This earlier post noted that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have been the train-wreck of Major League Baseball for the club’s entire existence. Now, this Landon Thomas/NY Sunday Times article explains how former Houstonian Andrew Friedman — son of longtime Houston attorney J. Kent Friedman — is taking an innovative approach as Devil Rays general manager in attempting to make the ballclub competitive in the brutal American League East Division. Interestingly, the article notes that the Devil Rays best player is another native Houstonian — outfielder Carl Crawford — but does not even mention (even in a picture!) another former Houstonian who was recently hired by the Devil Rays to help Friedman: former Stros GM Gerry Hunsicker. Hunsicker’s star sure has dimmed since leaving Houston, hasn’t it?
Meanwhile, this San Antonio Express article provides the latest on San Antonio’s effort to lure the Florida Marlins (previous posts here and here):

[Bexar County Judge Nelson] Wolff said he has received 36 non-binding, oral commitments from area businesses to rent suites. That information, he said, will be passed on to [Marlins owner Jeffrey] Loria on Monday in Houston, where a San Antonio contingent led by Wolff . . . will watch the Marlins’ season opener against the Astros as Loria’s guest.

According to the Marlins, the [proposed San Antonio] ballpark likely would sit on 18.2 acres, require an additional 100-140 acres for parking and include 38 luxury suites with 16 seats each.
There also would be 24 premium suites (20 seats each) and seven party suites (30 seats). The four newest ballparks in MLB have an average of 64 suites. . . . Wolff said the Marlins told him weeks ago the stadium would cost $310 million, not including a retractable roof or the cost of the land.
Wolff’s plan to pay for the proposed stadium requires the county to provide as much as $200 million, with the Marlins picking up the rest of the tab. The county’s share would be generated, pending voter approval, through an extension of the hotel and car rental taxes paying for the AT&T Center.