I’m taking that thing straight to the Goldin guys on Netflix. How much money would you make reselling those tickets?
They were never serious about staying in the area. If they were, they’d have already played a few seasons played in Tampa they were just waiting out the clock on the lease deal. Hurricane just gave them a convenient excuse to come out and say it some dumb city will pay for these rich fucks stadium. My bet - Nashville
I don’t think there is much appetite for a financing a stadium in Tampa. It’s over. Sternberg was always a carpet bagger. If he had moved to the area and became part of the community like Jeff Vinik (owner of the Lightning and similar background as a NE hedge fund guy with no prior ties to the area), he would have had a stadium 10 years ago.
The rumor was that Tampa didn’t make a serious offer and just did it for show. Most likely saving public money for when the Bucs want either a major renovation to Raymond James Stadium or a completely new stadium.
From ESPN's article: Pitcher Félix Hernández, outfielder Carlos González and infielders Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramírez also are among the newcomers joined by reliever Fernando Rodney, second baseman Ian Kinsler, second baseman/outfielder Ben Zobrist, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, catchers Russell Martin and Brian McCann, and outfielders Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones. Plus Ichiro/CC
Closers are hard to judge but Wagner has the highest K/9 (11.9) and strikeout rate (33.2%) and lowest BAA (.187) and H/9 (5.99) of any pitcher with at least 800 IP. He’s only 8th (422) on the all time saves list though, which I think will stupidly be used against him. I think this is his final year on the ballot as well.
Wagner was 5 votes short last year and this is his final chance. Andruw is next at 61% and Beltran at 57%.
Ichiro Jones Beltran Utley Sabathia These are the five with the best cases. Ichiro feels like the only no-doubter who has to be in. Rodriguez/Ramirez should be in but I won't care if they're not because they did it to themselves and I'm not wasting time arguing on their behalf. I don't really care about relievers but go ahead and throw Wagner in if you want. Felix is a really weird case and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with him. In a bizzarro way he has the same argument as Utley, only without the postseason/team success stuff that pushes Utley over the top for me. It's wild that Felix is on this ballot at age 38, and that his last good season came at age 29.
Felix is a bit similar to Andruw in coming up as a teenager and basically flaming out at age 30 which impacts how a lot of people view their careers. Which is dumb, because each was amongst the best to ever do it for those 10ish years.
Because I'm a homer I remember when Verlander and Felix both signed 5-year extensions back in 2009/10 for the same amount, and that people thought Felix's deal was much better than Verlander's because of the age difference. Felix had like 3 more good years left and fell off a cliff before retiring at 33 while Verlander was winning CYs at 39 more than a decade later. We're all dumb and don't know how any of this shit is going to work out.
best of luck to Dodger legends Chase Utley, Manny Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin
I didn't ask you to do anything with it. Just posted last 30 years, think that covers everyone we're discussing.
I thought that was a response to my Felix thoughts. My apologies for being combative. And to be clear, I'm perfectly find with Felix getting in and hope it happens. It's just a very odd career. I thought the same about Santana and Lee on that list, too, but they both fell off the ballot.
Oh na, I stated above I'd vote for Felix too. He had 10 years as good as anyone in baseball. Easy choice for me tbh.
Vazquez was like ground zero of the Fangraphs/FIP argument around these parts back in the day. Also the "_ can't play in NY" argument.