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he's baaaaaaaaaack
An old face is returning to the Marlins front office.
People familiar with Project Citrus, the team’s confidential investment plan, say former Marlins president David Samson has joined the ownership group with a small investment, giving former owner Jeffrey Loria’s stepson an ownership stake in the team he left last October.
Recent leaks from Jon Heyman at FanRag Sports revealed that the Marlins owners are "seeking another $200 million from new investors” in order to lower the investment the current 18 owners have.
It’s an awkward homecoming for Samson, the much-maligned public face of the franchise for the past 15 years. While no longer employed by the team since October, Samson has maintained a busy schedule on local radio and national TV, often defending the moves the Loria-run Marlins made, as well as the rebuild that the current organization has embarked upon.
Like his stepfather, Samson may be seeking to enter the MLB ownership ring with a small investment that he can parlay for a profit in the not-too-distant future. In 1999, Loria bought a 24% stake in the Montreal Expos for $12 million. Within 18 years, he sold the Marlins for $1.2 billion.
For a month after the sale of the team to the Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter-led ownership group, it was thought that Samson could stay on as team president. But Samson was told on August 17th that he would be out as president under new ownership.
Ownership then asked the recently-fired Samson to fire several long-tenured team officials, including Jeff Conine, Jack McKeon, Andre Dawson, and Tony Perez.
Owning a team has never been a topic of conversation with Samson, but an attempted transition from team president to part-owner is not unheard of in Marlins history. After then-owner Wayne Huizenga put the team up for sale following the 1997 World Series, president Don Smiley attempted to buy the club for $169 million. After that bid failed, Smiley left the organization.
Looking for more investors is sure to be a major push by the Marlins front office this summer. Along with finding a naming rights partner for the stadium, lessening the current investors’ debt is a high priority.
Some investors, such as NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, have invested just a few million dollars and are silent behind-the-scenes partners. It remains to be seen if Samson will - or can - remain silent.
People familiar with Project Citrus, the team’s confidential investment plan, say former Marlins president David Samson has joined the ownership group with a small investment, giving former owner Jeffrey Loria’s stepson an ownership stake in the team he left last October.
Recent leaks from Jon Heyman at FanRag Sports revealed that the Marlins owners are "seeking another $200 million from new investors” in order to lower the investment the current 18 owners have.
It’s an awkward homecoming for Samson, the much-maligned public face of the franchise for the past 15 years. While no longer employed by the team since October, Samson has maintained a busy schedule on local radio and national TV, often defending the moves the Loria-run Marlins made, as well as the rebuild that the current organization has embarked upon.
Like his stepfather, Samson may be seeking to enter the MLB ownership ring with a small investment that he can parlay for a profit in the not-too-distant future. In 1999, Loria bought a 24% stake in the Montreal Expos for $12 million. Within 18 years, he sold the Marlins for $1.2 billion.
For a month after the sale of the team to the Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter-led ownership group, it was thought that Samson could stay on as team president. But Samson was told on August 17th that he would be out as president under new ownership.
Ownership then asked the recently-fired Samson to fire several long-tenured team officials, including Jeff Conine, Jack McKeon, Andre Dawson, and Tony Perez.
Owning a team has never been a topic of conversation with Samson, but an attempted transition from team president to part-owner is not unheard of in Marlins history. After then-owner Wayne Huizenga put the team up for sale following the 1997 World Series, president Don Smiley attempted to buy the club for $169 million. After that bid failed, Smiley left the organization.
Looking for more investors is sure to be a major push by the Marlins front office this summer. Along with finding a naming rights partner for the stadium, lessening the current investors’ debt is a high priority.
Some investors, such as NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, have invested just a few million dollars and are silent behind-the-scenes partners. It remains to be seen if Samson will - or can - remain silent.
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