Marlin Fans Can’t Take It Anymore, Sue the Team

The Florida Marlin season ticket-holders are so angered by their 1997 World Series champion’s payroll purge, they are taking the team to court.

Two separate class-action lawsuits were filed Monday--the first day court was open after Friday night’s seven-player trade with the Dodgers that left Florida’s roster with few of last year’s players.

“The last trade really demonstrated to me the management of the team was no longer interested in the type of product they were going to play in 1998,” said Henry Handler, 44, a Boca Raton attorney who filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

Florida, which got rid of 12 players from its World Series roster during the off-season, has lowered its payroll from $53 million at the end of 1997 to $24 million.

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Baltimore pitcher Mike Mussina was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season. Mussina sustained a broken nose and facial lacerations Thursday when hit by a line drive hit by Cleveland’s Sandy Alomar.

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St. Louis pitcher Donovan Osborne was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained left shoulder, a move retroactive to May 8.