Fifth Avenue Forum

How long until @mwb tells us that everything is fine with the competitive balance in the MLB.

I didn’t always ascribe to this view, but since the franchise value is in the billion plus range, being this cheap is not tenable

Soto is a great example of why the MLB sucks.

There's basically 8 relevant teams and others that pop in and out. Players use the rest of the league to audition themselves to be acquired by those 8. Teams pop up for a year here or there and hell maybe they even win. But essentially there are 3 leagues. The super league, the league, and the sub league.

Super league is Yankees, Mets, red Sox, dodgers, Astros, cardinals, padres (they spent their way in)

Sub league is pirates, Marlins, Rays, A's, orioles

Cubs I would say are in the super league most years with regards to spending. They just suck.

Yes that's the 8th team thank you

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I didn’t always ascribe to this view, but since the franchise value is in the billion plus range, being this cheap is not tenable

I assume you are referring to the Pirates? It's never been tenable but it continues. MLB should force them to sell.

I dont have their financials handy, but the Padres are proof that a good team can transcend market size. Be good and people will come. Sad but it's that simple.

The bar is even lower here too. Be interesting and people will come. An interesting team would bring enough attendance to support a competitive payroll. Attendance went up in 2011 and 2012. They finished 4th both years

I’m not sure how Soto is an example of baseball sucking. Washington is not a small market, and they’re not a team that hasn’t shown a willingness to spend money. He was traded to a much smaller market team who had the prospects to give up. The Soto thing is a Boras issue more than anything.

But even the teams listed as super teams? Tampa has been much more successful than most of those listed. The giants have had a lot of success. And why would the high spending Angels not be in the super league? Or the big market white Sox?

Attendance is a tough one. Good doesn’t bring fans in all the time… ask the Rays.

It's going to be sadfunny when the Padres go to Atlanta and lose a best of 3

Bring a Pirates fan stinks. But imagine having Scherzer, Harper, Soto, Rendon, Trea Turner .. and even Strasburg and Bell. And having just Strasburgs corpse left.

Though, I suppose they did win a title.

I'd take a title and deal with another 20 years of losing, absolutely.

Vin Scully. 94 years old. RIP

Baseball weeps

National treasure. In the company of Arnie, I think he was universally beloved

TIL

Another setback for America

I blame Shad for this.

Vin scully and Phil rizzuto were the voices of baseball for my childhood. I know it’s mostly nostalgia that makes them so great, but imagine having joe buck or even costas, who I don’t mind, as the voice of your baseball life?

I most closely associate modern MLB announcing with Matt Vasgersian. Mostly because he is used heavily in The Show when I used to play it.

It's still Vin for me from whatever series I grew up playing. I still hear "It's time for Pirates baseball!" in his voice.

pains me to say but for me it’s either Buck or…ugh…Michael Kay.

pains me to say but for me it’s either Buck or…ugh…Michael Kay.

Michael Kay? Is he national now?

pains me to say but for me it’s either Buck or…ugh…Michael Kay.

Michael Kay? Is he national now?

I grew up in NY and my dad is a huge Yanks fan so it was Yes Network every day in the summer


Also had to watch all the Knicks/Rags broadcasts on the MSG network which was painful for everything other than Walt Clyde Frazier. He’s great

Ah, makes sense. Yeah, I listened to Kay and sterling in the radio. Sterling was awful.