Piazza31

I'll touch on each part I can.... I thought you argued Tropicana was viable, my mistake. Bill Foster rings a bell, maybe my timeline is off - but the idea wasn't that far off. MILB in Tropicana was discussed in an article and the writer was invited on one of these shows / podcasts. Want to say it was a Jonah Keri one. I'll try to find the article or the interview. It was something discussed when Foster was in office- so I guess it's older than I thought.

I mean, they just kept Stanton from the 2011-2012 team if I remember correctly. What am I missing?

They drew well in 2012, rebuilt from 2013-2015. They weren't a very good team either. Marlins in 04 and 05 had a respectable bump- same with 2012.

Wasn't petty, thought it would be funny. Sorry bout that. Fired up for the same reasons you are,I want to see these teams thrive- but I think you're mistaken in some of your key points. Truthfully, St. Pete was a terrible location for a ballpark. It's infastructure around the park is weak and soon it will be gentrified. It's not a viable location, and while you claim it is... the proof is in its history. The team in any other market would be celebrated and have a great future. Erick said it best and I'm paraphrasing here "Put the Rays in Miami, and it'll be a mid level revenue team in a heartbeat". Time not being up for St. Pete is a big step up from just a year ago when the Mayor of St. Pete was adament they will not discuss a new ballpark for the Rays and force them to honor their lease agreement. It got bad enough where at one point the Rays were exploring how to honor the lease agreement while moving out of the ballpark at the same time. I believe one option bandied about was moving one of their minor league affiliates into Tropicana and moving elsewhere. St. Pete has gotten in their own way by having a middle child complex. It knows it isn't Viable for the team to remain there and they want to go to Tampa Proper or elsewhere, and it knows losing the team will make them small potatoes. They want to be Tampa, Orlando and Miami- and they feel losing a team will make them more like Davie. They don't want to lose "Major League City" in their resume, and they least of all don't want to lose the rays to tampa (their older brother).

True, relishing someone elses misery. I mean, his lebatard segments are insightful when he talks about the team. Maybe Jeter is treating leftover employees like shit?

I feel like he's the only one qualified to discuss how difficult it is for this new ownership group- and probably has inside information based on his past relationships and friendships.

Got a feeling they hired Bowers and he was delegating everything... and they realize he wasn't needed after all. Probably reward for Jones and Conner for their hard work by giving them those titles.

Marlins Park at least has places to eat around it, a dive bar, and four different ways to get home with NW 17th ave, NW 7th Street, 836 and i95. Plus, they have hookers close by too. Lots of hookers. St. Pete wants to tear down that ballpark to make it a east version of Silicon Valley.

Your opinions fight like a younger man... admirable, but mistaken.

No other city has built a facility because it realizes just how long and tedious the process of luring a MLB or any major sport is. It's ultimatly a long game many politicians don't want smearing feces on their public record. Look what happened to St. Pete, Winnipeg, Quebec, Hartford and Seattle. When a prospective owner plops a stadium down in a city, they will get a team. Las Vegas and Seattle for instance. The Rays won't stay put past their lease. I see them taking off in a deal much like how DC got the Nats and Denver the Rockies. Approve a stadium, play for a year or two in a shared stadium and get a team.

The Athletics, and I can say this unequivaqlly... want to play in Oakland, do not want to do the relocation song and dance to piss off the politicians after the Raiders have defected.... They are about to buy the coliseum land for to build a new stadium on it, AND turn it into a destination spot, unlike Tropicana Field. Their endgame is to tear down Mt. Davis- and build a beautiful ballpark on that property if their first goal falls through. New owners are committed to Oakland, and they want a Howard Terminal Stadium / Project. If it falls through, they want to stay on the Coliseum land and they have an offer from the county to buy the counties part of the stadium and the land for $85 million, allowing the goverment to wash their hands of the sports business and rent/stadium issues. Buying that land and the stadium for $85 Million is a hell of a bargain because even if they relocate its prime real estate. They are about to be the only sport in Oakland. The Sharks, Giants, 9ers, and Warriors are on the other side of the bay, and the Raiders will be in Las Vegas. They have stock in community pride, and draw decent enough for playing in that stadium competing for entertainment dollars against a dynasty literally in their own parking lot. The Athletics have a clear road to success lining up perfectly for themselves. The Rays have a clear road too, filled with traffic congestion, a long drive and a lack of a destination... much like Interstate 275.

As someone who has been to the ThunderDome.... I refute your claim that refutes his claim, and double down on the fact TropicanaThunderDomeField sucks. With that said, probably means no scoreboard to view stats from the OF, and the concourses literally reminded me of the US1 Indoor Flea Market on Us1. The Baseball Museum is riddled with fake jerseys from chinese counterfeiters, even for jerseys of former players who they could have just grabbed a jersey off the racks to sign for display. Coupled with the commute, and the lack of jack shit around that park--- it sucks, it really really sucks. It didn't gamble on baseball, it build a convention center with the idea it could theoretically have baseball played in it. It was built out of narcissism and the WANT for major league sports. It's primary goal was to house a permanent Professional Sport Tenant, but it eyed conventions, hosted basketball and tennis and the lightning until the Lightning got their new stadium- was renovated to have baseball in it. ULTIMATELY, Tropicana Field is a decaying, dilapidated and uncomfortable shithole of proof that when you try to please everyone and do everything- its end result is a pile of shit and bricks in the middle of nowhere that no one will drive an hour and a half to sit in. It has all the charm and charisma of the Pontiac Silverdome.... currently.

I feel like I read this in the prologue of Mein Kampf.

Wait.... what just happened?

Joe Frisaro is the ball pit at your local McDonalds that doubles as a swingers room at Trapeze.

I think Hill was proven competent by his picks for the most part, but over ruled by LORIA himself on trades that involved sending prospects OUT. Wasn't Loria the one who was balls deep on top 100 prospect rankings and constantly wanting top 100 prospects?

James Bond is the first avenger. There I said it.

Government center I believe. Third floor? Maybe second.

Chris Evans is the new Mark Hamil.

The other part is if he has already been type cast... he's probably going to HAVE to eat this and stay in the MCU. I can't think of another movie Chris Evans has done since becoming Captain America. Same w Mark Ruffalo... but everyone else I can think of a few. Chris Evans is the new Mark Hamil.

When they how marlins players out in the community, its been Pablo Lopez, and Miggy Ro and Lewis Brinson. The people they are catering to don't really care that hes 0 for 52.... they care that hes a Marlins player and they want to be close to the famous guy. Remember, this is the same regime that didn't care so much about the score... but the experience at the park. They want the casual fans to have a connection to this team too. (YES I know jeter walked back that statement and wants to win.)

I think this might work

Marlins Park... or be it the Orange Bowl Site... was supposed to have metrorail access back in the day- and they abandoned it. There is actually a platform that goes UNUSED for this specific purpose that has sat vacant for maybe 30 years. [ATTACH]2936._xfImport[/ATTACH]

Guys, Caleb Smith is... REALLY Good. [ATTACH]2934._xfImport[/ATTACH]

Didn't they send Dean down because of his defense, not his bat? Brinson is still in the big leagues because he just might be the only brandable player on this team and he's from South Florida.