Samson Confirms New Venue Will Be Called Marlins Park Until Naming Rights Are Sold

Marlins President David Samson confirmed the team’s new ballpark will be called Marlins Park until it lands a naming-rights partner. Samson, appearing on WAXY-AM’s “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” said the club was “down the road” with a naming-rights partner prior to the free-agent signings of SS Jose Reyes and Ps Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle. Samson said, “We signed some players and some more companies got interested and then the price started changing. All of a sudden, when you get really into bigger numbers, it takes a lot longer to finish a long-term deal like that, and I didn’t want to pressure anyone or myself.” He noted the team hopes to "begin the season with 15,000-17,000 season-ticket holders,” which will mark the “most in our franchise history.” Samson: “From a business standpoint, what I’d like to see happen through the efforts of our sales and marketing department and the performance of our on-field team would be to have approximately 17,000-18,000 season-ticket holders and then a waiting list where you fill up half of the bowl with season tickets and the other half through individual. That would be an amazing percentage” (“The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” WAXY-AM, 1/25).

NEW VENDORS FOR BALLPARK: In Miami, Andres Viglucci reports the Marlins have "signed up three food vendors to fill shops at the new ballpark's West Plaza" -- salad and sandwich shop La Baguette, Cuban-style bakery Holiday Bakery and frozen yogurt shop YoBlendz. All three vendors are "local operators and will be open every day to serve both fans and the local community" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/26).