There are only four more days left in the month of May, and there are only two teams in Major League Baseball with a winning percentage of .600 or better. The combined payroll for both these teams is $65M, which is less than half that of the NY Mets (currently with a .469 winning percentage and 6.5 games back in their division) and less than one-third the payroll of the NY Yankees (currently with a .490 winning percentage and 6 games back in their division).

The two teams that sit atop their respective divisions and all of MLB in general are the Tampa Bay Rays and the Florida Marlins.

Go ahead. Rub your eyes and double check what you just read. Yes, on this day following Memorial Day weekend, the two best teams in baseball are those from the state that historically was known only for baseball in March not May.

Although it’s still too early to crown either of these teams – the Marlins’ lead in the NL East is only two and a half games while the Rays lead the defending World Series champion Red Sox by only one-half game in the AL East – it’s never too early to join in the excitement of summer baseball that matters in the state of Florida.

Having been born and raised in Miami and now residing in Tampa, this is doubly-exciting for me. Specifically for the Rays, a team that did not exist when I moved to the Bay area in 1996, it’s great to see them playing so well in the most expensive division in the majors ($.5 Billion in payroll this year) if not the most talented. Accounting for only $44 million of the half-billion dollar collective payroll, the Rays are getting it done with youth and great starting pitching. With every win comes additional confidence and belief the team can continue to play well and compete for the AL East title.

The Marlins, on the other hand, have been here before having won the World Series in 2003. However, the Marlins had to surge from 10 games below .500 prior to the All-Star game that year and get some luck along the way in order to qualify for the wild card and the playoffs. Their poor position in the standings in 2003 serves as a reminder that just because you’re on top in May or June does not mean that’s where you’ll finish at the end of September, and vice versa.

Nevertheless, the excitement for baseball in the state of Florida is tangible. With the recent championships won in this state slowly disappearing in the rear-view mirror (Bucs in 2002, Marlins in 2003, Lightning in 2004 and Heat in 2006), the idea of either the Rays or the Marlins playing in the Fall Classic brings a child-like smile to every baseball fan who calls Florida home. On this day following Memorial Day weekend, here’s hoping the standings look the same the day following Labor Day weekend as well.

Of the four major sports in America - and yes, I am still counting hockey as a major sport - my least favorite to sit and watch is Major League Baseball.  However, baseball is arguably the one of the four richest in tradition, pageantry and history.  Who can forget James Earl Jones' famous soliloquy in Field of Dreams?  Baseball may no longer be the national pastime, but it is indelibly part of the fabric of this country.

Part of the rich tradition of Major League Baseball is all the off-season maneuvering done by most franchises.  Affectionately known as the hot stove league, GM’s from coast to coast spend their winters making trades, signing players and losing sleep over the final ingredients that will deliver a championship to their city.  That is, all GM’s but one. 

Enter Larry Bienfest, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Florida Marlins.  In Mr. Beinfest’s case, the only thing he is losing is excessive salary for his organization.  In the matter of three months, the Marlins have managed to reduce their salary requirements by more than $30 million.  They have done so by trading or refusing to resign star talent such as Carlos Delgado, A.J. Burnett, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and Josh Becket, who was the MVP of the 2003 World Series team.  Bienfest calls the series of moves a market adjustment.  Loyal fans, still remembering the moves following the 1997 World Series championship, call it yet another fire sale.

The problem is that both sides are right.  The fans have every right to be upset and see this as just a knee-jerk reaction by team management.  In their eyes, the only thing in which Jeffrey Loria is interested is making money.  The flip side of that argument is that Loria, and the Marlins as an organization, cannot be profitable if the fans don’t come to the games.  From 2001 through 2005, the Marlins never ranked better than 26^th (out of 30 teams) in terms of average attendance per game.  In fact, the ranking of 26^th came in 2004, the year following their World Series victory over the Yankees.  In all other years, they were either 28^th or 29^th.

This does lend some truth to Larry Bienfest’s declaration of a market adjustment.  If winning a World Series does not dramatically increase fan attendance, then why spend so much on player payroll?  If you compare where the Marlins ranked in overall payroll versus average attendance, you would see that from 2001 through 2004, the rankings were never more that four spots apart.  However, for 2005 the Marlins carried the 19^th highest payroll in the league, while ranking 28^th in average attendance.  Only the Devil Rays and Royals were worse draws in the stands.

For the Florida Marlins, partaking in the hot stove league has a different meaning.  After all, it doesn’t get as cold in Miami as it does in places like New York, Boston and Chicago.  For that matter, the tradition of baseball is not as rich in South Florida as it is in other cities, and that partly explains the lack of fan support for the Marlins.  There are other factors in Miami that detract entertainment dollars away from Mr. Loria.  From a night on South Beach to watching Shaq and the Heat to a weekend trip to the keys, Miami locals are spoiled when it comes to how they are going to spend their time and money in pursuit of recreational activities.

I would hate to see the Marlins leave Miami, as has been rumored for some time now.  However, I would completely understand why if they did.  Perhaps South Florida was too fickle a market for MLB expansion?  Perhaps Miami fans demand too much in terms competitive expectations? Maybe the Marlins can field another championship team with a $35 million payroll?  Whatever the situation, the truth of the matter is that Marlins fans can’t expect the franchise to stay home in Miami if they themselves stay home for the games.