Marlins' New Merchandise Sales "Staggering" Since Rebranding Friday

Marlins President David Samson said that sales of the team's new merchandise this past weekend "represented 17 percent of the total merchandise revenue from the entire 2011 regular season,” according to Joe Capozzi of the PALM BEACH POST. Samson said the total sales were “staggering” from Friday-Sunday at the new ballpark in Miami; Roger Dean Stadium, the team's Spring Training home in Jupiter, Fla.; and at three malls in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Samson: “Put it this way, we didn’t expect to come close to that.” He said that the “most popular item right now is the red-orange hat.” But he added it is “neck and neck with the black hat.” Samson: “The red orange hat has had a lead.” He said that batting practice jersey -- black with red-orange down the side -- “is the runaway favorite.” Samson: “That is crushing the competition” (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 11/16). Samson at the GM meetings yesterday said, “We just got the results in because we just finished counting the cash.” Meanwhile, he said that “most seats to the Marlins’ first game in their new Little Havana ballpark, scheduled for April 4 against the Cardinals, will be sold to those buying season-ticket plans.” He added that the team “would likely ‘hold back’ about 2,000 tickets to be sold through a lottery, sometime after Fanfest, which is tentatively scheduled for March 3.” Samson: “The best way to get a ticket to Opening Day is to buy a plan” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/17).

TALK OF THE TOWN: In Miami, Clark Spencer notes the Marlins “aren’t being treated like second-class citizens” at the annual GM meetings anymore. Samson said, “There aren’t poachers after us. Every year we’ve had to deal with poachers -- and I say that with all respect -- and sometimes we got poached. But, this year, the poachee is becoming the poacher.” Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said that the team is “being approached by many agents of players wishing to play for the Marlins, who are no longer deemed undesirables and are receiving much more attention.” Beinfest: “We’re just not used to it as much” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/17). When Samson was asked if the team was willing to top the $100M mark in payroll, he said, “I would say no, but you never know in this game.” Samson: “We always said we were going to be aggressive. We are definitely being aggressive and we’ll see how everything plays out” (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 11/16). In Miami, Israel Gutierrez writes under the header, “Big Spending Could Help Reinvent Marlins Franchise.” The Marlins could be “setting up to become the Evil Empire” of the NL. Gutierrez: “This would be about making the Miami Marlins the ‘it’ franchise in the National League. Not just now, but for as long as they decide to stay in this business” (MIAMI HERALD, 11/17).