GDT: 2019 AL Wild Card Game: (WC1) Oakland Athletics vs (WC2) Tampa Bay Rays

[Terry Yake]

A's need to win the division.

yup

but of course they're in the same division as houston. couldn't another team have moved to the al west?

 

[Benneguin]

I actually don't hate the A's
I root for small market teams.
Oakland and Tampa Bay, as an organization, are more alike than different.

I would have rooted for the A's against Houston or New York if it had gotten to that.

But, doesn't matter.
Rays are in the ALDS....and with good play, CAN pull an upset.

I've never understood how the A's are considered a small market team. The bay area is one of the biggest markets in the country. The A's are just a small budget team.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I've never understood how the A's are considered a small market team. The bay area is one of the biggest markets in the country. The A's are just a small budget team.

You're not going to spend a ton when you play in the oldest stadium in the league and have probably the worst tv deal, too. Once those get situated, they'll spend. Their ownership has money.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

You're not going to spend a ton when you play in the oldest stadium in the league and have probably the worst tv deal, too. Once those get situated, they'll spend. Their ownership has money.

I mean it’s definitely not the oldest stadium in the league but i get what you’re saying. When the raiders leave next year why don’t they just fix it up and turn it into a baseball only park?

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I mean it’s definitely not the oldest stadium in the league but i get what you’re saying. When the raiders leave next year why don’t they just fix it up and turn it into a baseball only park?

They had a deal to buy the county's share of the land to convert it into a athletic/shopping/housing complex since there's nothing but room in the area to do so, but the city council president Ms. Rebecca Kaplan decided to file suit on behalf of the city despite mayor Libby Schaff's approval of the deal (or knowledge of a suit incoming). She was nice enough to file it the day before the wildcard game, too, but it sounds like she's just doing it for leverage so the city can get more coin.

In short, the stadium is too old to be remodeled, and the area itself needs a facelift much more than another stadium. Their proposed location is much better.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

They had a deal to buy the county's share of the land to convert it into a athletic/shopping/housing complex since there's nothing but room in the area to do so, but the city council president Ms. Rebecca Kaplan decided to file suit on behalf of the city despite mayor Libby Schaff's approval of the deal (or knowledge of a suit incoming). She was nice enough to file it the day before the wildcard game, too, but it sounds like she's just doing it for leverage so the city can get more coin.

In short, the stadium is too old to be remodeled, and the area itself needs a facelift much more than another stadium. Their proposed location is much better.

OK, good to know that info. I know it's been a complex situation with a lot of moving parts and a back and forth struggle. I'm all for a new stadium but I also like to see things preserved when possible. I guess if it's one of those things where it's going to cost almost as much or as much money to do a facelift than build a new stadium and you'd have it in a better location then it's a no brainer. I just feel like to make the stadium updated and better atmosphere it could be done much much cheaper than a new stadium. I know every team is basically wanting to turn their user experience into an apple store but for me the best park I've ever been to was Dodger's Stadium. Beautiful views inside and out. Not much of anything other than the game going on. That to me is what the baseball experience should be but I guess I'm not the target demographic anymore.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

OK, good to know that info. I know it's been a complex situation with a lot of moving parts and a back and forth struggle. I'm all for a new stadium but I also like to see things preserved when possible. I guess if it's one of those things where it's going to cost almost as much or as much money to do a facelift than build a new stadium and you'd have it in a better location then it's a no brainer. I just feel like to make the stadium updated and better atmosphere it could be done much much cheaper than a new stadium. I know every team is basically wanting to turn their user experience into an apple store but for me the best park I've ever been to was Dodger's Stadium. Beautiful views inside and out. Not much of anything other than the game going on. That to me is what the baseball experience should be but I guess I'm not the target demographic anymore.

I get what you're saying. I love the coliseum, but I know that I'm an outlier. It's in a terrible industrial neighborhood. There's a Denny's, Jack-In-The-Box, a Days Inn hotel, and a grocery store. That's it. The neighborhood has the ambiance of Tyler Durden's house in Fight Club, which I love. But again, most don't. The new location is in a desirable part of Oakalnd,

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

I get what you're saying. I love the coliseum, but I know that I'm an outlier. It's in a terrible industrial neighborhood. There's a Denny's, Jack-In-The-Box, a Days Inn hotel, and a grocery store. That's it. The neighborhood has the ambiance of Tyler Durden's house in Fight Club, which I love. But again, most don't. The new location is in a desirable part of Oakalnd,

Haha, we should hang out. All those things sound great to me.

 

[Dr Pepper]

yup

but of course they're in the same division as houston. couldn't another team have moved to the al west?

I've never understood how the alignment works in baseball.

I mean, I get the geography of it, but what keeps teams in their respective leagues?

Could Oakland and San Francisco swap?

Or New York and New York?

How about Chicago and Chicago?

 

[darko]

While I don't expect Astros to fade away anytime soon they do have to be a bit concerned with pitching staff going forward

Cole is likely to leave as FA
Verlander and Grienke are both over 35
Miley and Peacock are both in 30's
Sanchez is ? especially after latest injury

And Valdez took step back this year so he isn't sure thing to slot into rotation and thrive

José Urquidy looks good going forward though for them

Whitley had a rough year but he's really good.