Samson has some valid points.
Major League Baseball probably has a good reason to ignore any advice on running its business from David Samson. Samson was part of the ownership group led by his stepfather Jeffrey Loria that led to Major League Baseball to take over the Montreal Expos and moving that franchise to Washington after the 2004 season. In 2002, Loria ended up owning the Florida Marlins after Marlins owner John Henry bought the Boston Red Sox franchise in an auction in 2001. Loria got a Miami stadium and cashed out getting more than a billion dollars for the team in 2017. Samson is now telling Commissioner Rob Manfred to get away from baseball tradition and get the game into the 21st century or else. Samson says baseball needs rule changes to speed up the game and adds that MLB has to do something with the stadium situations in Oakland and St. Petersburg.
Oakland Athletics ownership has actually had a pretty good summer in getting some government approvals in its plan to build a stadium on the Oakland waterfront. Stu Sternberg in the Tampa Bay market wants to split his home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal. Samson said that without new parks, those teams would have to move and MLB’s plan seems to also include adding two teams. Samson also pointed out something that is well known in MLB circles, there are not four available cities to accommodate two franchise moves and adding two teams. MLB likes Montreal after helping to destroy the Expos franchise. Montreal still lacks a stadium. Arizona Diamondbacks executives like Henderson, Nevada just outside of Las Vegas. Samson omitted the Arizona situation and that Diamondbacks ownership wants a new Phoenix area stadium. Nashville, Charlotte, and Portland, Oregon are smaller markets. Samson is correct.
