One of my favorite national bloggers, Craig Calcaterra from the HardballTalk Blog, gives me a mention in discussing Tim Elfrink’s Miami NewTimes article which criticizes the new Marlins stadium in Little Havana [cant’ write that enough]. Calcaterra writes:

As for the specifics of the Miami New Times article, longtime friend of HBT — [JC: very true, see links at end of post] — Jorge Costales, who was quoted in the article, makes several clarifications over at his blog. For what it’s worth, Jorge is pro-stadium and was actually pro-taxpayer funding for the stadium as far as it went. But he has been a sharp critic of Jeff Loria and the Marlins’ claims of poverty that helped get the deal done.

And I think that’s where I come down. Personally, I am against taxpayer funding for ballparks. I can understand, however, why some folks like Jorge take a different side of this depending on the specifics of the funding, the need for the stadium, the location and other factors. All politics is local, and there’s a direct correlation between one’s knowledge of a given area and one’s righteousness in taking a strong stance on the matter. When I speak about ballpark funding it’s usually a philosophical matter, and that only gets you so far.

But no matter the merits of any specific plan, the case for a ballpark has to be made honestly. And it seems fairly clear to me that the case for the Marlins’ new palace was not made honestly. That’s something that should be remembered when the place opens up next spring.

Very rare for the opinionated world of blogging to see someone take a nuanced approach on an issue. Below are a few of my favorite mentions by the evolution of Hardball Times, ShysterBall, Craig Calcaterra, and Pete Toms over the years:

• 2008 – I was interviewed through email by the gracious John Beamer.
• 2009 – Calcaterra praises my comparison of the Marlins and New York Yankees stadium deals.
• 2009 – Calcaterra gives me a platform to defend the stadium deal.
• 2010 – Calcaterra tries to keep an open mind on Emilio Bonifacio [it’s like a habit with this guy].