Marlins' Loria: "We Can't Finish In Last Place"
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Marlins fans looking for answers for why the team once again blew up the franchise didn't get much from owner Jeffrey Loria in his first public comments since the massive fire sale Tuesday night.
Wednesday, Loria talked to CBSSports.com for the first time since the Marlins gave away their top paid and best players to the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night. Loria said the move was a baseball move and was upset with the coverage of the trade.
"We finished in last place. Figure it out," Loria told CBSSports.com.
Loria said dumping the high-priced stars was the best course of action for the future of the franchise, despite him saying last year that the massive influx of free agents would help the franchise in the future.
CBS4 reporter Gary Nelson had some entertaining thoughts on the Marlins' megatrade fiasco:
"We have to get better," said Loria to CBSSports.com. "We can't finish in last place. We finished in last place. That's unacceptable. We have to take a new course."
When asked if Loria planned to sell the team, the defiant owner said, "Absolutely not. That's more stupidity."
Finishing in last place isn't something new for the Marlins. In their history, the Marlins have finished in last place or next to last place a total of 11 times in the 20 seasons the franchise has been around.
In other words, in more than half the seasons the Marlins have been in Major League Baseball, the team has finished in last or next-to-last place.
Since Loria took over in 2002, the club has finished last or next to last five times.
