[cferneyh]

Will an international profile save baseball? Who knows. I'm still pissed they killed the Montreal team. Buncha muther :censored s

It's sad that a world-class team and organization (with the exception of the owner :roll: ) could get killed off, but the fact still remains that they couldn't get fannies in the seats and that is what decides the fate of teams.

Au contraire mon ami. They did get fannies in the seats when they were competitive (and from '79 to '83 they beat the NL attendance average) (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/montattn.shtml">http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/montattn.shtml</a><!-- m -->). Fans stopped showing up when ownership became a joke and the Expos became a farm team for the rest of the league.

With the exception of the Leafs in the 80s, I can't name too many franchises where the fans continue to show up when the team is owned by jackasses who want public money to build them fancy stadiums so that they can sell the franchise for 10 times what they paid for it.

[Spycouple]

... the fact still remains that they couldn't get fannies in the seats and that is what decides the fate of teams.

Au contraire mon ami. They did get fannies in the seats when they were competitive (and from '79 to '83 they beat the NL attendance average) (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/montattn.shtml">http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/montattn.shtml</a><!-- m -->). Fans stopped showing up when ownership became a joke and the Expos became a farm team for the rest of the league.

Yeah, there were few fans by the end of it, but to simply chalk it up to disinterest in baseball I don't think is accurate. While it wasn't as shifty as the ex-owner of the Grizzlies buying the team and then moving it to Memphis a year later, it did seem like the plan all along was to move the team if a tax-subsized stadium wasn't built. And really, how would that ever sell in Montreal with the constant reminder of the Big O's issues.

Given the Grey Cup appearance of the Alouettes tomorrow, I think it is relevant to look at Montreal's recent football history, i.e. "there's no interest in football in Montreal" back when the team(s) folded because they couldn't get fans out to the Big O. Then they come back with games at a downtown college stadium when the weather is nice, and by the colder playoff games they're getting fans out to the Big O again. Maybe if Montreal hadn't been the first test case for failed retractable roof (that was never completed) the fannies may have stayed in the seats.

Now Go Lions!

jf

[The Darkest Canuck]

more talk about wheelings and dealings please ...

[Spycouple]

more talk about wheelings and dealings please ...

oh there was some wheeling and dealing going on with Expos getting moved, to be sure!

but yeah, speaking of the Expos (or ex-Expos), what kind of deal (w/ :twisted: ) does El Duque have to allow him to keep his official age perpetually at 38 years old, thereby allowing him to score a two-year contract? Don't get me wrong, I love watching him pitch. even when he was a Yankee. He's a character out there, like him or not, kinda like David Wells, i.e. when he's in a big game, I'm always wondering "Is he going to pull it off yet again?"

But hasn't his arm been ready to fall off for a while now, like when it went dead in the Sox series in '04? And this year he tears his calf, much like Pedro did earlier in the year (only for Pedro to find other muscle issues going on)? Is that symptomatic of more injuries to come? Who knows, maybe Minaya signed him as a clubhouse presence, or to help keep Julio Franco feeling like he's not too old!

[The Darkest Canuck]

haha!


what's everyone one think of the awards handed out so far?

no surprises yet so far IMO...

hopefully, Jeter will be announced MVP tomorrow...i find it hard to believe that this guy's never won it before...oh well...*crosses fingers*, he should get it tomorrow, he deserves it, best all around Baseball player alive today, and of his era IMO...

[cferneyh]

Jeter ....best all around Baseball player ..... of his era IMO...

:lol:

Now c'mon - a guy who averages 17HR and 76 RBI a season is the best all around baseball player of his era. That's just silly.

[Spycouple]

Jeter ....best all around Baseball player ..... of his era IMO...

:lol:

Now c'mon - a guy who averages 17HR and 76 RBI a season is the best all around baseball player of his era. That's just silly.

Depends on how you define player! Pretty solid numbers there.

[cferneyh]

Jeter ....best all around Baseball player ..... of his era IMO...

:lol:

Now c'mon - a guy who averages 17HR and 76 RBI a season is the best all around baseball player of his era. That's just silly.

Depends on how you define player! Pretty solid numbers there.

hock:

OK, I'm definitely a fan of Jeter's social life....except for Mariah Carey. Ew.

[VioletlightHeron]

Thoughts and opinions on the Cubbies acquiring Soriano? Personally, I think he's team chemistry poison but he'll defenitely add some punch offensively and defensively that the Cubbies have been sorely lacking with only Ramirez and Lee as offensive weapons.

[The Darkest Canuck]

Jeter ....best all around Baseball player ..... of his era IMO...

:lol:

Now c'mon - a guy who averages 17HR and 76 RBI a season is the best all around baseball player of his era. That's just silly.

last time i checked, there was more to baseball than just hitting homeruns... :roll:

any team in the league would want Jeter at shortstop...

also, he's got a great attitude, and he's an all around class act, which is more than can be said for most high profile/elite players nowadays.

2150 hits in 1679 games...

at that rate, he will surpass Pete Rose's all time hits record by 305 hits (if he plays at least the same number of games as Rose)...

so no, I'm not kidding...

[beevo's voice]

Bonds is the best all around player of the era hands down. Especially if you are looking at stats. Jeter is the best captain or leader. Like an Yzerman or Messier. He has the intangibles.

[The Darkest Canuck]

Bonds' defense is nowhere near Jeter's and never has been...

and he probably usesd steroids and lied about it :lol:...

ALL AROUND means you can bat, rob teams of hits/runs on the defensive end of things, lead a team, everything...

Jeter can do it all...

not to mention...how many WS rings does Bonds have? oh that's right...NONE...

[cferneyh]

Bonds won eight Gold Gloves in his prime, so saying his defense is nowhere near Jeter's is just idiotic. The only reason Jeter has won Gold Gloves at SS is because Pay-Fraud moved over to third.

And yeah, there is more to baseball than just hitting homeruns, but hitting homeruns is generally what defines the value of a player and what he meant to his era. Ever hear of Babe Ruth? Or Willie Mays? Or Mickey Mantle? Or Ted Williams? Compare their stats to Jeter's and try and tell me again that Jeter belongs in that category.

As for the World Series titles, be serious. You know that that's a function of the team he plays for, and their willingness to buy titles, more so than anything else. If he played for the Pirates, they wouldn't suddenly become World Series threats.

It pains me to say it, but Pay-Fraud is the best player of this era. Hell, he had an "off" season for him yet his numbers still dwarfed Jeter's.

[Douglas]

Jeter ....best all around Baseball player ..... of his era IMO...

:lol:

Now c'mon - a guy who averages 17HR and 76 RBI a season is the best all around baseball player of his era. That's just silly.

Depends on how you define player! Pretty solid numbers there.

hock:

Wow! That is the best list ever. He nailed 4 on my top 5 wish list.

OK, I'm definitely a fan of Jeter's social life....except for Mariah Carey. Ew.

[tommygunn]

Depends on how you define player! Pretty solid numbers there.

Don't forget Vida!