The worst MLB owner was...NOT Jeffrey Loria?!

It’s been one year since the Derek Jeter/Bruce Sherman ownership group unseated Jeffrey Loria for control of the Miami Marlins. With time, the change will prove to be a positive one, simply because it’s difficult to handle the franchise worse than Loria did.

The accomplished art dealer became Marlins owner in February 2002, oversaw the 2003 World Series champions...and it was all downhill from there.

Loria empowered himself and son-in-law David Samson to barge into baseball operations decisions. They repeatedly dumped the most talented and popular players for pennies on the dollar rather than increase payroll. Loria pressured the city of Miami to fund his new stadium and grossly underestimated the cost of the project. He sued season ticketholders and set unreasonable prices for non-premium seats. Despite that, Loria allegedly operated his business at a loss, requiring Jeter/Sherman to absorb the debt when purchasing the team.

Most importantly, the Marlins missed the playoffs for 14 straight years, posting sub-.500 records in each of his final eight years in charge. The fanbase understandably deteriorated during his reign.

With that in mind, SB Nation introduces us to the Cincinnati Reds’ Marge Schott, a worthy contender to Loria’s bid for worst MLB owner ever:

Even Loria was in disbelief watching that video on his phone.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports