The more Mary Fallin speaks, the more idiotic she sounds. Why did she bother writing the letter, if she had no plan for a stadium to be built? Sounds to me like if we put a package together to build a stadium, we might have a good chance at getting the Marlins here. What's the hold up people? If we want a major league baseball team, we just need to fork over the money for a stadium. If we don't want an MLB team, we shouldn't have written a letter to them to begin with.



State not trying to lure Marlins, Fallin says

By Michael McNutt
The Oklahoman

Oklahoma is not taking the bait of building a new stadium estimated to cost at least $350 million to entice the Florida Marlins to Oklahoma City, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin said Thursday.


Instead, the state will spend its energy to keep the National Basketball Association's Hornets, she said.

"There are several investors that are looking at trying to finance their stay," Fallin said.

Fallin said she sent a letter this week to the Marlins stating Oklahoma is taking itself out of the running as a possible home for the National League baseball franchise.

Her correspondence was a response to a letter sent last month by Marlins Vice Chairman Joel A. Mael, who wrote that the team -- before taking a more serious look at Oklahoma City -- would need to see a financial plan to pay for a new stadium.

"We cannot tell you the exact cost of a new stadium in Oklahoma City, but please assume it will be no less than $350 million," Mael wrote.

Mael also wrote that improvements to meet Major League Baseball requirements would have to be made to the 13,000-seat AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, home of the Oklahoma RedHawks, where the Marlins would play until a new stadium would be available.

The Marlins proposed a new 38,700-seat stadium that would have 69 suites and would include a stadium club, a sports bar restaurant and a parking lot with 15,000 spaces.

Baseball officials late last year gave the Marlins permission to seek moving the team. The Marlins have threatened to leave South Florida unless they get a new baseball-only stadium with a retractable roof.

Reports say the team earlier this month decided not to pursue a move to San Antonio and the Marlins are talking with officials of the Miami suburb of Hialeah. The team has signed to play at Miami's Dolphins Stadium through the 2007 season and has lease options through 2010.
The Marlins' owner, Jeffrey Loria, also has an Oklahoma connection. He owned the Oklahoma City 89ers baseball team for four seasons, from 1990 to 1993.