Fire Sale Article Index for
Fire 		Website Links For
Fire 		 

Information About

Fire Sale
  CATEGORIES ABOUT FIRE SALE
   
sports terminology
   
florida marlins
   
chicago bulls
   
washington capitals
   
montreal expos
   
houston astros
   
oakland athletics
   
san diego padres
   
phoenix coyotes
   
nashville predators
   
APPAREL
BABY
BEAUTY
BOOKS
CAR TOYS
CELL PHONES
DVD'S
ELECTRONICS
GOURMET FOOD
GROCERIES
HEALTH & PERSONAL
HOME & GARDEN
JEWELRY
MUSIC
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
OFFICE PRODUCTS
SOFTWARE
SPORTING GOODS
TOOLS & HARDWARE
TOYS
VIDEO GAMES
SHOPPING HOME
MORE SHOPPING...




USE IN SPORTS

In professional sports, a fire sale occurs when a team ships many of its veteran players to other teams for less expensive players. The term is generally thought of as separate from merely "rebuilding", because during rebuilding, teams often obtain players who are in the major leagues already or who are close to being major-league-ready. On the other hand, trades in a fire sale often result in a team receiving draft picks and prospects who have little to no major-league experience in their sport.

Several fire sales have been rather notorious in recent years:

  • In 1995 , the Montréal Expos released many of their star players to fulfill orders from their owners to cut payroll. Combined with the Players' Strike that had cancelled the World Series the year before, the fire sale ultimately alienated much of the Expos' fan base. The team never recovered, and they Moved To Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season.


  • The Florida Marlins had a fire sale after their 1997 World Series victory and finished in last place the following year; most of the prospects they obtained never became regular major-league players, and the Marlins did not have a winning record again until 2003 . They, too, suffered a substantial drop in attendance. During the 2005 offseason, they held another fire sale, shipping off many of their star players (including 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett ) for mainly minor-league pitching prospects, about the same time that they had announced their plans to explore relocation.


  • Similarly, the Washington Capitals had a fire sale during the 2003-04 NHL Season because their team was in the midst of what would become their worst season in 26 years. They traded several of their veteran stars, obtaining many minor-league players and draft picks. One of the players that they traded, Robert Lang , was the NHL's scoring leader at the time; this was the first time in NHL history that an NHL player was traded during a season in which he had led the league in scoring.