MLB 2020

[CaaC (John)+]

12 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

It's a bit different to rugby - rugby's closer to our football imo, in that the ball is in play more and the play is more dynamic than it is static.

Aye, but I still would prefer watching a rugby match than Grid Iron, I have played rugby in my army days but if I was younger and fitter then I reckon I would have had a shot at playing Grid Iron too.

[OrangeKhrush]

I'm a long time A's fan but the state of the A's and MLB commissioner working with Fisher to try drive the A's out of Oakland has lead to everything Billy Beane tried to achieve being thrown in the mud.   since Beane left the roll of GM around 2017 the team has sank under the management of Forst and Kaval.

with MLBs new draft rules it's going to kill small market teams one at a time, we should ordinarily have had 2nd pick but we will get 6th pick and we are well on pace to lose 134 games and that should land #1 pick but somehow the draft will screw us again.  that's a guaranteed #1 and #2 pick which is generally much higher level of player it starts to tail off after that.

the increased draft money would have helped rebuild but now we end up with lower quality and if you get stuck it's all over.   I can see a NHL style walk out coming to MLB when teams realise these new rules are designed to help the big franchises and restoring baseball to "who can spend the most wins"

[Dr. Gonzo]

On 28/05/2023 at 03:05, OrangeKhrush said:

I'm a long time A's fan but the state of the A's and MLB commissioner working with Fisher to try drive the A's out of Oakland has lead to everything Billy Beane tried to achieve being thrown in the mud.   since Beane left the roll of GM around 2017 the team has sank under the management of Forst and Kaval.

with MLBs new draft rules it's going to kill small market teams one at a time, we should ordinarily have had 2nd pick but we will get 6th pick and we are well on pace to lose 134 games and that should land #1 pick but somehow the draft will screw us again.  that's a guaranteed #1 and #2 pick which is generally much higher level of player it starts to tail off after that.

the increased draft money would have helped rebuild but now we end up with lower quality and if you get stuck it's all over.   I can see a NHL style walk out coming to MLB when teams realise these new rules are designed to help the big franchises and restoring baseball to "who can spend the most wins"

You can spend loads and be complete dogshit in MLB - look at the Padres, massive offseason for them and they're... same old Padres.

I think the As ownership's been a disgrace with move from Oakland - Oakland's had some massive losses as a city from their sports sides, Golden State Warriors fucking off across the bay to SF (which is the least egregious of their team departures), Las Vegas taking their other two sports sides. It's sad for the fans, but it also hurts the local economies. And even when cities are willing to spend hundreds of millions on behalf of the billionaire owners... the teams don't care because they view the city they're moving to as a bigger long term market to make more money. I sympathise with their fans - living in SD, I've got a number of ex-Charger fans as friends. I hear many Oakland fans are becoming Padres fans now because they want to stick with a California side... but don't really like the Giants or Dodgers - so that's a silver lining from a SD point of view, but ultimately pretty shit for their fans and for Oakland.

[OrangeKhrush]

49 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

You can spend loads and be complete dogshit in MLB - look at the Padres, massive offseason for them and they're... same old Padres.

I think the As ownership's been a disgrace with move from Oakland - Oakland's had some massive losses as a city from their sports sides, Golden State Warriors fucking off across the bay to SF (which is the least egregious of their team departures), Las Vegas taking their other two sports sides. It's sad for the fans, but it also hurts the local economies. And even when cities are willing to spend hundreds of millions on behalf of the billionaire owners... the teams don't care because they view the city they're moving to as a bigger long term market to make more money. I sympathise with their fans - living in SD, I've got a number of ex-Charger fans as friends. I hear many Oakland fans are becoming Padres fans now because they want to stick with a California side... but don't really like the Giants or Dodgers - so that's a silver lining from a SD point of view, but ultimately pretty shit for their fans and for Oakland.

The situation is bad and MLB has been desperate to move the Athletics franchise.    I am not sold on Vegas as the local population is not good, Vegas money belongs to people that are not there for baseball, I would have though something like Nashville with Vanderbilt near or San Antonio (maybe to close to Houston and Texas) or Washington State (mariners may not like that).

I have lost interest, there is nothing to watch or be excited about

[Dr. Gonzo]

37 minutes ago, OrangeKhrush said:

The situation is bad and MLB has been desperate to move the Athletics franchise.    I am not sold on Vegas as the local population is not good, Vegas money belongs to people that are not there for baseball, I would have though something like Nashville with Vanderbilt near or San Antonio (maybe to close to Houston and Texas) or Washington State (mariners may not like that).

I have lost interest, there is nothing to watch or be excited about

Vegas having an NFL team has been a pretty big tourism draw from a city that is already a massive tourist draw. However, Vegas local fans have been angry about the number of away fans that go to each match and how there's a huge allocation for away fans - I'm not sure they have the right to be as angry as fans from Oakland who were in the area and turned up regularly to have their team taken away purely because Las Vegas was seen as attractive because of that tourist draw. It's hard to get away fans to turn up in far away places in the US - but (especially for people on the west coast) it's not hard to get people to turn up to Vegas if they've got a decent enough reason to go to Vegas.

I'm sure the Athletics have the same thing in mind, especially with their very unambitious owner. He can continue to minimally invest in the team and make huge amounts of money from traveling fans who want to see their team in a very popular tourist destination that's basically built for tourists first and foremost.

[OrangeKhrush]

3 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Vegas having an NFL team has been a pretty big tourism draw from a city that is already a massive tourist draw. However, Vegas local fans have been angry about the number of away fans that go to each match and how there's a huge allocation for away fans - I'm not sure they have the right to be as angry as fans from Oakland who were in the area and turned up regularly to have their team taken away purely because Las Vegas was seen as attractive because of that tourist draw. It's hard to get away fans to turn up in far away places in the US - but (especially for people on the west coast) it's not hard to get people to turn up to Vegas if they've got a decent enough reason to go to Vegas.

I'm sure the Athletics have the same thing in mind, especially with their very unambitious owner. He can continue to minimally invest in the team and make huge amounts of money from traveling fans who want to see their team in a very popular tourist destination that's basically built for tourists first and foremost.

location viability is an issue, jack London square or Howard Terminal are the only possible locations with the current ball park site being deemed impractical.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 hour ago, OrangeKhrush said:

location viability is an issue, jack London square or Howard Terminal are the only possible locations with the current ball park site being deemed impractical.

Typically when an owner wants to leave a city in the US, they use these excuses. The Charger’s owner made public statements that he was disappointed that San Diego didn’t let him have half of downtown San Diego to have the city build him a new stadium… but that was truly impractical. He claimed the site they were currently at was impractical… but it very clearly wasn’t.

They made their minds up to move, it’s only by making outrageous demands do they pretend they’ve exhausted every avenue available and express regret about moving.

[OrangeKhrush]

The A's went on a 7 game streak only to in typical fashion give them all back. 

[OrangeKhrush]

the A's and royals should be banned from MLB for abject refusal to compete.  While I feel for any local fan of the A's, Oakland and the people running it are corrupt to the core and treat the people like second class citizens, while San Francisco gets all the preferance.  

I am not a Vegas fan either, I would rather go to Montreal or into Washington state rather but that's just my feeling.   seeing the A's like this is devastating.

[OrangeKhrush]

the people of Oakland are not completely exempt either and do hold blame for piss poor attendance for 20 years, even when the team was competitive the stands are empty.

[OrangeKhrush]

25-71 makes 40 wins look like a challenge, one that will get worse when we trade off our scraps.

the draft lottery meant that instead of skenes, Crews or  Langford who would have boosted the farm with #2 overall pick, we ended up getting draft punked to #6 pick and took a 1 tool contact only bat with a FV per fangraphs of 45+ which is league average, a high floor low ceiling pick.   

next season we are on course for #1 pick but the draft will fuck us over again.  Tanking is part of the game, it allowed mega rich teams to reset fast and build franchises.  The Astros one such team that built a dynasty on tanking for 4 years, the red Sox have followed a world series then tank then world series method to great success.

for me the Manfred draft lottery is another way the rich teams look to kill of small teams as the A's franchise may be heading the way of the expos, extinction of a 130 year brand.

 

[OrangeKhrush]

https://theathletic.com/4681570/2023/07/12/oakland-athletics-mayor-manfred-meet-ballpark/

One last push to keep the A's in Oakland.  I don't oppose a move as long as it is beneficial to the growth and competitiveness of the team to compete in that mid bracket of ball clubs that can spend 120m-130m on salaries.   Vegas however is not it, nor is Oakland,  Oakland seems like the devil we know but it is a small market baseball city who's area of influence has been cannibalised by the Giants.   

A new ballpark may give a novelty for the short term but bums on seats only come from a successfully run team and under Fisher and Forst this ball club is dead in the water. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Padres are totally dogshit this year but apparently this is also the season with record high attendances for the team.

[Dr. Gonzo]

@OrangeKhrush Bob Melvin's fucking shite, do the As want him back? Padres need to get rid as soon as this dismal season's over.

[OrangeKhrush]

3 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

@OrangeKhrush Bob Melvin's fucking shite, do the As want him back? Padres need to get rid as soon as this dismal season's over.

Melvin had his time but I think he lacks what is needed to win in the post season.  The Padres are massively under performing