Quote:
Originally Posted by Boston Red
That's great for Dayton and their owners. I just don't really think that translates to Dayton being a crown jewel from the Reds' perspective. Nice to have, sure. But I don't think the Reds "owe" Dayton anything.
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That's just it though. Their owners aren't owed anything by the Reds. They're selling out and have season ticket waiting lists whether there are prospects there, or not. They were selling out when DanO instituted his policies on taking until there is one strike and strict pitch counts on starting pitchers. Those policies may have helped develop some players (or not), but it made for some borderline unwatchable baseball.
It's the Reds fans in the Dayton area that I'm talking about. The ability to further develop ties with such a large, ready fan base. It's good for the players too. The facilities in Dayton and the crowds there are much more in line with higher levels of the minors. The Dayton community, as evinced by the story on Votto's surrogate Dayton family, embrace these players and are more closely tied to the Reds because of it.