My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!
The stadium is pretty old and small, it was refactored for soccer yes. Ten years ago, so not very recent.
But the PCL had decided to move the team anyway. AAA baseball wasn't working here anymore, there was no connection to the team (Padres club) and it was a good move for them to move on. That doesn't say anything about the market today though
redsmetz (02-23-2020)
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays...mpression=truePORT CHARLOTTE — Baseball’s players union would prefer the Rays find a full time, long-term home in the Tampa Bay area, but under the right terms, it could approve the plan to split future seasons with Montreal, executive director Tony Clark said.
REDREAD (02-27-2020)
There's no way any players are going to want to split their season like that. Good luck getting any quality free agents. Then again, the Rays don't compete much in that market.
I'm losing confidence in the leadership of MLB with some of these idiotic ideas. Splitting a team between two cities? 7 teams in the playoffs for each league? The Commissioner calling the World Series trophy a piece of metal?
This is a serious question to those that oppose the plan for Tampa to split its home games with Montreal?
Other than "it's never been done before (violates tradition)" and "the players won't like it", what are the reasons for the objections.
The players might love the idea. I hear Montreal is a fun city, lots of night life. They might enjoy having more fans per game in attendance at home. The potential for the Rays to earn more revenue might trickle down to the players. Maybe Tampa could actually retain players with the extra revenue..That's another reason they might like it.
I am guessing most of the players do not spend the offseason in Tampa anyhow, so what's 40 more days at a hotel/short term lease in Montreal, instead of spending those 40 days at their in season home?
What about the kids and wife? Well, the kids could stay in school in Tampa if they wanted to. The players have enough money to bring their kids to Montreal on the weekends if they really want to.
Edit: Also, playing half the games in Montreal might mean less time on the plane flying to the away games, Montreal is closer to more teams than Tampa is.. The players might like that too.
Last edited by REDREAD; 02-24-2020 at 03:41 PM.
[Phil ] Castellini celebrated the team's farm system and noted the team had promising prospects who would one day be great Reds -- and then joke then they'd be ex-Reds, saying "of course we're going to lose them". #SellTheTeamBob
Nov. 13, 2007: One of the greatest days in Reds history: John Allen gets the boot!
The thing to remember with the split schedule proposal is the Rays don't want to play in two cities either. What they want is out of Tampa Bay.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
REDREAD (02-27-2020)
Well, you are probably right.
But Montreal failed as bad as Tampa when had a team. Loaded with stars (in its later years), strong farm, poor attendance.
Doesn't make sense to move the Rays permanently to Montreal, IMO.
So yea, this is probably just a ploy to get a new stadium, but I think it is a good idea for struggling small market teams.
If the Reds played half their home games in Nashville, but were able to pump up their payroll by 50 million due to increased revenue, I would totally be ok with that.
[Phil ] Castellini celebrated the team's farm system and noted the team had promising prospects who would one day be great Reds -- and then joke then they'd be ex-Reds, saying "of course we're going to lose them". #SellTheTeamBob
Nov. 13, 2007: One of the greatest days in Reds history: John Allen gets the boot!
It actually has been done before. In 1968 and 1969 the White Sox played 9 "home" games in Milwaukee in 1968 and 11 in 1969. In 2003 and 2004 the Expos played 22 games in Puerto Rico each year.
Expos manager Frank Robinson said the constant travels between Montreal, San Juan and other cities for a second consecutive year puts his team at a disadvantage compared to other clubs.
"This is not a usual schedule for any team," Robinson said. "It's very disruptive. Last year it was new, nobody knew, it was kind of exciting. This year you know the ins and outs, you know the wear and tear, and then you go 'oh boy, here we go again.'"
Robinson said with the Expos' lack of resources, his team has "to play almost perfect baseball" to make up for the extra traveling.
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/iss...KindExpos.html
cumberlandreds (02-24-2020),REDREAD (02-25-2020)
There were some serious structural problems the Expos (stadium location, Canadian TV and sponsorship deals). It's a big city of 4+ million with a TV market of 10+ million in Quebec and the Maritimes (plus extra in northern New York and New England). Big sports city. If they get it right there, it's a tasty market.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
KYExtemper (02-24-2020),REDREAD (02-25-2020),Revering4Blue (02-26-2020),Yachtzee (02-27-2020)
REDREAD (02-25-2020)
If the Reds made 50 million more playing half their games in Nashville then in Cincinnati they would move all their games there and make 100 million.
Splitting talk is just blackmail to see which city will give the billionaires a handout, it's not a real possibility.
Go Gators!
Crumbley (02-25-2020),kaldaniels (02-24-2020),KYExtemper (02-24-2020),Wonderful Monds (02-24-2020)
The idea of making more money between two cities is based on tv contracts you get 2 instead of 1 that you sell. For the Ray's they sell Ray's games to fox sports florida and also get to sell to Montreal tv network and these networks get more money because fans can only go to 41 games so that have to watch on tv.
REDREAD (02-25-2020)
cumberlandreds (02-25-2020)
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