Omitting this step will save the Marlins' ownership from having

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Omitting this step will save the Marlins' ownership from having to pay a hefty commission, but it also has led to a less-than-fluid process. And while Major League Baseball is eager to have a deal done, Mr. Loria has an incentive to wait until next year: After March, as part of the team's deal with the county, he will no longer have to give the city and the county a 5 percent share of the profits from the sale of the team. Continue reading the main story The Batting Cage, a sports bar that opened near Marlins Park in 2012, before a home game against the Mets last month. The new stadium has not brought out the number of game-day patrons the owner had anticipated. Credit Angel Valentin for The New York Times The Marlins declined to make Mr. Loria and Mr. Samson available for comment.As this process has played out, some of the prospective buyers have had trouble assembling enough investors to meet the Marlins' demands, and as a result, the estimated sale price has fallen to the current 1.2 billion figure from a reported 1.8 billion. Even so, sports bankers say the price is still too high.Though they play in a relatively new stadium with chic clubs and ample parking, the Marlins draw the fewest fans in the National League. The team is saddled with an estimated 400 million in debt, which is near the league maximum, and it lacks its own regional sports network, a big moneymaker for teams like the Mets and the Yankees. The Marlins have not had a winning season in eight years.Teams in cities like Chicago and San Diego benefit from development around their stadiums, with neighboring restaurants, bars and hotels helping to draw fans to games. In Miami, few businesses have opened near Marlins Park, which is surrounded on four sides by parking garages that Sean Day Jersey, in effect, create a fortress around the stadium. In fact, the only people near the stadium who seem to have benefited are the homeowners who charge 15 per car to park in their driveways, and even they are disappointed. Continue reading the main story A memorial at Marlins Park for pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of the Marlins' more popular players, who died last year in a boating accident. Credit Angel Valentin for The New York Times "There needs to be more events," said Javier Erazo, who tried last week to entice drivers to park with a sign that read "Cash Credit Debit." "I don't think there's a whole lot of support for baseball." AdvertisementContinue reading the main storyThe Batting Cage, a neighborhood restaurant on game days that turns into a club at 10 p.m., opened in 2012 to cash in on fans coming to the stadium. But Mike McKinney, the manager, said the restaurant was busy only when the Mets Alexandar Georgiev Jersey, the Cubs and other popular teams were in town. "We don't survive on baseball," said Mr. McKinney, whose bar had only a sprinkling of patrons last week before a Mets-Marlins game. "One month of baseball nights doesn't equal a single Friday or Saturday night" in the club.Like many Marlins fans, Mr. McKinney says he is frustrated with how the team has generally fared under Mr. Loria. Photo The Marlins' owner https://www.rangerssportinggoods.com...ey-jersey.aspx, Jeffrey Loria, and his wife, Julie, at a home game in June. His team is expected to fetch nearly eight times what he paid for it in 2002. Credit Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Mr. Loria bought the Marlins in 2002 with the proceeds from his sale of the Montreal Expos and a subsidy from Major League Baseball. A year later, the Marlins won their second World Series title, beating the Yankees.But Mr. Loria angered fans by promptly trading away some of the team's stars. And for years, Mr. Loria said he did not have the money to spend on big-name players because the Marlins played in an outdoor stadium without a roof to keep out the rain and seal out South Florida's stifling humidity. Consequently, the argument went, too many fans stayed away.Mr. Loria eventually persuaded local lawmakers to pay for most of Marlins Park, yet attendance remained poor, even though the owner's laments about the weather were addressed with a roof that is often closed. Continue reading the main story The publicly funded Marlins Park opened in 2012 in the Little Havana section of Miami. Credit Angel Valentin for The New York Times Last week, the entire upper deck was closed, too, and only a handful of fans sat in the second deck. The majority of the announced crowd of 18,743 appeared to be Mets fans, who periodically chanted, "Let's Go Mets!""I hope Loria sells," said Chuck Rennert, a longtime season-ticket holder who nonetheless offered some praise for Mr. Loria. "Whether you believe he was the impetus or not, the stadium got built on his watch," he said. Now, he added, "it's time for someone else to bring it to the next level."Even if the sale goes through and the team rebounds, the victories may be bittersweet for taxpayers, who will continue paying for the stadium long after Mr. Loria is gone."It's a nice stadium for people to enjoy, and we got an All-Star Game out of it," Mr. Gimenez said. But, he contended, "it's the most horrible deal every other way." Related Coverage Jim Bouton, Author and Former Pitcher, Struggles With Brain Disease JULY 1, 2017 Related Coverage Jim Bouton, Author and Former Pitcher, Struggles With Brain Disease JULY 1, 2017