The Miami Marlin’s franchise is an absolute shambles right now. After trading away a majority of their star players this off season to the Toronto Blue Jays team ownership has been under tremendous scrutiny. This only comes one year after their was supposed to be promise with all the newly acquired talent to play in the newly built stadium.

The Marlins always had one of the worst fanbases in MLB and any hope they had last year of getting more people to the ball park were all but flushed down the toilet this offseason. Perfect example was the protest rally held outside their stadium after finding out about the blockbuster trade to the Blue Jays where only five people showed up. In today’s Miami Herald blog team owner Jeffrey Luria wrote a letter to all the fans trying to justify what he’s done in the past year. It’s absolute comedy reading the logic behind the way this man thinks. Check out the entire letter below:

LETTER TO OUR FANS

        It’s no secret that last season was not our best — actually it was one of our worst. In large part, our performance on the field stunk and something needed to be done. As a result of some bold moves, many grabbed hold of our tough yet necessary decision only to unleash a vicious cycle of negativity. As the owner of the ballclub, the buck stops with me and I take my share of the blame where it’s due. However, many of the things being said about us are simply not true. I’ve sat by quietly and allowed this to continue. Now it’s time for me to respond to our most important constituents, the fans who love the game of baseball.

        THE ROSTER

        Losing is unacceptable to me. It’s incumbant upon us to take swift action and make bold moves when there are glaring problems. The controversial trade we made with the Toronto Blue Jays was approved by Commissioner Bud Selig and has been almost universally celebrated by baseball experts outside of Miami for its value. We hope, with an open mind, our community can reflect on the fact that we had one of the worst records in baseball. Acquiring high-profile players just didn’t work, and nearly everyone on our team underperformed as compared to their career numbers. Our plan for the year ahead is to leverage our young talent and create a homegrown roster of long-term players who can win. In fact, objective experts have credited us with going from the 28th ranked Minor League system in baseball to the 5th best during this period. Of the Top 100 Minor Leaguers rated by MLB Network, we have six — tied for the most of any team in the league. We’ll evaluate this roster and possibly bring in additional talent based on our assessment of what we need. The very same naysayers who are currently skeptical once attacked us for bringing Pudge Rodriguez to the Marlins in 2003. More than any other, that move contributed to our World Series Championship.

      THE BALLPARK

      The ballpark issue has been repeatedly reported incorrectly and there are some very negative accustations being thrown around. It ain’t true, folks. Those who have attacked us are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. The majority of public funding came from hotel taxes, the burden of which is incurred by tourists who are visiting our city, NOT the resident taxpayers. The Marlins organization also agreed to contribute $161.2 million toward the ballpark, plus the cost of the garage complex. In addition, the Marlins receive no operating subsidy from local government funding. The ballpark required that all debt service is paid by existing revenue. Furthermore, many are attacking the County’s method of financing for its contribution, but the Marlins had nothing at all to do with that. The fact is, with your help, we built Marlins Park, a crown jewel in our beautiful Miami skyline, which has won over twenty design and architecture awards and will help make us a premiere ballclub moving forward.

      OUR FINANCES

      The simple fact is that we don’t have unlimited funds, nor does any baseball team or business. Fans didn’t turn out last season as much as we’d like, even with the high-profile players the columnists decry us having traded. The main ingredient to a successful ball club is putting together a winning team, including a ncecessary core of young talent. Are we fiscally capable and responsible enough to fill the roster with talented players, invest in the daily demands of running a world-class organization and bring a World Series back to Miami? Absolutely! Is it sound business sense to witness an expensive roster with a terrible record and sit idly by doing nothing? No. I can and will invest in building a winner, but last season wasn’t sustainable and we needed to start from scratch quickly to build this team from the ground up.

      COMMUNICATION

      An organization is only as good as its connection with the community. We know we can do a better job communicating with our fans. That starts now. From this point forward we can ensure fans and the entire community that we will keep you abreast of our plan, rationale and motivations.

       Amidst the current news coverage, it an be easy to forget how far we went together not so long ago. In 2003, I helped bring a second World Series Title to South Florida. We know how to build a winning team, and have every intention of doing so again. I know you share my passion for great Marlins baseball, my love of MIami and my desire to win again. We’re in this together and I humbly ask that we start fresh, watch us mature qjuickly as a ball club, and root for the home team in 2013.

      Sincerely,

      Jeffrey Loria

Loria is absolutely out his mind in so many ways. Let me address all the key points in similar fashion with the headings.

THE ROSTER

I love how he justifies the trade because Selig approved it. That doesn’t mean that it’s a good or beneficial trade for the organization or the fans. 95% of trades in MLB due so based on his logic almost every trade is good if it merely gets approved and accepted by the commissioner. Now he comes out saying it makes sense to stockpile the system with young prospects who will make an impact in the future. Ok fine its a great way to build a franchise, but if that’s the mindset how come it was NOT last off season. Stop lying.

We know you brought in more talent last year to try and con the fans into showing up at the new stadium, giving them false hope for publicly funding your stadium. Furthermore, when this supposed crop of talent is good enough to make the Marlins a viable team I am sure you won’t want to pay them anyways and trade them; following the historical trends of their organization. Plus, the fact that the “experts” who are never wrong with their prospect projections give you such high marks is not enough. Wow 6 out of the top 100. Last time I checked you need 20+ players to fill out an MLB roster. And you claim being sick of losing and its unacceptable. Have you ever thought your ownership style is what breeds losing? If you want to stop it and believe its so unacceptable how about giving up some of your power to somebody who knows how to run an MLB team successfully and is qualified instead of hiring family members due to nepotism?

THE BALLPARK

Loria wants a pat on the back for contributing $116 million to the project. Oooohh it cost appx $525 million, therefore his ownership group only put about about 20%. Isn’t that fantastic. If you want to mouth fans how about at least putting 50% of your own money. This isn’t even close.

COMMUNICATION

Way to reference the 2003 World Series winning team which was 10 years ago believing you will get back to that level. What he fails to recognize or point out is the main reason for that success was inheriting most of that talent from the previous ownership regime under Wayne Huizenga. What happened the following years is more of a true indication of how the organization would be ran under him. Refusing to keep those players long term when they wanted raises buying into the philosophy of having a great farm system. How’s that worked out sine Jeff? Finishing 3rd or worse in the division every single season except once, never making the playoffs and despite being around the .500 mark most seasons never good enough to really contend with the best overall in that time being 87-75.

So even if the team was to have playoff success what makes you think fans will believe that team will remain intact for the following years giving them a chance to repeat? NONE.

Overall STOP being such a liar and fraud. No one is buying it.