The Miami Marlins' ballpark sat mostly empty Monday, which will likely be the case all year, and team owner Jeffrey Loria leaned his back against the bar in a hospitality area, sipping water in circumstances that warranted stronger stuff. Happy hour, it was not. As part of a three-day public relations blitz, Loria met with a dozen writers and tried to put a positive spin on his widely mocked offseason decisions. After the Marlins' dismal first season in their new home, Loria said, the roster dismantling he ordered was the right move because they were headed in the wrong direction. He said a return to payroll austerity was needed because the Marlins lost tens of millions of dollars in 2012 after an unprecedented spending spree. The Marlins will eventually spend again, and they want to sign precocious slugger Giancarlo Stanton to a multiyear contract, Loria said. He said he understands why fans are upset but hopes they will embrace this year's young, unproven team, which many expect to lose 100 games. read more http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2013/s...effrey-loria-says-dismantling-team-was-needed
