David Samson Is A Joke

[Mr. Baseball]

Before the first "soft opener" at Marlins Park, team president David Samson said there were some kinks to be worked out at Miami's new ballpark, such as long concessions lines and ground rules.

Before the second, he had a bigger problem. Speaking before a Beacon Council breakfast meeting Tuesday, Samson had highly critical comments about Miami's citizens and local politicians, according to a local business magazine.

"I don't have to hold back now that the stadium is built -- not that I ever have," Samson said while addressing a group of about 75, according to Miami Today.

Some of the most pointed quotes:

On Miamians: "We're not the smartest people in Miami. If you're in this room, you're instantly in the top 1%.

If the Marlins were to move to Las Vegas, Mr. Samson said, he suggested the casinos there buy out game tickets in advance so nobody would be drawn away from the casinos.
"We don't care if nobody comes," Mr. Samson recalled with a smile. "We'll play in front of nobody, and we'll have all the money."

Responding to a question from the audience, Mr. Samson said ballplayers should not be held up as role models, and parents should not have unrealistic expectations for their boys someday becoming Major Leaguers.
"To parents, I would say "Your son is very cute, but he will never be a Major League Baseball player," Mr. Samson said. "Every Major League player was the best player on every team he was ever on — by far. And that's every Major League player."

Perhaps the most offensive element of this scene (in my eyes), comes from the final quotation. While I do agree children shouldn't necessarily view all ballplayers as role models, I find myself pretty enraged after reading the quote that follows.

Ironic isn't it? He claims 'every Major League player' was the best player on every team he was on. Clearly, he hasn't done his homework, as his own pitcher, Mark Buehrle, was cut his freshman year of High School. Not only his his statement completely inaccurate, it's also incredibly insensitive.

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but this isn't the message we should be sending to all the boys across the country that aspire to be great ballplayers. If you work hard, good things will happen.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23

[yankeebiscuitfan]

I am pretty sure that Samson shares the same ideas as Loria.

His statement "We'll play in front of nobody, and we'll have all the money" says it all. They have been playing for nearly empty stands over the last decade or so and they still have the money to buy a pack of players (all of a sudden).

I may be a bad sport, but I really hope that after the hype of the new stadium is over, things will return to normal and the stands will remain empty.
Since Loria has signed a contract for at least 30 years, he can not move the team somewhere else. The only option will be selling the team. If that happens, I really hope there will be no buyers.

[Mudge]

I would have expected nothing less from these ass-clowns.

Apparently, what little boys should be aspiring to is the model Sampson and Loria provide: venal, deceptive, greedy, ungrateful, uncivil, yea -- criminal. That seems to be the preferred American role model these days.

[TerryInLA]

I doubt they need to worry about long concessions lines, they built a new ballpark with 40,000 seats but with a parking lot with only 5,000 spaces, so unless they can somehow squeeze 8 illegal Cubans into each car, the novelty is soon going to wear off. And what is this in their outfield?



With that and all the aquariums around home plate it looks like the new ballpark was designed by the guy who made that Finding Nemo movie. I'm not actually sure how it could be much uglier. The daglow-puke colored green monster is an especially nice touch.