This Week in Baseball 4/30 - 5/6

[vivalaultra 0]

The Marlins should go to San Antonio. I mean, they have to do SOMETHING with all that San Antonio Diablos merchandise they printed up when it looked like the Saints were moving to SA a couple years ago. Then, stick the Diablos in the NL Central and move the Pirates to the NL East where they belong.

[Mik 0]

Whatever. I want them to move at this point. I have no attachment to Miami, just the team.

 

Move the team and Cabrera and Willis get locked up.

 

I hope it happens.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I really don't think Texas needs another baseball team at this point. (Yes, I realize that geographically it's a huge area, but still).

 

I personally dislike the idea of the Eastern US getting another baseball team. Portland really should get one, although I think MLB likes to leave them out there as a sort of red herring. "Your city won't pay to build a stadium? Fine, we'll move them to Portland, where they've been begging for one for 30 years!"

 

Las Vegas will probably never happen, since that will automatically make people second guess game results there.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Baseball is probably only ahead of Hockey in terms of betting on the sport, so I cant imagine why "OMG they're gonna bet on games if they play in Las Vegas" is gonna be a problem.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

I guess you're right about Hampton Roads, Marvin. Oh well. I thought it would be a smart move, as one-team towns work great for the NBA.

 

The problem with Las Vegas as a sports market is that nobody there is really FROM Las Vegas, and thus would have no real attachment to a team, since they just follow their original teams, so you'd basically just have another expansion team where everyone just comes to watch the Cubs, Cardinals, and Dodgers, and doesn't really care for the Las Vegas Gamblers or whatever, especially since Dodgers and Cubs programming is already available in Nevada. Besides, it's Las Vegas. With everything there is to do there, why watch a baseball game? Plus, with betting on baseball being such a big deal in the sport's history, it would be a big p.r. boner to stick a team there.

 

It's hard to figure out expansion and relocation for baseball, moreso than any other sport, because certain teams just occupy huge swaths of land for their fanbases, and have done so for such a considerable period of time that it's hard to shake prior allegiances. The Red Sox own New England, the Braves own the southeast, and the Cubs and Cardinals own the midwest, plus lots of the west and mid-south, so there's a whole slew of cities that are already practically accounted for. Look at Tampa-St. Petersburg, perfect example. It's all old Braves fans and east coast transplants. The Devil Rays were doomed from the get-go.

 

Indianapolis could work, but they're too close to the Cubs, Cardinals, and Reds. Sacramento is too close to the SF Bay. Columbus is too close to Cleveland and Cincinnati. Orlando is just ill-advised. Hartford is too close to Boston. Memphis is smack-dab in the middle of Cardinal Nation. Buffalo is bankrupt. Marvin says Virginia Beach is a no-go. I don't know where to put the Marlins, frankly. Montreal, part deux warms my heart, but Loria would be shot at the Vermont-Quebec border for what he did to the Expos.

[snuffbox 0]

The baseball world needs the Des Moines Pigfuckers.

[devo 0]

More bad news for the Mets as Orlando Hernandez is going on the 15-day DL with bursitis. Even worse, Chan Ho Park is going to start in his place tonight.

 

http://www.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/200...3.html#comments

 

Bah. Well, in any case, this can't be any worse than when Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez were spot starting, right?

 

Right?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Oklahoma City - they want a basketball team so bad, but how about baseball?

or

Salt Lake City - wouldnt be a 1 sport town but close

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think it would help if the Marlins paid for their own damn stadium. It still amazes me that they can fall $30 million short of a stadium, cry poverty, and then sign Carlos Delgado to a $56 million contract. You would think someone would catch on to the bullshit by now.

 

As far as other markets, the problem with Portland, San Antonio, Las Vegas, etc. is that they all lack secondary markets. All are relatively isolated so that you can draw within the city, but there's no profit to be made outside of it. That's a big issue. It's too bad there's no city in Canada or someplace that can get creative and be the only team in a French-speaking providence.

[bob_barron 0]

Even though the Redbirds do well, you couldn't put a team in Memphis. As Czech said, it's total Cardinal country.

 

It's a shame they can't just contract the Fish. Maybe kill the D-Rays too?

 

And al is right. If the Fish want a stadium so bad, why can't they just pay for it themselves?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Like I said years ago during the Minnesota/Montreal contraction rumors, I don't think that a team with a world championship should be allowed to be contracted.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

That's another weird thing with the Marlins, too...they've won two world championships. If they move, do you rename them and lose that connection, or do you keep them "the Marlins" in a landlocked city where the name doesn't make sense?

 

I'm still holding out for the Omaha Opponents, myself.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Phils bats better be ready for Hudson tonight...he's been so good this year.

[Hawk 34 0]

Wasn't there talk of Mexico City or Puerto Rico not so long ago? While those are equally long-shots as others aforementioned here, those are other 'options' thrown out. Ultimately, they need to just build their own damn stadium. How many other franchises are having issues right now getting new stadiums?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Not many...really, I think Florida is just a terrible baseball market in general. I mean, the Marlins have won two world championships, fairly recently, and they just don't draw. They need to move. I don't think a new stadium will fix anything.

 

Puerto Rico was found to be financially unviable. They just don't have the economy to support an MLB team. I suspect the same could be said for Monterrey.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

The excuse that Marlins apologists make is that it might rain and it's too hard to drive there, which is a bunch of crap. The threat of rain and a long drive doesn't stop Cardinal fans from making it to games. And St. Louis is humid as fuck, too.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Miami is like Las Vegas, there's many other things to do.

 

Driving in rain is hard? Fucking pussies. Everyone in this country.

[devo 0]

Anybody else watching a game with MLB.tv and having sound sync problems? Refereshing the feed usually works, but it's not doing the trick this time.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Pitchers duel so far in Atlanta...Lieber Vs. Hudson. Quick, Al name two active MLB players worse than Abraham Nunez.

 

0-0 Bottom 5.

[devo 0]

Looks like Lima Time would have been preferable. 7-0 Florida in the top of the fourth, two runs coming in this inning from two solo shots and five coming in the third. To be fair, though, all five runs in the third should have been unearned as Easley dropped a soft liner that would have ended the inning but instead scored two runs and led to three more.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Cubs strand 9, 6 ISP, haven't scored since the 2nd, gave up a homer to Jason Bay. Delightful loss.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

So, I'm a day late, but I watched most of the Indians win yesterday.

 

Why doesn't Pronk play 1B more often? He was actually pretty good. He's such a lovely hoss. He's another one that needs to get out of the lousy Midwest.

[CanadianChris 0]

Halladay: He's still awesome.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Brewers beat up on the mourning St. Louis Cardinals, 7-1.

[strummer 0]

And to top it off Moises Alou apparently hurt his shoulder last night and is going for an MRI tomorrow. Endy Chavez still might get that playing time.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Fun fact: The Yankees are one of only three teams to not hit double digits in their win total, along with Kansas City and Washington.

 

I love how it's news that their owner has to make an announcement that the manager and GM aren't being fired, btw.

[Guest Smues]

The Mets fan that shined the light in Tim hudson and Edgar Renteria's eyes got 15 days in jail and a 3 year ban from Shea Stadium. Works for me.

[Failed Bridge 0]

If NESN were to make a reality show about this I'd watch.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Sad stat: At 11-14, this is the Phillies' best April yet under Charlie Manuel.

[CanadianChris 0]

3 solo homers for the Blue Jays against CC Sabathia in the top of the first. Too bad it's raining and the game could be called.