Miami's Recurring Nightmare Before Christmas
I don’t know why I care so much.
Nonetheless, the news about Stanton being traded to an already-powerful New York Yankee squad has be running up several walls. But unlike what the case could have been in the 90s or even the 2000s when the Yankees bullied their way to crafting the best teams via means of cash, cash, and more cash, I am not mad at the Yankees. They saw an opportunity after others fell through and took it. I am not at all blaming Stanton and wish him the absolute best down the road. It’s actually going to be awkward hating him in those pinstripes being a current fan of the Tampa Bay Rays. My appreciation for Stanton will prevent me from ever rooting against him, even if he is a dreaded Yankee.
Giancarlo Stanton is arguably the strongest man in baseball. He is built like a tank and can smash the ball in distances you only see in video games. Of course since baseball is such a cruel game, strongest never actually means the best. Probably the most impressive athlete in modern times was Bo Jackson, and the man was a strikeout machine and was never really in any sort of MVP conversation. On the other hand, the most dominating pitcher in the last two decades was a scrawny Dominican that couldn’t way much more than 180, which was the immortal Pedro Martinez. Stanton was an intimidating force but until 2017 after injuries and tough stretches, he hadn’t quite entered into the top player conversation.
But then after the tragic death of Jose Fernandez, Giancarlo went on a life-changing journey around the world to refocus his views, and became the main highlight of not only the Marlins, but baseball in 2017. He was inches from 60 home runs, which had not happened since the steroid era. He helped America beat the favored Dominican Republic, Japan, and Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic. After a slow start, Stanton single-handedly carried the Marlins to a playoff chase as he sets career highs in total bases, home runs, hits, slugging, doubles, and RBIs. A community in need of some good news after the tragedy of Fernandez and eventually Hurricane Irma was rallying around the playoff and home run chase (not so much in Marlins Park, because screw Loria).
So why did Miami try so hard to trade him?
Nobody that has owned the Marlins in the last 20 years has ever looked at any sort of big picture and attempted to create a culture, create an atmosphere, or create a connection with Miami and South Florida. So in an area that is nearly 70% Hispanic we are witnessing one of the least-represented teams in Major League Baseball, which is ridiculous and unacceptable. Trading Stanton is just the latest excruciating frustrating chapter in the dismal history of the Florida/Miami Marlins.
I used to be a Marlins fan. 1997 was an amazing year because we had a fun powerful team, and Miami was behind them every step of the way by ranking just outside the top 10 in attendance, drawing 29k on average. We win the World Series in an absolute thriller against the Indians, and the future seemed bright. Then everyone gets traded, the team blows up completely without warning, and by 1999 just two years later attendance drops over 10k a game. I felt betrayed by what looked like a one-season hail mary and then reaping in the profits without even trying to create a consistency. My current fandom towards the (Devil) Rays happened because the Marlins broke my young heart.
I have seen the Marlins blow up their team many, many, many more times. They win the World Series in 2003, most of the team gone by 2005. Joe Girardi manages a young squad to within playoff range in 2006, and he gets fired. Every couple years they surprise, and shortly after the deck gets shuffled. Looking at the tape, you’ll see many great players make their way through Miami on their way to continued success elsewhere, which shows you the Marlins have always had amazing scouts. Yet the blow-and-rebuild story was constantly repeating, and was progressively becoming shadier. Marlins Park was built by Miami, and was financially paid for by Miami. In exchange, they wanted a new culture, and a new identity. The Florida Marlins changed their colors and became the Miami Marlins. Then of course, you know the story: Loria blows up the team after just one season, fires Ozzie Guillen, and once again the franchise is back to square one.
So why does this sting more than every other blowup in franchise history? Because they had just exchanged owners, they had just exchanged hundreds of millions of dollars, we had just gotten rid of the sleazy penny-pinching prick Loria and upgraded him with Mr. Baseball known as Derek Jeter. This was finally the good news we had been begging for, as Loria’s existence prevented Miami from supporting anything Marlins-based. Now with new ownership, things might change, we might finally see an emerging superstar actually remain with the team. Giancarlo Stanton was our superstar, our MVP, our new face after Jose’s departure. Yet just one year and two months after the death of Fernandez, Miami having to reset everything, improving ahead of schedule, seeing Stanton finally unveil his pure potential, the team blows up once again.
Why? Why this again?
The Marlins despite the unexpected loss, had an excellent outfield, one of the best hitters in baseball, and a good youthful movement in 2017. In the meantime Miami continues to progressively become more Spanish American with the influx of immigrants from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia----all nations with baseball in their blood. And yes, I will remind you of the World Baseball Classic. Trading Dee Gordon and then Stanton immediately after sent shockwaves in Miami, baseball, and the country overall. Why is this happening again to Miami? We just got new management! Will the Marlins ever step up and try to actually compete? Will it ever not feel like betrayal seeing a stadium paid by taxpayers itching to see a fun baseball team?
Not only was it the trade, it was who made the trade, where he got traded to, and the circumstances surrounding it. Stanton was practically pushed out of Miami by ownership threatening rough years ahead with the team (again) being rearranged and having to fall apart around him. Derek Jeter didn’t even talk to Stanton for weeks after officially being the owner, which also gave this news a sour taste. To top it all off, the team was literally just purchased----if you can afford to buy an entire enterprise, an entire franchise, why can’t you afford it only superstar player? Why not even communicate with the star? Why not even consider a restructuring of the contract like a Tom Brady or Dirk Nowitzki? Why the freakin’ Yankees? Why would Derek Jeter think this wouldn’t come back around and create an intense backlash? Why would you practically donate the MVP, toss in extra millions, and get scrapheap in return? Stanton is a Top 5 player, but was not treated as such before the trade, during the negotiations, and once the trade was made.
There is no argument whatsoever you can make to justify this. Major League Baseball is a multi-billion enterprise with money being thrown in all directions through revenue-sharing, luxury tax, TV deals, and a media strength that is only topped by the NFL. A shining example of how Stanton should have been utilized under the current scenario is the Houston Astros, who with Jose Altuve built themselves from the ground up and ultimately won the World Series. And this is a smaller-budgeted team with a long-term plan accomplishing this---beating the money-heavy Dodgers in the process.
The Astros pulled off in 4 years what the Marlins could have done half a dozen times under the right management and ownership that actually gives a shit. South Florida area contains over 7 million people, and this is a young, active, Hispanic scene that is begging for a good consistent baseball presence. Trading Stanton and threatening a crappy career if he didn’t wave the no-trade clause to move was wrong from start to finish, and the fans of the Marlins and the entire region of Miami deserves much, much better.
This trade was one-sided, awful, stupid, unnecessary, frustrating, infuriating, ridiculous, insulting, messed up, and an absolute slap in the face to Miami, Marlins fans, and the league overall. I won’t even waste my team discussing how the Yankees are going to be an absolute threat in the American League by simply outhitting their opponents, because that’s not the issue. The issue is, once again the Marlins and their fans are back in line just to try to reach square one in baseball, which under the current competitive and talent-laden climate of MLB, should be the last thing on Jeter and his sketchy friends’ minds.
If they wanted to actually rebuild to compete in the future, they would not have gifted Stanton and many millions for potato chips and skittles. Screw this trade, and screw the people that once again tainted a chance to give the rising force of Hispanic America known as South Florida an actual decent franchise to root for and see without screaming at the news every few months.
I shouldn’t care, but I do because I love the game, and I love the city that yet again sees their baseball franchise disintegrate from relevance.