Editorial: Ready to reel in the Marlins?

Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005 | 7:54 a.m.

Once again a baseball team is scouting for a new home and once again Las Vegas appears to be in the running.

This time it is the Florida Marlins, whose owners are upset that the team must play in the Miami Dolphins football stadium instead of a stadium of its own. Last year Las Vegas worked hard to attract the departing Montreal Expos, which ultimately chose Washington, D.C., as their new home.

At the time, Mayor Oscar Goodman said the city would continue to search for a pro team. We agree that the Las Vegas metropolitan area, now with about 1.7 million people, is ready for a big-league team and that the city should seek a franchise.

This is not to discount the problems that we face. Where would we put a stadium? How would it be financed? Would Major League Baseball allow relocation to a city teeming with sports books? The city felt it could overcome these problems in chasing the Expos and that same air of confidence should prevail now.

A professional sports team, in our view, would be a crowning touch for Las Vegas. We believe a team, especially a baseball team, would have a healthy fan base between our own population and the 100,000-plus tourists who are here daily.