2023 MLB Season Thread

[underGRADFlame]

I thought this was interesting...

After years of complaints about the Oakland Coliseum that predated Manfred's appointment, and an inability to negotiate government assistance for a new ballpark in the Bay Area, the A’s plan to move to a stadium to be built on the Las Vegas Strip with $380 million in public financing approved by the Nevada government.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

I thought this was interesting...

That is interesting. I thought LV holds the cards with whatever they want to do as all major sports want a piece of the pie. I thought for sure an owner would have to build their own place at their cost. Guess not.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Why can't they just play where their farm team plays? It's a nice AAA park that was built in 2019, seats about 10,000 which isn't great but they'd pack it every night (and probably more than they'd average in Oakland or SF anyway). Their farm team currently plays there so they could either share it, have the farm team move back to Cashman Field or more likely move them somewhere else relatively nearby that's had AAA in the past like Fresno or Tucson. Or move the Vegas AAA team back where it came from, Honolulu haha.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Why can't they just play where their farm team plays? It's a nice AAA park that was built in 2019, seats about 10,000 which isn't great but they'd pack it every night (and probably more than they'd average in Oakland or SF anyway). Their farm team currently plays there so they could either share it, have the farm team move back to Cashman Field or more likely move them somewhere else relatively nearby that's had AAA in the past like Fresno or Tucson. Or move the Vegas AAA team back where it came from, Honolulu haha.

Did they actually have a team there? That must be crazy travel but an amazing setting for a field.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Did they actually have a team there? That must be crazy travel but an amazing setting for a field.

Yes, the Hawaii Islanders played in the PCL (AAA) from 1961 to 1987:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Islanders

They moved to Las Vegas after the 1987 season. They were affiliated with San Diego for a lot of that time which makes somewhat sense but then after that they were paired with teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago White Sox which doomed them. Your prospects would be so jet lagged and it would take forever to get them, it's crazy how they were able to manage. Not to mention the wear and tear on their travel schedule.

[bluejays]

That's a crazy find.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by bluejays

That's a crazy find.

I remember watching the Cannons play them as a kid!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Yes, the Hawaii Islanders played in the PCL (AAA) from 1961 to 1987:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Islanders

They moved to Las Vegas after the 1987 season. They were affiliated with San Diego for a lot of that time which makes somewhat sense but then after that they were paired with teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago White Sox which doomed them. Your prospects would be so jet lagged and it would take forever to get them, it's crazy how they were able to manage. Not to mention the wear and tear on their travel schedule.

Sounds similar to the Cannons. Were fine as Seattle's affiliate, even if they screwed us a couple of times. Once it was also the White Sox and Pirates, they were doomed.

[Sylvanfan]

I see that Andre Dawson is asking Coopstown to change his hat from the Expos to the Cubs. In a way I get it because the Expos did become a pretty bad organization and money wise were really bad. Plus representing a team that no longer exists snd frankly never won anything might cause a lot of bitterness. He did have most of his better years in Montreal. But like most any player from that era probably wishes the team would have traded him away in 84.

I was an Expos fan as a kid....but older me looks back and sees a team that really fell apart and always underachieving in what might be the biggest stadium blunder in history.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I see that Andre Dawson is asking Coopstown to change his hat from the Expos to the Cubs. In a way I get it because the Expos did become a pretty bad organization and money wise were really bad. Plus representing a team that no longer exists snd frankly never won anything might cause a lot of bitterness. He did have most of his better years in Montreal. But like most any player from that era probably wishes the team would have traded him away in 84.

I was an Expos fan as a kid....but older me looks back and sees a team that really fell apart and always underachieving in what might be the biggest stadium blunder in history.

I've got a lot of feelings on this I guess as an Expos fans (and a bit of a HOF nerd, having attended the Raines induction)


I get in the end its just a cap on a plaque, and I get too that Dawson isn't a robot and has a right to his feelings, but certainly baseball wise (despite his MVP season in Chicago which was widely viewed as a very weak MVP choice- he hit a lot of homers, but his overall season wasn't great (wasn't even his best year in Chicago, and I think they were a last placed team that year??) his best baseball was far and away (in duration and peak) in Montreal- he was the 2nd best player in baseball likely (behind Schmidt) in both 81 and 83 and likely a 5-7 year stretch where he, Schmidt and Carter were the best players in the NL


his HOF resume was built on his MTL years, not his Chicago years. This isn't a Ray Bourque Aves situation but its also not a Macinnis St Louis situation (there too I think MacInnis was better as a Flame overall but that one feels like 60:40 or 55:45, Dawson MTL:CHI is more like a 70:30 for me)


I get that the money was poor and heck the big Owe ruined his knees so I don't begrudge his feelings, but the Dawson in Montreal was an elegant 5 tool centerfielder and the Dawson in Chicago was a breaking down/winding down RF

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by looooob

I've got a lot of feelings on this I guess as an Expos fans (and a bit of a HOF nerd, having attended the Raines induction)


I get in the end its just a cap on a plaque, and I get too that Dawson isn't a robot and has a right to his feelings, but certainly baseball wise (despite his MVP season in Chicago which was widely viewed as a very weak MVP choice- he hit a lot of homers, but his overall season wasn't great (wasn't even his best year in Chicago, and I think they were a last placed team that year??) his best baseball was far and away (in duration and peak) in Montreal- he was the 2nd best player in baseball likely (behind Schmidt) in both 81 and 83 and likely a 5-7 year stretch where he, Schmidt and Carter were the best players in the NL


his HOF resume was built on his MTL years, not his Chicago years. This isn't a Ray Bourque Aves situation but its also not a Macinnis St Louis situation (there too I think MacInnis was better as a Flame overall but that one feels like 60:40 or 55:45, Dawson MTL:CHI is more like a 70:30 for me)


I get that the money was poor and heck the big Owe ruined his knees so I don't begrudge his feelings, but the Dawson in Montreal was an elegant 5 tool centerfielder and the Dawson in Chicago was a breaking down/winding down RF

Unless the player really wants to go in representing a team, I think they could just do blank caps for guys who represented multiple teams in their career.

I agree that Dawson's best seasons were as an Expo...mostly before my time...you could also argue that if he was a Cub those years he might have had more Fame to edge out Schmidt as the MVP. So I get the bitterness on his part. I wouldn't blame Raines either even though for me, his best days were definitely as an Expo. Carter still seems to be the guy most loved by fans....but he won more with the Mets.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Unless the player really wants to go in representing a team, Ibthink they could just do blank caps for guys who represented multiple teams in their career.

I agree that Dawson's best seasons were as an Expo...mostly before my time...you could also argue that if he was a Cub those years he might have had more Fame to edge out Schmidt as the MVP. So I get the bitterness on his part. I wouldn't blame Raines either even though for me, his best days were definitely as an Expo. Carter still seems to be the guy most loved by fans....but he won more with the Mets.

sure but Raines doesn't even really have an obvious 2nd team to lean on- would be the White Sox I guess and he had some good years there but absolutely none of his allstar games, MVP votes really anything of note came in Chicago. He won with the Yankees but as a platoon /bench players. While I think Raines (and Dawson) both have legit issues with money, contracts, league collusion etc in their Expos years, I don't see how Raines could lay claim to anyone else (and frankly haven't heard him complain much- he's adored by the weird abandoned expos fan base (present company included) anyways

[bizaro86]

Cardinals have signed 3 free agent starting pitchers including Sonny Gray.

[Drake]

Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot traded to the Dodgers.

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by Drake

Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot traded to the Dodgers.

Watch the Dodgers land Yamamoto as well. Stacked team. But in baseball that doesn't guarantee a world title. It will be cool to watch either way.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Jiggy

Watch the Dodgers land Yamamoto as well. Stacked team. But in baseball that doesn't guarantee a world title. It will be cool to watch either way.

I don't think it'll be cool to watch. Loading up on talent by paying your way through is lazy. Cheers to hoping for their downfall (as in any team that spends it way to success). Lazy bastards!

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Jiggy

Watch the Dodgers land Yamamoto as well. Stacked team. But in baseball that doesn't guarantee a world title. It will be cool to watch either way.

I will be stunned if Yamamoto doesn't go to the Dodgers. I mean if he likes sustained winning and nice weather that's the place to go.

Buehler
Glasnow
Yamamoto

One hell of a top 3, then you have 3 MVP bats in the line up and a smattering of 3-4 WAR players as well.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Gonna be utterly hilarious when the 125 win Dodgers lose in the first round to a 84 win wildcard team.

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I don't think it'll be cool to watch. Loading up on talent by paying your way through is lazy. Cheers to hoping for their downfall (as in any team that spends it way to success). Lazy bastards!

The Dodgers are one of the better drafting and developing teams in the MLB. So it's interesting they're going to modern day Yankee route.

I can see them winning a ton of regular season games and then bowing out to a lesser team in the playoffs. Which would bring all baseball fans tears of joy.

[browna]

Interesting that if there is an ownership change or President of Baseball ops change, Ohtani can opt out.
Ownership not likey but President of Baseball ops? For Ohtani to do that and guarantee the employment of one man for 10 years,seems pretty suspicious...good chance of some under the table assurances from the Pobo that would (further) circumvent the cap and convince him to come to LA.

Also interesting that the deferral money idea came from the Ohtani camp at the last minuteish last week.

No reporters had the guts to ask about the Jays, though this was a sanitzed Dodgers event. I wonder when they will.