MLB 2023 Season

Michael Lorenzen no hits the Nats tonight in his second Phillies start wearing Vans.
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for the uninitiated, this is a big big day. especially with rumors creeping up that the team might be moving. and as a long suffering fan with the exception of 2005, loooonnnng overdue.
 
Blaze said:
Lmao what? What did he do? Hahaha wow

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He's been back for a week now. We're going up for the Rays series in a few weeks. Could have a Os and Braves World Series. The 2 favorite teams in the Carolinas. Would definitely be a popular series around here.

Andy if you have Direct tv you can get MASN and watch 99% of the Os games
 
Hopefully Phillies lock up the top wild card spot tomorrow
 
Walk off to clinch a playoff spot. Red October here we come.
 
The Nature Boy said:
I hate the Rays and Yankees. I at least respect the Yankees.

I do not respect the Rays. Poverty franchise in a ****** sports market in a terrible stadium.
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Well if there’s anyone to hate it’s probably Sternberg. Otherwise, the team operates really well for balling on a budget each year.

Tampa Bay is a fine sports market, downtown St. Pete is just too out of the way for most for what’s admittedly a ****** stadium experience. The new stadium and surrounding development remind me a lot of Truist, hopefully it pans out.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Well if there’s anyone to hate it’s probably Sternberg. Otherwise, the team operates really well for balling on a budget each year.
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My issue with the Rays is that they lack a core team identity and culture. It doesn't help that their stadium is the epitome of sterile in a sport that encourages teams to be unique with stadium designs. They maximize their use of analytics to field competent teams and are remarkable in their ability to do so, but it results in a team that also feels very sterile and interchangeable. You don't get guys staying with the Rays and retiring in Tampa Bay, everyone eventually leaves because the Rays move on from them. "Rays" is also seems like a team name that ChatGPT would give you and is a step-down from "Devil Rays," which was at least quirky. The whole team just feels very sterile and bland.

Their approach to team building is why they haven't gotten over the hump and actually gotten a ring. You can use analytics to build teams that get you to the playoffs but you need to build a team culture, either through your own home grown veterans or with outside talent, in order to power through the playoffs and get a World Series win. You can argue that Pedro Martinez's leadership was a big part in winning 2004 for the Sox and that David Ortiz rallying the team won the Sox a ring in 2013. The Rays lack THAT kind of player and have never shown interest in getting it. They just want to consistently churn out competitive teams with a boring level of consistency. I hate that my team has to compete for playoff spots with a team that shows no interest in doing what it takes to actually win a ring. It's almost like they view making the playoffs consistency as an accomplishment in itself.

I also don't respect teams that treat their players like interchangeable parts and I've hated that the Red Sox are starting to do that ****.
 
The Nature Boy said:
My issue with the Rays is that they lack a core team identity and culture. It doesn't help that their stadium is the epitome of sterile in a sport that encourages teams to be unique with stadium designs. They maximize their use of analytics to field competent teams and are remarkable in their ability to do so, but it results in a team that also feels very sterile and interchangeable. You don't get guys staying with the Rays and retiring in Tampa Bay, everyone eventually leaves because the Rays move on from them. "Rays" is also seems like a team name that ChatGPT would give you and is a step-down from "Devil Rays," which was at least quirky. The whole team just feels very sterile and bland.

Their approach to team building is why they haven't gotten over the hump and actually gotten a ring. You can use analytics to build teams that get you to the playoffs but you need to build a team culture, either through your own home grown veterans or with outside talent, in order to power through the playoffs and get a World Series win. You can argue that Pedro Martinez's leadership was a big part in winning 2004 for the Sox and that David Ortiz rallying the team won the Sox a ring in 2013. The Rays lack THAT kind of player and have never shown interest in getting it. They just want to consistently churn out competitive teams with a boring level of consistency. I hate that my team has to compete for playoff spots with a team that shows no interest in doing what it takes to actually win a ring. It's almost like they view making the playoffs consistency as an accomplishment in itself.

I also don't respect teams that treat their players like interchangeable parts and I've hated that the Red Sox are starting to do that ****.
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I mean as a fan of the losingest team in professional sports history with a grand total of 2 championships in 140 years of existence I'm very happy to make the playoffs. I'm lucky to have lived in arguably the Phillies greatest era of success for 2007-2011 so yes I would say playoffs is an accomplishment to strive for.
 
kkfan91 said:
I mean as a fan of the losingest team in professional sports history with a grand total of 2 championships in 140 years of existence I'm very happy to make the playoffs. I'm lucky to have lived in arguably the Phillies greatest era of success for 2007-2011 so yes I would say playoffs is an accomplishment to strive for.
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At some point, just making the playoffs should be the expectation and winning the World Series should be the goal.

I don't think Tampa Bay fans, after the start the Rays had, are going to be happy with just making the postseason on a wild card. Back in May, the World Series was the expectation.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I don't think Tampa Bay fans, after the start the Rays had, are going to be happy with just making the postseason on a wild card. Back in May, the World Series was the expectation.
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At some point Rays fans have to make some noise about not getting a ring. Consistently making the playoffs is a good foundation but eventually you need to take that next step.
 
The Nature Boy said:
At some point Rays fans have to make some noise about not getting a ring. Consistently making the playoffs is a good foundation but eventually you need to take that next step.
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Reminds me of the pre-Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs. Made the playoffs each season but got ousted in the first round and fans were content with that. Then they got Mahomes and became a dynasty.

In contrast, the Baltimore Orioles fanbase should be ecstatic about just making the playoffs. But the Os are also good enough to go to the World Series, and we (Os fans) are hungry for more. Especially with Brooks Robinson passing away - I want them to win it all for Brooks.
 
The Nature Boy said:
My issue with the Rays is that they lack a core team identity and culture. It doesn't help that their stadium is the epitome of sterile in a sport that encourages teams to be unique with stadium designs. They maximize their use of analytics to field competent teams and are remarkable in their ability to do so, but it results in a team that also feels very sterile and interchangeable. You don't get guys staying with the Rays and retiring in Tampa Bay, everyone eventually leaves because the Rays move on from them. "Rays" is also seems like a team name that ChatGPT would give you and is a step-down from "Devil Rays," which was at least quirky. The whole team just feels very sterile and bland.

Their approach to team building is why they haven't gotten over the hump and actually gotten a ring. You can use analytics to build teams that get you to the playoffs but you need to build a team culture, either through your own home grown veterans or with outside talent, in order to power through the playoffs and get a World Series win. You can argue that Pedro Martinez's leadership was a big part in winning 2004 for the Sox and that David Ortiz rallying the team won the Sox a ring in 2013. The Rays lack THAT kind of player and have never shown interest in getting it. They just want to consistently churn out competitive teams with a boring level of consistency. I hate that my team has to compete for playoff spots with a team that shows no interest in doing what it takes to actually win a ring. It's almost like they view making the playoffs consistency as an accomplishment in itself.

I also don't respect teams that treat their players like interchangeable parts and I've hated that the Red Sox are starting to do that ****.
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I don’t disagree the stadium sucks, it’s nasty and decrepit and hasn’t had any reinvestment into it to speak of. The new development should bring in quite a bit more money and sponsorships, as well as more non-baseball events that the Trop wouldn’t attract. The Devil Rays was also much better branding, and it’s unfortunate they caved to fringe whiners who didn’t like the “Devil” aspect of it. It is, after all, a real animal, and no one seems to have an issue with how the New Jersey Devils, Duke Blue Devils, and numerous other devil-themed college mascots are named.

But for a team on a low payroll, utilizing analytics and cheap young talent is pretty much the only way to compete. It’s not like free agents are beating down the door to come to St. Pete anyways. You have to be savvy with when to let talent walk and reinvest in the farm system. I think they did get the best out of the veteran leaders who stuck around the longest like Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Kevin Kiermaier, Ben Zobrist, Scott Kazmir even.

Of course, it doesn’t help that the Rays finally dropped a major bag on Wander Franco and it turns out he might be a pedo.

And all of this is still more impressive than what Hal Steinbrenner has overseen with the Yankees, who’ve pretty much been reduced to simply being a profit center. Once the stadium development kicks off and the franchise value starts to rise a lot of people wouldn’t be surprised if Sternberg sells to someone who actually can and wants to spend money at a greater level.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I don’t disagree the stadium sucks, it’s nasty and decrepit and hasn’t had any reinvestment into it to speak of. The new development should bring in quite a bit more money and sponsorships, as well as more non-baseball events that the Trop wouldn’t attract. The Devil Rays was also much better branding, and it’s unfortunate they caved to fringe whiners who didn’t like the “Devil” aspect of it. It is, after all, a real animal, and no one seems to have an issue with how the New Jersey Devils, Duke Blue Devils, and numerous other devil-themed college mascots are named.

But for a team on a low payroll, utilizing analytics and cheap young talent is pretty much the only way to compete. It’s not like free agents are beating down the door to come to St. Pete anyways. You have to be savvy with when to let talent walk and reinvest in the farm system. I think they did get the best out of the veteran leaders who stuck around the longest like Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Kevin Kiermaier, Ben Zobrist, Scott Kazmir even.

Of course, it doesn’t help that the Rays finally dropped a major bag on Wander Franco and it turns out he might be a pedo.

And all of this is still more impressive than what Hal Steinbrenner has overseen with the Yankees, who’ve pretty much been reduced to simply being a profit center. Once the stadium development kicks off and the franchise value starts to rise a lot of people wouldn’t be surprised if Sternberg sells to someone who actually can and wants to spend money at a greater level.
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The Orioles focused on the farm system and we see how that's paying off.

The payroll stuff ... I wish MLB had a salary cap. But, the Yankees haven’t done **** with their payroll in years. The Dodgers have, what, one World Series to show for their spending sprees?
 
They really need to change the rules of not being able to call Umpires out. The fact they can get away with this type of bull**** is uncalled for

 
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