuinely wanted to win. Maybe he could have channeled those emotions differently. Sure. But a lot of things he did that are remembered as huge mistakes, if you think about it, came from his desire to win.
Working around execs to sign this catcher or that pitcher in an overpay didn’t often have a happy ending (although there are some examples that did). Do they win the World Series in 2003 without Pudge and Jack McKeon? Rash decisions to fire managers or send down players weren’t always the best look. I fully understand that.
But I think we’ve also seen how having an owner who is entirely hands-off and just lets people he’s hired have total autonomy is less than ideal, especially when many of the people he’s hired and entrusted with great responsibility aren’t necessarily the best and most experienced.
Under Jeffrey’s leadership, the Marlins had a competent front office on the business side. That’s not the case today with Sherman having run off the competence he inherited and even a couple of competent professionals that he and Jeter brought in (specifically Adam Jones and Chip Bowers).
Some people are critical of Jeffrey and David because they didn’t like the ballpark deal. Isn’t your issue actually with the politicians if you don’t like that deal? When you go in to buy a car, don’t you try to get the best deal you can? The dealership may give it to you, or they may not. But you look for the best deal. They got the best deal they could. Is that their fault?
The people who couldn’t wait to see him sell the team begrudge the man for finding an owner who overpaid to buy it. Again, is that Jeffrey’s fault? People wanted him out. They got what they wanted. But then they’re going to complain that he got too much for the team?
Despite everything, Jeffrey and David got the ballpark built and saved baseball in this community. There is no way the team is here in 2023 without that park opening in 2012. I know not enough people down here care about that, but those people who do need to acknowledge that Jeffrey and David did what Huizenga and Henry couldn’t.
I’m struck by the number of people who told me they couldn’t wait to support the team as soon as Jeffrey sold it. Where are they now? Not among the 11,000 to watch Sandy pitch on a Saturday yesterday.
I’ve gone on long enough. But there’s definitely a little nuance missing when most people remember Jeffrey.