Friday, April 09, 2004
Selig: New Park Saved Padres
Another new stadium means another opportunity for the Commissioner to explain why nine-figure public subsidies were the only thing standing between the local club and extinction. During the opening game at PETCO Park, Selig told Barry Bloom of MLB.com, "The fact is that without it, the Padres just couldn't generate enough revenue to stay in business."
After all, the Padres haven't won an NL pennant since...1998, weeks before local voters approved the bond issue that built the new park. Since obtaining the assurance of future prosperity that the stadium was supposed to bring, the Padres have posted five consecutive sub-.500 seasons, during which they've never finished higher than fourth. Bud continued:
I know there has been some debate about new ballparks and they're not the panacea for all the ills. You look at what's happened particularly in Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. But just like San Diego, those teams couldn't continue to operate in their old stadiums."
These would be the same four clubs which, in their new stadiums, have four of the majors' eight lowest Opening Day payrolls in 2004. Last year they finished a combined 138 games under .500, and of the four only Cincinnati, whose Great American Ballpark opened in 2003, posted above-average attendance. Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Detroit were 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively. The world champion Marlins, who have been screaming for a new stadium for years, were 28th in attendance and opened the 2003 season with a payroll $10 million below Cincinnati's, $6 million below Pittsburgh's and $400,000 below Detroit's.
The Phillies' opener at their new Citizens Bank Park is Monday. Wonder if Bud will say that Philadelphia, too, needed the new stadium to keep its team?
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Another new stadium means another opportunity for the Commissioner to explain why nine-figure public subsidies were the only thing standing between the local club and extinction. During the opening game at PETCO Park, Selig told Barry Bloom of MLB.com, "The fact is that without it, the Padres just couldn't generate enough revenue to stay in business."
After all, the Padres haven't won an NL pennant since...1998, weeks before local voters approved the bond issue that built the new park. Since obtaining the assurance of future prosperity that the stadium was supposed to bring, the Padres have posted five consecutive sub-.500 seasons, during which they've never finished higher than fourth. Bud continued:
I know there has been some debate about new ballparks and they're not the panacea for all the ills. You look at what's happened particularly in Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. But just like San Diego, those teams couldn't continue to operate in their old stadiums."
These would be the same four clubs which, in their new stadiums, have four of the majors' eight lowest Opening Day payrolls in 2004. Last year they finished a combined 138 games under .500, and of the four only Cincinnati, whose Great American Ballpark opened in 2003, posted above-average attendance. Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Detroit were 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively. The world champion Marlins, who have been screaming for a new stadium for years, were 28th in attendance and opened the 2003 season with a payroll $10 million below Cincinnati's, $6 million below Pittsburgh's and $400,000 below Detroit's.
The Phillies' opener at their new Citizens Bank Park is Monday. Wonder if Bud will say that Philadelphia, too, needed the new stadium to keep its team?
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