Miami ? As the grounds crew grooms the infield shortly before the game on a balmy weeknight, the ballpark is so empty the rakes smoothing the dirt can be heard from the upper deck.

The ambiance at Florida Marlins games tends toward the funereal: eerie silence interrupted by occasional organ music. Empty seats outnumber fans six to one as the Marlins stumble toward another losing season, which would be the ninth in their 10-year history.

A crowd of 4,466 fans watch Florida play against Montreal in Miami in this April 11 file photo. The Marlins have slipped to last in the major leagues in attendance behind even the Expos leading to talk about contracting Florida.

The small crowds are nothing new, but last week the Marlins slipped to last in the major leagues in home attendance, behind even Montreal. While new owner Jeffrey Loria repeatedly has said he expects the Marlins to remain in South Florida for years, sagging ticket sales put them at risk of joining the Expos as contraction targets.

And now baseball is counting down to a strike that would further damage the Florida franchise.

Or would it? Marlins first baseman Derrek Lee chuckled at the question.

“Honestly, I can’t see this market getting much worse,” he said. “On the other hand, maybe it would just completely kill it.”

Attendance has never been worse. The Marlins drew their second-, third- and fourth-smallest crowds on consecutive nights last week against Colorado, averaging 4,852 for three games.

The Marlins would seem to support the owners’ push for more revenue sharing. For most of the past decade Florida has ranked near the bottom of the major leagues in revenue, payroll and victories.

“There are things that need to be done to help the smaller-market clubs,” said San Francisco Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia, whose team just finished a series in Miami. “But at the same time you wonder how much.

“What do the Marlins need to help them? If they get revenue sharing and get $20 million more, is it really going to make this club more competitive? Who knows? Are they going to spend it on players or take a profit? Who knows?”

While such questions are debated, the sport risks further alienating fans in Florida and elsewhere.

When the last work stoppage began eight years ago this month, the Marlins were averaging 32,838 fans per home game.

They never again reached that level, and this season they’ve topped 30,000 once.

Florida’s average attendance of 10,257 is a 35 percent decrease from last season’s 15,765.

A team spokesman said attendance this year is about what management projected.