2018 MLB Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

Montreal should have a team, it's the biggest city in the US and Canada without a team, but I think everyone's getting ahead of themselves figuring that they're a lock to either get a relocation or expansion team. The new mayor has paid lip service to baseball, but there's the issue of where the money will come from for a new stadium that can derail anything. The bill for the Olympic Stadium finally got paid off the year after the Expos moved, so tax dollars for a stadium can be a harder sell there than most other cities. And I think a referendum would probably show more interest in having a baseball team there than people who oppose it. I just don't know how this stadium happens without mainly private money building it. The potholes in that city would be enough for me to never want a single tax dollar to go towards anything that isn't infrastructure.

Also for those who have not been to Montreal the Olympic Stadium is not in a very good location, it's on the east side of the city and is only serviced by one metro line. It can't be reused for more than a few years, while a new stadium closer to Centre-Ville is built. So many stars need to align for this to really work out, a booming US city like Nashville, Charlotte, Vegas, or Portland would have a much easier time putting a bid and stadium together.

Also I would desperately want a 8-team, 4-division format for baseball once it moves to 32 teams. But we'll certainly get 8, 4-team divisions. I don't know how this works with the wild card, since a 5-team playoff won't work unless you subject a division winner to a 1-game playoff. 6-teams is even harder logistically unless you give the 2 best teams in each league a week off or something. That's probably what they want since it means more TV dollars, and even fewer teams who are truly out in September, but maaan it stinks. We play a long baseball season to prevent the sport being determined by flukey playoff runs.

[Meacon Keaton]

6 hours ago, GhostMachine said:

The hell with the remake. Go watch the 1951 original. 

I don’t wanna watch the 90’s version because Tony Danza dies!

Why would I watch a movie that’s almost 70 years old and surely had a whole cast of people that are now dead?!

[The Buscher]

Baltimore
Boston
New York Yankees
Toronto

Chicago White Sox
Cleveland
Detroit
Minnesota

Colorado
Kansas City
Houston
Texas

Las Vegas
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland
Seattle

Montreal
New York Mets
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh

Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Washington

Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
St. Louis

Arizona
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego
San Francisco

That's just a quick mock up of an eight division format with based on the hypothetical that Montreal, Charlotte, and Vegas all get teams and Tampa goes away.  I tried to keep as many division rivalries in tact as I could...but it's pretty hard to maintain a lot of continuity.  As a Mets fan, losing Mets/Braves just wouldn't feel right but geographically speaking if a Charlotte team is coming in I think the NL East would definitely beat risk of being fragmented.

I thought about sending Milwaukee to the AL since they've at least been there before, but in any event Colorado was going to be awkwardly shoehorned into a division so I sent them to the AL instead.

[Meacon Keaton]

6 minutes ago, Buschoru Suzuki said:

American League East:

Baltimore
Boston
New York Yankees
Toronto
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland
Detroit
Minnesota

American League West:
Colorado
Kansas City
Houston
Texas
Las Vegas
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland
Seattle

National League East:
Montreal
New York Mets
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Washington

National League West:
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
St. Louis
Arizona
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego
San Francisco
 

Look how much sexier that looks. *fans self* Mmm mmm mmm.

[The Buscher]

I'd argue at that point you may as well put Vegas in the AL West and keep Colorado in the NL.  But I just can't see them going to four divisions.

Which is unfortunate because it'd allow you to keep the playoff structure at five teams per league.  The division winners host the division series, the best wild card team plays the division winner with the worse record, and the second and third wild card teams have a play-in game.

[Meacon Keaton]

Yeah, it'll never shake out that way. It's just my dream scenario. 

[Draevyn]

5 hours ago, damsher hatfield said:

Montreal should have a team, it's the biggest city in the US and Canada without a team, but I think everyone's getting ahead of themselves figuring that they're a lock to either get a relocation or expansion team. The new mayor has paid lip service to baseball, but there's the issue of where the money will come from for a new stadium that can derail anything. The bill for the Olympic Stadium finally got paid off the year after the Expos moved, so tax dollars for a stadium can be a harder sell there than most other cities. And I think a referendum would probably show more interest in having a baseball team there than people who oppose it. I just don't know how this stadium happens without mainly private money building it. The potholes in that city would be enough for me to never want a single tax dollar to go towards anything that isn't infrastructure.

Also for those who have not been to Montreal the Olympic Stadium is not in a very good location, it's on the east side of the city and is only serviced by one metro line. It can't be reused for more than a few years, while a new stadium closer to Centre-Ville is built. So many stars need to align for this to really work out, a booming US city like Nashville, Charlotte, Vegas, or Portland would have a much easier time putting a bid and stadium together.

Also I would desperately want a 8-team, 4-division format for baseball once it moves to 32 teams. But we'll certainly get 8, 4-team divisions. I don't know how this works with the wild card, since a 5-team playoff won't work unless you subject a division winner to a 1-game playoff. 6-teams is even harder logistically unless you give the 2 best teams in each league a week off or something. That's probably what they want since it means more TV dollars, and even fewer teams who are truly out in September, but maaan it stinks. We play a long baseball season to prevent the sport being determined by flukey playoff runs.

You also left out that Montreal is one of the worst cities when it comes to sports fans. Like just terrrible.

[thatshortguy]

Dodger fans waited two hours to look up from their phones and argue with your post.

[Meacon Keaton]

Marlins signed Cameron Maybin. Rays signed Carlos Gomez. Orioles signed Colby Rasmus.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

I missed baseball.

 

[million$$man]

Rays traded Corey Dickerson to Pittsburgh for Daniel Hudson and Tristan Gray

[GhostMachine]

On 2/21/2018 at 07:01, damsher hatfield said:

Montreal should have a team, it's the biggest city in the US and Canada without a team, but I think everyone's getting ahead of themselves figuring that they're a lock to either get a relocation or expansion team. The new mayor has paid lip service to baseball, but there's the issue of where the money will come from for a new stadium that can derail anything. The bill for the Olympic Stadium finally got paid off the year after the Expos moved, so tax dollars for a stadium can be a harder sell there than most other cities. And I think a referendum would probably show more interest in having a baseball team there than people who oppose it. I just don't know how this stadium happens without mainly private money building it. The potholes in that city would be enough for me to never want a single tax dollar to go towards anything that isn't infrastructure.

Also for those who have not been to Montreal the Olympic Stadium is not in a very good location, it's on the east side of the city and is only serviced by one metro line. It can't be reused for more than a few years, while a new stadium closer to Centre-Ville is built. So many stars need to align for this to really work out, a booming US city like Nashville, Charlotte, Vegas, or Portland would have a much easier time putting a bid and stadium together.

Also I would desperately want a 8-team, 4-division format for baseball once it moves to 32 teams. But we'll certainly get 8, 4-team divisions. I don't know how this works with the wild card, since a 5-team playoff won't work unless you subject a division winner to a 1-game playoff. 6-teams is even harder logistically unless you give the 2 best teams in each league a week off or something. That's probably what they want since it means more TV dollars, and even fewer teams who are truly out in September, but maaan it stinks. We play a long baseball season to prevent the sport being determined by flukey playoff runs.

I'd rather see a team go to a city that hasn't had one and lost it. In fact, I'd say look into putting one in Mexico rather than another Canadian team. Charlotte and Nashville sound good to me, because then the local news channels would stop considering the Braves the `local team' as far as coverage goes. There are just as many, if not more, Reds fans here than Braves fans. At least I see more people wearing Reds gear than Braves around here, anyway.

[Gabriel]

12 hours ago, GhostMachine said:

I'd rather see a team go to a city that hasn't had one and lost it. In fact, I'd say look into putting one in Mexico rather than another Canadian team. Charlotte and Nashville sound good to me, because then the local news channels would stop considering the Braves the `local team' as far as coverage goes. There are just as many, if not more, Reds fans here than Braves fans. At least I see more people wearing Reds gear than Braves around here, anyway.

The Monster in Fenway wouldn't look nearly as large compared to the wall that these players would have to crush homers over if Trump gets his way.

Seriously though, Northern Mexico would be a good spot if the politics weren't so turbulent right now. If Canada is in consideration at all, teams in Montreal and possibly Vancouver wouldn't do badly. There are probably better places in the States to place teams, but Canadians deserve a second option over the Jays. We love baseball up here, but we only have one team to represent the whole country.

[Meacon Keaton]

I've decided I'm just going with Yankee games on MLB.TV this year. I'd gotten games for all teams the last two years, but I think I watched maybe a dozen non-Yankee games over that time. I'll save myself the $30 and just stick to my boys this season. Let me know if you want my log-in and password GhostMachine so you can watch too. 

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Baseball starts today. I mean, it's spring training but...

54 minutes ago, Meacon said:

I've decided I'm just going with Yankee games on MLB.TV this year. I'd gotten games for all teams the last two years, but I think I watched maybe a dozen non-Yankee games over that time. I'll save myself the $30 and just stick to my boys this season. Let me know if you want my log-in and password GhostMachine so you can watch too. 

Seems like they might not have this option for Blue Jays games. I used to love falling asleep to the sweet sound of Vin Scully. I'll probably ending biting the bullet and getting it all. I typically split it with some guys anyway. 

[Meacon Keaton]

4 minutes ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Baseball starts today. I mean, it's spring training but...

I've worked from home since Tuesday. Work called and asked to have me come in for a meeting today and I specifically stated it needed to be 9am-12pm and not 12pm-3pm because the Yanks come on at 1. I obviously didn't tell them that was my reasoning.  

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

44 minutes ago, Meacon said:

I've worked from home since Tuesday. Work called and asked to have me come in for a meeting today and I specifically stated it needed to be 9am-12pm and not 12pm-3pm because the Yanks come on at 1. I obviously didn't tell them that was my reasoning.  

Does it sound like Russell Wilson will play in spring training games?

[Meacon Keaton]

1 minute ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Does it sound like Russell Wilson will play in spring training games?

Probably not. He's set to arrive at camp on Monday. He'll likely just do fielding drills, batting practice, and throw the football around with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge while analysts cream themselves over what great tight ends they could have been. 

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Blue Jays & Phillies are wearing Stoneman Douglas High School hats for their game today. 

When I turned it on, I could not for the life of me figure out why it looked like the Jays were wearing San Diego hats. 

[Meacon Keaton]

11 minutes ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Blue Jays & Phillies are wearing Stoneman Douglas High School hats for their game today. 

When I turned it on, I could not for the life of me figure out why it looked like the Jays were wearing San Diego hats. 

Every team in the league is.