Monday, August 20, 2018

Tampa, Oakland Moving in Opposite Directions on New Ballparks

(photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Times)
After years of exhaustive negotiations and research, the Rays made a small yet significant step forward to perhaps cementing themselves in the Tampa area by releasing schematic renderings for a new ballpark, which could supposedly open as soon as 2023.  The site that was finally chosen was in the Ybor City area, one of the oldest parts of Tampa that could use the development.  The renderings most notably feature three things: a translucent roof, a ton of streetfront retail, and a nearly $900 million price tag.  It will be no small feat to get those three elements implemented in a neighborhood on the National Historic Register and in a city that is already tapped out on hotel tax money.  What this proposal does represent is that the long-standing dispute between the Rays and the City of St. Petersburg, where Tropicana Field is currently located, may have turned a corner.
While the Rays' most significant hurdle moving forward is probably financing, the Athletics' primary problem is location.  The A's ownership has indicated that wherever the ballpark happens to get built will likely be completely funded by the team and other private investors - if a site ever gets approved altogether by the Oakland, the club, and MLB.  The A's saga has been going on even longer than the Rays, at least as far back as 2006 when the team proposed a new 35,000 seat ballpark, initially in Fremont and later San Jose, which was then dubbed "Cisco Field."  The Giants currently have a minor league team in San Jose and thus claim that area as part of their "territory," so naturally they objected, and this has been making little to no progress since.  Because of MLB's strict territorial rights and because Oakland is, well, Oakland, there are a limited number of areas the team can feasibly look to build a stadium that are both accessible and conducive to growth and profit.  It seems to be down to two sites presently - one in the Port of Oakland or "Howard's Terminal," and another option to build a new ballpark next to the Coliseum, similar to how the Brewers located Miller Park.
Commissioner Manfred has made his interest in expanding MLB to 32 teams very well known, but also that this will not happen until the Oakland and Tampa ballpark crises are both solved.  So, there is a sense of urgency for the A's and Rays that has really never been there before.  The clock is ticking and I suspect that if we don't see any big movement on either situation by the end of the current CBA (which is set to expire in 2021), that the murmurings of relocation will start get louder.  Montreal and Portland, among other cities, have been salivating for this opportunity and both would be prime candidates to land a team, but Manfred will certainly exhaust every option first before even considering that.  Burning bridges in markets like Oakland or Tampa, however small they may be compared to the rest of MLB, would be a bad idea considering the waning popularity the sport already has.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 08.20:
Brewers 69-57, -3.5, -- WC (3 v. Reds, 3 v. Pirates, 3 @ Reds, 3 @ Nationals)
Reds 55-69, -16.5, -13.0 WC (3 @ Brewers, 4 @ Cubs, 3 v. Brewers, 3 @ Cardinals)
Twins 59-64, -12.0, -14.5 WC (1 v. White Sox, 2 @ White Sox, 4 v. Athletics, 3 @ Indians, 3 @ Rangers)

2018 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 12 (+16 worked)
Peter - 20

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Franklin, Wisconsin Name the Team

(photo courtesy of JSOnline)

Lost in the news shuffle with all the new ballparks and team rebrandings has been that an independent league team will be starting up in less than a year in the Milwaukee area, in a brand new ballpark only 20 minutes from where I grew up.  A few months ago the 5 finalists for the "Name the Team" contest were announced, and as is par for the course these days, they are all absurd:
  • Barn Owls
  • Crop Dusters
  • Haymakers
  • Milk Men
  • War Pigs
The names go along not only with what one would associate with this part of the country, but also the ballpark which is supposed to be designed in a "farm aesthetic," whatever that means.  Some of the more stereotypically Wisconsin options have thankfully been eliminated, including Bovine, Cheesers, and Cow Tippers.  Team Naming Rule of Thumb #1: if your spell check alerts you that something is not a word, it should never have been an option (seriously WTF is a "Cheeser"?  That sounds like a fetish).  I've found in the past that I tend to be overly dramatic about the name that gets chosen in these sorts of contest.  The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Akron RubberDucks are two that immediately spring to mind.  But as the years pass, I get used to them, and come to appreciate their uniqueness.  Now, saying names like the Richmond Flying Squirrels or the Pensacola Blue Wahoos just comes naturally.  I expect that to be the same with the Franklin team, but I have to admit I would have a hard time saying "I'm heading to the Crop Dusters game" for a long, long time.  Although that name certainly has a ton of mascot and promotional potential.

The new ballpark, currently simply dubbed "Ballpark Commons," is set to open in time for the next American Association season in May 2019, and no matter what name is chosen, I'll be there.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 08.09:

Brewers 66-51, -1.5, +1.0 WC (3 @ Braves, 2 @ Cubs, 3 @ Cardinals)
Reds 50-65, -16.5, -14.0 WC (3 v. Diamondbacks, 3 v. Indians, 3 v. Giants)
Twins 53-60, -10.0, -14.0 WC (3 @ Tigers, 2 v. Pirates, 4 v. Tigers)

2018 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 11 (+13 worked)
Peter - 20