MLB Off-Topic

[redsox4evur]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I could understand that if the team moved in 96 or 97. But I don't think not finishing the 1994 season had much effect on the decision 10 years later.

I do agree with you. But if, and this a strong if, they had won the WS that would bring more fans to the park and therefore, bring in more revenue. And that does have a trickledown effect. And maybe they could have kept their better players like Pedro instead of trading them or letting them walk in FA.

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I could understand that if the team moved in 96 or 97. But I don't think not finishing the 1994 season had much effect on the decision 10 years later.

While '94 didn't DIRECTLY cause the Expos leaving it was the tipping point that ownership wasn't all they were cracked up to be. The literal selling off of big cogs in that '94 team caused fans to stay away in droves. The seasons when the Expos did show a chance to make the playoffs the attendance actually spiked upward so despite the narrative that gets thrown around out there, Montreal fans DID care about their team.

'94 is the point of demarcation because ownership tried for years starting in '95 to get a stadium built and it never really became a reality. The closest was when Loria half heartedly had a tentative plan with Labatt Park but in reality he was looking to get out of dodge ASAP. If the Expos had made the playoffs/world series in '94 the willingness by the corporate community and government would've been there a lot sooner and the Expos would've had a new stadium. We wouldn't be talking about the Nationals as they're currently constituted.

[ShowTyme15]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Crazy story about former Rays first round pick.

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150918&content_id=150328386&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb

[CMH]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I do agree with you. But if, and this a strong if, they had won the WS that would bring more fans to the park and therefore, bring in more revenue. And that does have a trickledown effect. And maybe they could have kept their better players like Pedro instead of trading them or letting them walk in FA.

The Rays are still waiting on their World Series attendance bump.

Marlins have not fared well either.

Atlanta can't even get people to go to post season games.

The narrative that a championship brings fans is a myth. Likely created by the league and ownership to drive attendance during the season and/or rebuild lost faith by getting fans to commit to a rebuild so greener pastures are on the horizon.



sent from my mobile device

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

2 Florida teams arent exactly the best teams to use in attendance examples in any sport.

KC as an example... Bottom 5 attendance before,but now in top 10.

Giants were borderline top 10,since their first ws,they now top 3-5 on consistent basis.

[redsox4evur]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

http://fansided.com/2015/09/15/karl-ravech-trolls-draft-kings-baseball-tonight-video/?utm_source=si.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=si.com

Karl Ravich. Do you agree or disagree with him.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

http://fansided.com/2015/09/15/karl-...ampaign=si.com

Karl Ravich. Do you agree or disagree with him.

I agree with him because of his standpoint, but I disagree when he's making the claim for everybody.

Meaning, as a baseball fan, he doesn't need more reasons to become a bigger fan. He doesn't see it from the outside, looking in. Neither do I, not for baseball. Though, I started watching more football when I started playing fantasy football. I'll watch RedZone and pay attention to all teams on Sunday. Yes, I'm paying attention to my player, I'm hoping he gets touches and targets, and every so often you'll hear me say the line: "I hope [player X] does well as long as [team Y] loses." However, I also acknowledge the fact that fantasy has made me become a bigger fan of the league than I am of any particular team, and it makes me more knowledgeable and less narrow-minded.

Nevertheless, I still try my damnedest to not draft players for teams I simply don't want to see win (or players I might have a vendetta against for any particular reason), so normally I'm not going to be playing a game of hypocrisy, meanwhile I can have fun watching more of the sport. I don't know why he would want to turn people away. It's not always important why we watch the sport as much as it is important that people just do watch the sport. Even I have to admit that baseball isn't trending compared to that of football and basketball. It's almost as if Ravech is saying that a game between two September call-ups starting the game is just is riveting as watching Bumgarner vs. Greinke. We watch what entices us.

Granted, I love baseball so I'll watch no matter what. I'm sure he's equally against bandwagon fans as well as fantasy activists. It's just another opinion that he needs to get this side of before he loses his gig with ESPN, who is routed deep into fantasy material right now. All that being said, I signed up for fantasy baseball this year, forgot about my draft, and haven't changed my lineup at all this year. I just checked, and I have Hanley Ramirez at SS. I placed 5th out of 8 in my league, and I didn't care for one second about that team. Maybe missing the draft was the issue. Either way, you'll still me sitting down right now watching the Subway Series, even though I have no actual investment in either team or any of their players. I'm sure Ravech is too, because we are baseball fans. I don't think he can see how the world is shaped outside of being a baseball fan, is all.

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The Rays are still waiting on their World Series attendance bump.

Marlins have not fared well either.

Atlanta can't even get people to go to post season games.

The narrative that a championship brings fans is a myth. Likely created by the league and ownership to drive attendance during the season and/or rebuild lost faith by getting fans to commit to a rebuild so greener pastures are on the horizon.



sent from my mobile device

As someone said, using Florida based teams to back up your statement is a bit sketchy because the Miami and Tampa markets have never been great. There were people in the game before those franchises came into being that warned that it will never work long term.

The Montreal market is a fickle one that demands the best from ownership. There's been times when the Canadiens have had mediocre seasons and the fans made their distaste very clear by not going to the games etc etc.

Baseball in Montreal actually HAS a history all the way back to 1897 so when the Expos came around it wasn't virgin territory. As I said before, bad/lazy management post '94 were the beginnings of the end. The straw that broke the camel's back in many ways was '02 when the Expos were making a push for the postseason. They were the only team in baseball that weren't allowed to make September call-ups and thus the regulars who've been playing all year were severely fatigued and they faded out of the race. This was viewed as unfair even if it wasn't a foregone conclusion that they'd make the playoffs.

Montreal fans aren't idiots they saw what was going on and they weren't going to go out to the park only to watch the team be ripped away from them. The generation of fans right now that are trying to get a team back in Montreal are a far younger group and the Expos have a bit of a mystique now as something of a wayward child needing to come back home. This is exactly what happened with the Montreal Allouetes of the CFL. That franchise folded in the mid '80s and came back in '95. Once they got a proper facility the fans have been coming out in droves and football is so ingrained in the province that the Quebec schools are often in the Vanier Cup every year. (the Canadian equivalent of the NCAA Championship Game) The same kind of thing can and probably will happen with baseball if the market is given a chance again.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

http://fansided.com/2015/09/15/karl-...ampaign=si.com

Karl Ravich. Do you agree or disagree with him.

I personally hate the Draftkings/Fanduel stuff...besides from having to see a commercial for them at EVERY break, they aren't a measure of any type of sports knowledge and are really just gambling.

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I'm a big season long fantasy guy (meaning not daily like DK or FD). I don't mind them, the more fans the better for the game of baseball. I do mind the every 5 second damn commercials, it is exasperating. What I think it is sadder is the introduction of DK on a telecast of something like Baseball Tonight which is supposed to be the "straight news" type of programming for baseball fans on ESPN being brought down to the level of forced inclusion. It feels unbecoming.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

So, interesting stat from the Fox broadcast of the Cubs-Cards game.

From 2000 on during the Pujols Era (Est. 2001), the Cardinals played .560 baseball, which was best in the NL.

After the Pujols Era (2012-present), the Cardinals have played .575 ball, which is tops in baseball.

I'm sure there are several precedents with teams losing a Hall of Fame caliber player and getting better, but I remember thinking Pujols leaving was going to hurt St. Louis badly at the time. Crazy to think they've gotten even better instead.

[AC]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I'm a big season long fantasy guy (meaning not daily like DK or FD). I don't mind them, the more fans the better for the game of baseball. I do mind the every 5 second damn commercials, it is exasperating. What I think it is sadder is the introduction of DK on a telecast of something like Baseball Tonight which is supposed to be the "straight news" type of programming for baseball fans on ESPN being brought down to the level of forced inclusion. It feels unbecoming.

Every Youtuber is shilling for them now.

I love season long fantasy, but I'm interested in DFS. I couldn't do it myself (even knowing who was on my DFS team would take away from my enjoyment) but I'd love to automate it so that I could automatically insert the optimal players in the optimal tourneys.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Don't know if they mentioned it cause Yankees are headed towards a WC spot despite being 3rd best team in AL right now, but during their game today, commentators mentioned something I don't know if it's being considered by MLB or not, but they said something about how playoff format next year being changed.

Basically it'd just be going the way of the NBA format. Where division winners are in playoffs,but not guaranteed anything. So it means a division winner could be playing in the WC game vs the 2nd WC team while the 1st WC team is already in the LDS series.

So basically if season ended today. ALDS would be Royals vs WC game winner(Rangers vs Astros) and Jays vs Yankees. NLDS would be Cards vs WC game winner(Mets vs Dodgers) and Pirates vs Cubs.



And I find it funny that now of all times,they suddenly bring up issue of how Yankees-Mets happens every year, but you don't see other teams in AL East facing Mets every year. They didn't seem to mind it before when Mets sucked....

But they did mention how that should be something MLB looks at. Getting rid of these "regional rivalries" due to unbalanced schedules. Having Yankees-Mets,Dodgers-Angels,Cubs-Sox facing off every year, cause they'd be only team in their division doing that series, so their divisional opponent has 4(or more) games vs diff opponents,and those few games could be deciding factor in playoff berth.

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

^^^That has always been talked about, not just now. As for going straight by record, I say no. Perhaps the best thing that this ridiculous 1 Game playoff has brought is renew importance and urgency in winning your Division. Teams are scared to death of having to play the 1 Game playoff so they fight really hard to win the Division.

The possibility of the Pirates or Cubs having a better record than a Division winner is just a byproduct of the new system. No system is perfect.

But then again I'm for drastically curtailing Interleague play if not outright elimination of it so there is that.

[Gronk4M13]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Pasted from ESPN-

REPORTS: BREWERS TO NAME STEARNS AS GM
According to multiple reports, the Brewers are expected to name Astros assistant GM David Stearns, 30, as their new GM as early as Monday, as first reported by Fox Sports. Prior to being hired by the Astros, Stearns was director of baseball operations for the Indians from 2011-12.