Most fans are celebrating the news - excited at the possibility of seeing Jeffrey Loria out the door as owner of the Miami Marlins. But why has he become the most disliked person in South Florida sports history?
His tenure in the area, after selling the Montreal Expos in order to purchase the Marlins, started with so much promise - in his second season as Marlins owner, they won the World Series in six games over the New York Yankees, who were led by one of their potential future owners in Derek Jeter.
But shortly after, he dismantled the team by refused to pay big salaries and then crying poor while threatening to move the team if taxpayers didn't pitch in for a new stadium.
In 2009, the city and county approved a sweetheart deal, where the Marlins only had to contribute a fraction of the cost. But during construction, the team’s financials were leaked - showing that they were in fact making money.
Major League Baseball even reprimanded them for taking money from the league revenue sharing system and not spending it on player salaries to field a competitive team.
The Marlins promised that would change when they opened the new ballpark. It did - for one season. But in late 2012, another fire sale took place as star players shipped off so the team could rebuild and save cash.
Loria's resume full of frugality and treachery and is also garnished with unpopular decisions like firing former manager Joe Girardi the season he won Manager of the Year, pushing out longtime announcer Tommy Hutton and that sculpture in centerfield.
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The Marlins also haven't made the playoffs in 13 years - the 2nd longest drought in baseball. For all those misdeeds, what does Loria get? A potential $1.1 billion profit if the sale of the team to a group led by Jeter and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is approved.
