The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The House That David Built

Episode Date: August 4, 2025

"You do one bad thing, that's it. Look at OJ." David tries to detail his return to loanDepot park as the Marlins swept the Yankees and returned to .500, but despite the nearly-unprecedented success, most of the crew would rather talk about payroll and old stadium disputes. Today's cast: David, Greg, Roy, Billy, Izzy, Mike, and Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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restaurants in Canada for a limited time. This is the Dan LeBattor Show with the StuGuts podcast. I had a giddy up in my step in the elevator at the Elster this morning, coming down not just to do the two hours of nothing personal, but knowing that we'd have to lead off with the Marlins and the fact that I'd be walking into a group of people who'd be dying to say the Marlins stink, Marlins Park was empty, everything negative, and I get to see Billy and Mike and even Cody, and they'd have no choice, no choice but to agree that everything was awesome this weekend.

Yeah, I would like to see you with a giddy up in your step. Like, physically, what does that look like when you have a giddy up in your step? In an elevator, no less. Pablo Oramin could find out. Okay. Because I was in the elevator doing a small little, like a Snoopy dance.

Yeah. I only had about 30 floors to do it. Right. But I had this great feeling at about 621 AM this morning that I was walking into a studio that I love walking into at the Elstor. I just love it here. And I just felt happy.

Yeah. I get it. And I get what you're saying. Seven or 10 days ago, before I left on vacation, I had a one-on-one with Peter Bendix and and I told him flat out I need to write I want to write a complimentary column and I was totally worried that after I wrote it or after I interviewed him even before it was published that they would go on a six-game losing streak and then it would be me jinxing the team. But since then they've kept winning. I think they're 24 and 10 since June 20th.

It's been an amazing run. The last time they were this successful was 2003. A run like this that they've had was 2003. So we're excited about six games back of the wild card? I'm just excited that there's not one thing, and I think it's five and a half, but maybe it's six, but I think that even you, Izzy, I don't believe that there's anything you can do

to yuck on my yum right now. The absolute giddiness of watching us sold out Marlins Park and watching them sweep the Yankees. Watching Yankee fans root and cheer for the Marlins, it was my dream for 16 years. Yeah, and when in the top of the ninth in game three, the sweep three outs away, they played Sweet Caroline. That was pretty neat.

People don't know that song anymore. We're old. I know it. I think it's so traditional. You know, it's almost like a biblical hymn. You know, it's so old, you know, Amazing Grace, Sweet Caroline, you know, I think it's... Hallelujah? Yeah, that too, yeah.

That's not what Sweet Caroline is, it's Neil Diamond. I know, but it's good, it's a good song. I'm glad they played it, a little dig at the Yankees, justified, it was fun, but I want to ask you about this dynamic with you, because you're a former president of the Marlins. I would think it would be human nature for you to wish ill upon the Marlins, but you don't. It's the opposite. People, that's the biggest mistake people have.

I want them to win. I want to be part of an organization that has multiple World Series victories. So 97 was without me, 03 was with me. I want another one without me, another one, another one, another one, and then you're part of a legacy of greatness. That's I just want to be one of the cogs in the sort of path toward immortality. You've got to win a lot more rings for them to do it, but it's possible.

But you have to admit, that is a misconception about you. I think a lot of people think that you wish ill upon the Marlin Why would you want them to do well without you? Why would you want them to do as good or better without you? You know, it didn't feel like you were rooting against Derek Jeter in particular. Yeah, so you didn't ask me that though Mike So now that there's separation from Jeter you're back aboard and rooting for the Marlins overall success But I think it's it's fair to deduce that you weren't exactly rooting for the Marlins to be successful with that initial turnover to the Jeter regime. I was rooting for the business to not be successful that he was running, so he understood how

hard it was to run a business, but I always wanted the team to be successful. And so with Jeter, I was very happy when he was gone. And by the way, the ballpark yesterday was full of people happy he was gone. Jack McKeon never would have been there if Jeter were still there. He wouldn't have accepted the honor of going into the Hall of Fame.

He was very clear about it. I'm not coming here if Jeter's around. And Jeter was obviously gone. There's still some remnants of him, but very little. They've erased Jeter the way Jeter tried to erase me. It really is funny. All the stuff that Jeter tried to do is now. So how was your time at Marlins Park, Lone Depot?

I still called it Marlins Park. And I told, I met Caroline O'Conner yesterday. I had never met the team president before. And I didn't get invited yesterday except by conine I thought it was you were an invited guess of Jack McKeon you weren't even a McKeon guess you were conine McKeon didn't get guests other than family so conine called me and said are you coming in for Jack and I said no should I be he said come on it's Sunday the third against the Yankees come in and I said well wait a minute

I think Dan's like away. I may have responsibilities with metal arc Let me find out and it all worked great but I did not get an invitation and the first thing I did is I texted Bruce Sherman and I said to him would it be okay? He's the owner of the Marlins and I texted him I cuz I don't want to make a spectacle of it I wanted to be about Jack so I texted him, because I don't want to make a spectacle of it. I want it to be about Jack. So I texted him and I, I mean I could read you the text.

It wasn't altogether anything other than funny. Where I just asked him, what is your view of me coming to a game? And I put it in a different way. Am I allowed to read a text on air? Mike, totally fine, right Roy? I would embellish it. Yeah, you should make something up. Oh I was gonna read it. Just lie. I'm gonna read a text on air? Mike, totally fine, right Roy? I would embellish it. Yeah, you should make something up.

Oh, I was gonna read it. Just lie. I'm gonna read it exactly as it is. Okay, go ahead. Bruce, this is David Sampson. Hope you and your family are doing well. I would like to attend the game on August 3rd when you're honoring Jack McKeon.

I didn't want to just show up without letting you know as I have not attended a game since 2017. Thank you. Let me know whether you would want to catch up and discuss. Have a great day. Catch up on that. That was it. Did he leave you on read or answer back. Oh, he wrote thanks for reaching out. And I can imagine how important that is for you. Our entire organization is now pulling together and making the right investments to achieve goals in South Florida.

And he went on very nicely and said, done. And then I got a call from the PR staff and said- You didn't ask him about that. No, it sounds like he assumed it was on the record. That's written like someone that knew you were going to read it aloud. He listens to the show every day. Okay, so- He actually told me that.

To nothing personal or to this show? He listens to nothing personal. No, he doesn't listen to us at all. So you cleared it with the head guy. Cleared it. Let's walk through your day going back to the stadium you built local taxpayers out of. I did.

Mike, this is supposed to be good. All right, but you diverted funds. It could have gone to something better. What could it have gone to, Mike? I'm not going to let you keep getting right there. What could it have gone to? No t-shirts. Infrastructure, schools teachers structure school no no and no okay okay third I guess anything I like I guess you can't take taxes that tourists pay and and put them wherever

you want you you actually I mean I would have I would have thought maybe a ballpark would have been a dumb answer but clearly that was allowed you school convention center infrastructure stupid ballpark right answer we're back to this dumb answer, but clearly that was allowed. Schools, stupid. Infrastructure, stupid. Ballpark, right answer. Either way. We're back to this. I mean, I'm highlighting the fact that there is obvious baggage,

so what was it like for you? It was fantastic. Baggage. You know how many people came up to me during the course of the game to say I can't believe you diverted tourist money to this ballpark? Zero.

I would assume, the point was made last week when we were discussing this and your return to the ballpark. If there is ever a house that is happy to see you, it's people that are in a ballpark that wouldn't have existed had you not built tourists. And there were 30,000 people. That would have been diverted to schools. Greg, I'm not doing it. I promised my children that I would not get into this. To this day, my support of the Marlins Stadium with taxpayer money is why Billy Corbin and I are mortal enemies.

It's good for the community. There's a lot of things that are good for a community. Infrastructure's good. Better schools is good. Let's give all the teachers and cops a raise. That's good too. You know what else is good for quality of life and for a community? A vibrant sports community. A new baseball stadium. I understand that argument and the argument was to be made I think this past weekend was arguably certainly for regular season one of the the greatest moments in franchise history was a great weekend for the Marlins. I think this past weekend was arguably, certainly for regular season, one of the greatest moments in franchise history

was a great weekend for the Marlins. And I think it kind of underscores that those moments have been too far and few between. Which is the part that I'm hung up on, Mike, where David talked about, and I don't know the phrasing that you said exactly, but you said you wanted them to do well so you could be a part of what?

A legacy of winning? Is that right? They have the least, if I'm to believe Google AI, they have the least winning seasons of any team in baseball. And I don't think nationally they're considered, they gotta do a lot more winning to, you know, nationally they're just thought of,

they got lucky a couple of times. So I don't think it's gonna take a long time for them to say, oh yeah, David Sampson, he was part of that really winning Miami Marlins organization. Keep bringing it for me. I think it must be good for the show, but obviously your facts are somewhat wrong,

because when I'm talking about winning, I'm talking about World Series, and we have two World Series that are a bunch of organizations that have zero, and the legacy doesn't come from a good regular season record, it comes from a good World Series. Okay, those are all opinions, nothing I said was wrong. I apologize, let's move this thing along.

This is a fun weekend, you guys suck. How are we not talking about the fact that the Marlins are back at 500? They're back with a team. That's fun to watch They swept the Yankees for the first time in franchise history and above that Our Marlins are the only team in the entire league of all 30 teams We're the only team to have a winning record against the Yankees The only team in the history of baseball to have a winning record against the Yankees. The only team in the history of baseball to have a winning record

against the Yankees. It's fantastic. I do want to ask you David about the grand plan though. When you see what they're doing now, they're winning with the youngest team in the major leagues. Is that something that's sustainable? Because when I look at the the big picture of the Marlins, I still see an owner Bruce Sherman who isn't spending nearly enough money. You can have both. The Dodgers have a great team and a pretty damn great farm system.

You can have both. If the Marlins are doing one but not the other, they're never gonna compete on that level. True or false? There aren't many teams who can do both. The Marlins aren't the Dodgers. It's a bad example because there's such an outlier. The Dodgers are as big an outlier as the Marlins are. Just on one side of the curve.

So Tampa Bay, right? That's everybody's example. Okay, everybody's example is Tampa Bay. So you're saying that Bruce Sherman is now, has the excuse he needs to keep not spending by the fact that they're winning with the farm system. No, because those players get older, and so you have to choose who you're gonna let go through arbitration, and then who you're gonna let get to free agency, who you may extend. There may be a Wander Franco, and I don't mean,

and don't take that the wrong way, folks, I don't mean the criminal Wander Franco, I mean a young player who gets a huge deal as a early in their career guy, like a zero plus. Would you sign Stowers? You know, Stowers, the guy who's now on a list with Cliff Floyd and Carlos Delgado as the most lefty home runs for the Marlins ever,

he, it was a throw in, in the Rogers trade. That was a Connor Norby trade. Connor Norby now has been completely passed by Stowers. Meanwhile, Rogers is good on the Orioles. But you never know with prospects. But would you sign Stowers now? Of course I would. He's the only All-Star.

I would sign him. Well, he- But what do you sign him for? I mean, it's been half a season. A little more than half a season. I wouldn't lavish him with a record contract, but I would try to sew him up for a few years because they need to do that. there is signed for five more years okay they're pitching

staff is looking solid your press the other day had had a gem of a game but they still need a big bad or two right okay why not before the trade deadline spend a couple of those prospects and and actually surprise people by spending big money on a big bet. I'm just saying you can have the youngest team in the league but also spend more than Sherman's spending. That's what continues frustrating for me. You've had an issue with every owner and what their spending is since your time in Miami.

I believe you had the same issue with Henry, you had the same issue with Lori and the same issue with Sherman, right? So is it a you thing? No, it's it's looking at the teams in baseball and and the amount of money They're spending and the correlation with winning and if you're forever using the example Tampa did it we're gonna do it. We're not gonna spend and we're still gonna win. It's a faulty premise That's all and and you can do both. Like if I'm sitting here with Bruce Sherman right now, I'm like, why can't you do both? Why can't you have the youngest team in the league and have a solid farm system but also

occasionally go out and spend big for a free agent? Why is that impossible? I actually think the Marlins in the years that followed their 0-3 win provided a model that could be sustainable if they were in their own ballpark. That was always the excuse from the Marlins, but they did spend, they were aggressive, they made acquisitions, there were bidding wars for guys like Nick Johnson, the Paula Duka trade was a big trade. They went out and went for it. They fell short. There was a series against the Astros, I think, that would have, that stopped you guys from taking that core back to the playoffs but that window closed you guys didn't have the playoff appearances to hang your hat on and you said you couldn't maintain that

level of spending because you didn't have the revenue attached to a ballpark cut to them now having the ballpark they're still not spending money they're still the revenue they're still crying poor well I would just like to say tonight's an interesting game because they're playing the Astros and I will bet you a dollar to a doughnut that their paid attendance, actual paid attendance will be around 12, maybe 14, and regardless of what they announce. It'd be great for them to carry this momentum through. But it's very hard. It was a lot of Yankee fans, but the Yankee fans were cheering for the Marlins and that gives me great pleasure, but you're allocating your money over a home stand you went this weekend you're likely

not going to go against the Astros though you should because the Marlins are planning to go over 500 today in theory they're on the outskirts of a race but it's still fun to watch but they won't. Do you think that there's maybe connection points to in 03 you guys had a big time regular season series against the Diamond diamond backs you had Don Trell versus Randy Johnson ESPN nationally televised I think one of those games and There was momentum there was certainly as someone that had a ticket plan then there was certainly an uptick in people attending those games Now it's a little bit different. Oh three was better position for a deeper run. They had players entering their prime

They had known commodities. But if there's ever a time for this franchise to gain some traction, it's when they have the calendar to themselves off a sweep of the Yankees, right back into another game to keep that momentum going. So what would you do? I would have probably shown the fans a good faith effort

in being a little bit more aggressive in the trade deadline. However, Billy was telling me that they they they certainly weren't sellers at the deadline they made some moves it would have been cool to get like a Carlos Lee type of acquisitions that choice Well, I mean you guys had you guys were good for a couple of those the Carlos Lee's Yeah, I tried to buy whatever Delgado's like whenever you guys thought you had an outside chance at the playoffs Or a slightly better than an outside chance I don't think it was to the point that you were like six games back, but whenever you guys were within earshot, like a series sweep away from

being in that playoff conversation, you guys were active in those trade talks and I'd like to see this Marlins regime kind of go forward a little bit too. Bring in some recognizable names to reward the fans and their loyalty. I thought you were mad were mad Mike I thought Billy the two of you were angry that we traded young players to bring in like when we got rid of good players like a Luis Castillo or a Chris Paddock. No no no no I was I got mad because you you traded away proven commodities like Jose Reyes Josh Johnson even if when you like hold when you point to that move. I would have traded standing for Manny honestly. Would you really? Yeah I kind of wanted Manny. Manny Ram Honestly, would you really? Yeah, I kind of wanted me and your mirrors. It's so fun

Yeah, I wanted adding into that team Imagine if Manny would would have been down here for a season if you get if you would have gotten a ring with Manny Ramirez Oh, if he would have played I'm getting rid of Stanton legacy got rid of Stanton. Anyways, we never got Manny Let's assume that he plays the exact same way that he did for yeah the LA Dodgers I'd even take the steroid suspension a year later anyway. Who cares? D Gordon got a steroid suspension. If we would have had that year of Manny and that Terry one, whoo! I should have called you. Because the argument with the marketing argument, the marketing people were all in.

Because Stanton is at the time as you will recall was not Stanton. He was still Mike. He was Mike Stanton. Totally different person. Totally different person. But He had the same body. Sleep isn't just rest, it's survival. Especially when your alarm clock is a 5am text from Dan. You need more than just a bed, you need one that adapts to you. That's why a Sleep Number Smart Bed is a total game changer. You control your side, softer, firmer, cooler, warmer, whatever helps you sleep at night.

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Don Lebatard. Go peepee. Stugats. Go peepee. This is the Don Lebatard Show with the Stugats. You said that they kind of remind you of 03. When I was walking in, Mac mentioned that they kind of reminded me of the 97 team. So I don't know which is it. The 97 team was way more veteran. Remember when Heisinga put that team together, he put a bunch of veterans together, and he actually said, and I wasn't in baseball at the time,

but as a fan, I remember Heisinga saying, if I don't get a new stadium built for me, I'm trading them all, whether we win or lose. He was very honest. You were in the media. He was honest during the season. He was very honest, you were in the media, he was honest during the season. He didn't wait for them to win the World Series to do the fire sale, he told you mid-season,

I don't know where this ends, but it ends no matter what, off the field with us trading every one of them. No, Heising was a great owner in this community. Panthers, I mean he was vilified, like a lot of owners are when they leave, but and he did have fire sales, but Wayne Huizinga should be seen as a saint in this community. I don't know about saint, but I mean it when you pass I think people can point to the legacy

in that he the teams exist because of his contribution. Dolphins fans feel a certain type of way about him, but Panther fans and Marlins fans should owe him an eternal debt of gratitude because he was part of groups that brought those pro sports to town. That's a pretty big barometer to start with when you exist because of this guy. Would you have booed at Wayne Huizinga's funeral? I booed Wayne Huizinga when you guys brought him back

the last game at the old stadium, and he was there like Wayne Huizinga, I was like boo! Are you booing the- I hate him. I hate him. Yeah no I don't want to meet him. I'm happy not meeting him and booing him. Yeah you'll never meet him Billy. But what's the origin of the boo Billy? Are you angry that he... Broke up my championship team David. So the fire sale of 97. Yeah boo. And nothing about dolphins, panthers. Nah, I don't care about that.

Boo. Do one bad thing, that's it. Look at OJ. That's in conversation ender. That you're gonna compare Wayne Huizinga to a murderer. Well, no, I'm not comparing him. He did murder my franchise. But I'm just saying, you know, one bad thing

kinda sticks out more than all the good things. Can I ask you a question unrelated to all my franchise, but I'm just saying, one bad thing kind of sticks out more than all the good things. Can I ask you a question unrelated to all of this, but somewhat related to this weekend? Stanton, I would say in a weird way, just because he ended up on the Yankees, he has a career that will possibly, probably get him in the Hall of Fame

if he gets 500 home runs, but still feel almost forgotten in a sense like he's not a guy that I think people think of as like one of the all-time Great home run hitters just because he's on the Yankees He's playing at the same time as just like is there a way to quietly be a Hall of Famer with 500 career home runs because I feel like he may be doing that Was Harold Baines a quiet Hall of Famer in your mind? Well that's an example of the flaw in the voting system. That's a guy, exhibit A, Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer is a travesty, right?

He's such a good guy. I don't care. He's such a good guy. You know how much? Okay, don't get me started on this. I'm a- Too late. Oh wow.

You may not even know, I'm a Hall of Fame voter. Okay, Harold Baines in years of voting, years and years, 15, 20 years, whatever it was, of voting by the BBWAA, I don't think ever got more than four, 6% of the vote. You only get 10 on the ballot. Okay. Eventually, and we have another

example is in in what just happened in football where surely us sharp gets in on sterling sharp gets in on his 28th year on the ballot quit veterans committees quit putting in these players who have been passed over for decades and harold baines a great example I don't know what even led to that, but you bringing up Harold Baines, come on. As an example of what? The name Harold Baines just sets you off, right Greg? I mean, it's just nothing personal Harold,

we've never met. You were a very good player, hall of pretty good, hall of fame, you gotta be kidding me. Do you have Stanton above Harold Baines or below? Yes, yes. Yeah, Stanton, 500 home runs was always you're in. And with the exception, I think, of Jose Canseco and all his off-field baggage.

Mark McGuire. Mark McGuire. Gary Sheffield. The steroids guy. Crockett-Palmero. The steroids guy. Right, the steroids guy. Other than those exceptions.

So if you're a steroid guy, you still have trouble getting in, although that is a whole different discussion. Well, if you're a steroid guy that people liked and had fun personality here in first ballot, or a catcher, no questions asked, or a DH. I personally think Stanton will get in because he's got no baggage that I'm aware of.

So he's a Hall of Famer to me. What do you think? If he gets 500 home runs, he will be a Hall of Famer. I just aware of. So he's a Hall of Famer to me. What do you think? If he gets 500 home runs, he will be a Hall of Famer. I just took exception. I think what Mike is saying is that, or was that you, Billy? It's hard to know, or maybe it was Izzy. This whole, the room.

It was me, it was Billy. I thought I was walking into a room of just calm and great, and it turned around in the first five minutes of the show, and I was sad about that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. In fact, Billy was right to seize on that. I was trying to dig myself out of it. I'm just for the uninitiated.

I'm framing where your place is in Marlin's history. It's a complicated one. So back to your experience at Marlin's ballpark. See any familiar faces? Was there any awkward moments or it was all a positive experience for you? I met the new president of the team and I'd never met her. She's great.

And all I know is that she was associated with Jeter. Now she's trying to disassociate herself from Jeter. And she said something to me that I took as very nice that the person I was with took as slightly condescending, but I took it as fine. It was, hey, you should feel very proud of the role you had in all this. And so I took that as, wow, that's very nice of you to say.

Building exists. Because they're in a building that is a building cause of what we did honoring a championship team that we were a part of. And so I didn't take it that way, but I was with someone who was like, oh, you need to respond to that. Did you tell her about the time capsule or no?

We, were you with me yesterday? I wasn't, but I have a feeling. We went searching for the column that has the buried time capsule because we wanted to put a plaque on it and The new Marlins won't put a plaque on it. It's gonna be found whenever you rip down Marlins Park There's two capsules and they're in the columns on the north side of the building and I've got the video from August 26th of 09 of the capsules being buried and In there like the World Series DVD,

because when you discover it, you'll want to watch the 03 DVD. And we put in a DVD player. Oh. Because how else would we be able to play a DVD? Yeah, smart. So was this, like you don't plan on ever seeing this in your lifetime, right?

No. So what is the payoff? The payoff? Like you go to your deathbed knowing that 100, 200 years from now somebody's gonna find that? It's the path of any- They'll rip it off before then, trust me. Well, it's Miami. It's under concrete. So it's not like it's gonna get- no water will get it and animals won't get it. There won't be bones underneath there. This is gonna be something that eventually will be discovered.

And we have a date on it. We have people's initials. when you open the box it's like a sarcophagus. When you open the box it's got all sorts of items in it that we have cataloged and we'll all be dead, I would assume. What year do you think that they tear it down and they open up that time capsule? If you would ballpark it. I would assume in 2000 and 80. Be 90 years old, so maybe I see it. If I had a guess. You stay on the horizon, huh?

I mean, I'll be likely dead. You'll be gone, yeah. I could live to 112. You could live to 112. You're in good shape. I'm looking at you as a 112 year old man. You know what? Then I'm gonna have to go with 2110.

Okay, let's do it. All right, then I'll be dead. We could go 2112 and say that's 100 years of the ballpark and say that's when they'll tear it down. How old was the Orange Ball when they tore that down? Felt like 800. Right. Was it around a couple centuries?

Anyone know when the Orange Ball got built? Greg, were you alive? I was not alive. 1935 was the first game. Yeah, it was just prior to the Great Depression, I'm told. So it didn't even last a hundred years No, so last job David is way hard So it'll be so I may be alive is he in which case it'd be amazing and maybe you guys will do a show because

You'll still be doing shows here and you'll say what exactly was that that you buried? But but Mike I I got to see a lot people, a lot of security people who remembered me. Some didn't know me, they were new. I got to go down and see the visiting clubhouse and I did not get into the home clubhouse. I wanted to see whether the Muhammad Ali plaque is still there, which is in the, have you been in the home clubhouse recently?

I think it is, the last time I was in there. You walk in and turn right and that's where the plaque is. Yeah, yeah. And they also still have sayings in there, I think. Inspirational sayings or something like that. The Miami Orange Bowl broke ground in 1936. They played their first game there in 1937. The Orange Bowl game was first played in 1935.

Where'd they play it? Elsewhere. St. Elsewhere. Was there another stadium in Miami? Looking into this, just a moment. Bobby Maduro Stadium, remember that?where. Was there another stadium in Miami? Looking into this. Just a moment. Bobby Maduro Stadium? Yeah.

You remember that? It's gotta be before it, no? Alipada? Don Lebatard. I heard that as a woman faking pain. I didn't think that sounded real. I really didn't, you know. It was not fake.

It was in no way fake. You can spot a woman faking it. Stugarts. Yes I can, Jess. Expert. I was in no way fake. You can spot a woman faking it. Stugats! Yes I can Jess. Expert. I've been married 40 years. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats! Mike, I felt all the great feelings of great accomplishment.

Why would you have felt bad about that comment, by the way? I didn't. So I asked the person I was with why the reaction was, and it was someone who had known that she and Jeter had been less than nice toward me before, and so went in with a negative attitude, sometimes the way you guys do. But it turns out that she was being totally nice.

Why'd you point directly to me? In response, did you say, Niner, I thought she was authentic? I did not say that. You didn't say Niner? I said, Louis, Louis, Poppy, you misunderstood her. There's a lot of Spanish being spoken, but I did park in a no blocky spot because I had no access to my old garage, no access to my old spot, and I had to go through security.

I could not go through the player entrance. That's crazy. I couldn't go through Jeffrey's garage. Did you wear your ring? Yes. Yeah, that's a moment. It feels like a little high school reunion. So why did I wear the ring? Because we were celebrating Jack in the 03 Championship.

Konine wore his ring, Tehara wore his ring. Louis forgot his ring, because he's Louis. Class Louis. It's what he did. Speaking of living to 110, Jack McKeon looks great for what, 94? Secret to aging. He turns 95 in November and I said to Jack yesterday, I had you wrong all the time, you looked absolutely so old when you were 71. Yes, that's a secret to aging. He's looked 71 for 40 years. It's an amazing thing.

When you look old when you're young, you are in great shape, you just have to make it there. And he's made it. He was staying at the Hard Rock doing gambling. He and Carol gamble at a casino. That's what they do. They were put up at this nice hotel by the Marlins. He turned it down because he wanted to gamble.

And so he goes with Carol, his wife who's slowed down but amazing, and they sit in the machines. Oh yeah, they're, I mean, they look like a slot machine couple. He plays slots? They do. Is that gambling?

Cigars sticking out of his mouth and Joe's head in the button. Of course it's gambling. Two cigars at once, that guy's smoking. Do you know slots are the number one revenue of the casino? I bet they are so that's gambling Okay, it's like propets speaking of revenue Do you think that the fact that they don't do marlins don't draw crowds?

Is that an excuse for an owner not spending because I and my understanding is that baseball revenue streams? Attendance might be third on the revenue stream. So is whether they're averaging 14,000 fans or 24,000 fans, they're still making money. Well, it doesn't matter. Don't ever look at attendance, guys. Look at average ticket price. You have to look at how much people are paying for those tickets.

Because you can get 30,000 people at a dollar and then you're only making 30 grand. That's not so good. Okay. Like those dollar days and dollar dog days and all that stuff. But really the revenue that hurt the Marlins and it's hurt the guardians, it's hurt the Cardinals,

all these payrolls going down, their TV revenue disappeared. The Marlins had a great TV deal ready to roll and then bankruptcy. Yeah. The regional sports network went bankrupt. Therefore all those deals got renegotiated. That's why all sorts of payrolls went down. The Dodgers have their own deal

that their company did not go bankrupt because it was guaranteed by Comcast, whereas the Marlins, the Cardinals, the Guardians, the Brewers, the Braves, everyone else only was guaranteed at the regional sports network level, which means they couldn't go higher to the main company in order to keep their contract going. Okay. So there are a bunch of teams whose payrolls

have gone down. Are you saying, okay, you'd rather, you don't agree or you don't buy? I think there's a chicken and egg thing at work. I think if you're consistently winning, the crowds will increase. I think if you're consistently winning, the crowds will increase. I think if you have a starry roster with a couple of big names peppered in,

attendance will increase. I think if you're constantly going with the opposite, that attendance is stuck. Yeah, the Marlins have never drawn before me and after me. Right. It's just, it really is not me. It's been a, it's been going on forever,

but the exciting part of yesterday is seeing why the ballpark was built and what could be. That's what interested me. Walking around, Mike, when I walked around, I was interested in talking to people and I talked to people wearing Marlin stuff. I talked to people wearing Yankee stuff. I talked to families that had both and I just wanted people wearing Marlin's stuff, I talked to people wearing Yankee's stuff, I talked to families

that had both and I just wanted to know how they're doing and they were just happy. They were happy to be there, they were happy to have the memory, the experience, they weren't like you guys, they were just happy. And that made me happy. It always amazes me that Marlin fans who do go to games aren't more upset with the franchise.

I keep expecting to see signs saying, Sherman, spend some damn money. But this is such a weird time to be mad about that. Like they crawled back to 500 after being 16 games below. It is right now, you're right. They have Augustine Ramirez who could win the NL Rookie of the Year. Kyle Stowers came out of nowhere, has 25 home runs.

They have young talent. They also, they didn't add at the deadline, but they didn't sell, which is what everyone expected them to do, in part because it was a surprise team. A lot of these guys are under control for a while. Now even Sandy's under control. In the off season, we can see if they get a better offer for him and end up moving him,

but they seem to be kind of building a foundation here, whether you think this run is flukey or not. Now, I guess, let's see what they do in the off season, if they add or if they don't. But isn't that PTSD from Greg? Like, I need to do this right now, we need to get better right now because we're not gonna have much time with these guys.

Yeah, right, because the modus operandi for this franchise for decades has been you get a you develop a great player and when he's coming up to award with a lavish contract that's when you sell him and reduce your salary again right I mean it's been rinse repeat no come on I can't talk to you right now, Greg. Okay. Is it because you have something in your throat? Yeah, drink some water or something.

Okay. No, the reason I can't talk to you is that you're not talking about any other franchise and you do this all the time. You do this as a columnist. And as a team president in this market, I couldn't stand it. I talk about other teams.

No, but you don't. Yes, I do. So I'd like you to tell me another team right now where you perceive that they keep everybody always. Who's mad now? I'm very angry right now. Okay.

And I was trying to stay calm this entire segment. Okay. But you just triggered it. I single out- Tell me- Wait, it's the Marlins for decades. I single out the Marlins because they, for decades, don't spend to a major league level. I'm asking you to go through other teams.

Just tell me about the twins. Tell me about the Guardians, the Rays. Tell me about the Royals. Wait, are you going to do the thing where we pick really good teams and you're going to cherry pick, like, the one guy in their core? I'm going to do the Yankees. I'm going to go through all the teams.

But there are really good teams, like, say the Astros. They're a great example. They let Correa go. They let Correa go, even though Correa is back. I thought I read that somewhere. But there were plenty of guys important to that core that stuck around. Al Tuve is still there.

There are pitchers that had a hand in their appearances that are still there. Or so I read. I don't really follow the sport. Are you talking about since the 2017 championship that's eight years ago, they've got- Springer, Dinger moved on. I know that.

They've got McCullers and Al Tuve. I mean, that's pretty good. Holdovers from a championship team. Okay so I'd like you to go through the 03 championship. Certainly longer than Miguel Cabrera hung on. Miguel Cabrera didn't win a championship. Yes he did. You know after 03? No no no no no no I mean in 03 he won a championship. I'm talking about championship.. We had them for 2004, 2005, and 2006. Yeah, that's three years. Al Tuve has been with the Astros for way longer. Talking about identifiable faces of the franchise,

you can cherry pick a couple of franchises that have decided to move on from contributors, but at the very same time, you can point to the roster and say, there's someone still on that roster from that championship run that fans can still identify. Historically, the Marlins don't have a lifer. We can't argue that. That's why Jeff Konine is Mr. Marlin.

Free agency obviously has changed the way that sports work as well. But the Marlins, when you have their Hall of Fame that they exist, the question is, well, who was the first one to get in? Let's try to figure that out because there isn't a actual Mr. Marlin, even though Jeff Konine has that nickname and he doesn't like it

Just because there aren't really any life for players that it is the pattern that Greg has stated is what does end up happening It happens places elsewhere, too But this has just been a unique franchise because of the success in the two World Series where fans are less Accepting of it because it's like well we built it, we had this championship team, and then they got traded anyway. It's a pretty unique problem that the Marlins have, that it's hard to put someone in their own hall of fame.

Because of the success. Because of the success. I'm still Whistling Dixie in the elevator, doing a two-step, because I am not gonna allow any of this. Yeah, obviously, you don't. Although there has been a societal shift. I'm very happy, had a great weekend, had great fun, and I'm proud to be a Marlins fan,

and I assume that you guys one day will be too.