MLB Playoffs

Nearco said:
Were the fans coming to the games before the success? I think not. I went to a Rays v Red Sox game at the Trop in 2005 and it was 70% Boston.
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Pretty much every team with good attendances build a fan base up, usually through a winning period. Tampa has been growing at around 100,000 people a year for close to two decades, so a lot of people are from other States, or countries ;)

Season ticket sales have been rising steadily and next years pre-sales are very strong. They are slowly "winning" the fans over.
 
The bandwagon fans, like you, will be gone once the Yankees or other top markets sign their big players
 
Alex said:
The bandwagon fans, like you, will be gone once the Yankees or other top markets sign their big players
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Now that is fecking ironic :eek:

I live in Tampa, and follow the local teams, much like I followed United for the 35 years I lived in Manchester.

I don't see the attraction of latching onto one of the "most storied and popular sporting franchises in the world" just because you can. I personally can't see why people follow teams they have no real connection with.

Glory huntin' bandwagon'ing at its best.

BTW - pretty much all the Rays players are locked up for a few years.
 
A Question to the Americans on the forum. I`m watching the Backstreet Boys singing your national anthem and I`m just wondering - where is the grief? cnuts like that would be run out of virtually every football ground in the country over here. Beyond awful.
 
Nearco said:
A Question to the Americans on the forum. I`m watching the Backstreet Boys singing your national anthem and I`m just wondering - where is the grief? cnuts like that would be run out of virtually every football ground in the country over here. Beyond awful.
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It was fecking awful.
 
Some of them live in Tampa like mjs haha; I never said I was Yankees fan, I just dont know how long these Rays will last, hopefully they win it this year
 
Alex said:
Some of them live in Tampa like mjs haha; I never said I was Yankees fan, I just dont know how long these Rays will last, hopefully they win it this year
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And why are you a United fan?
 
Because they were on television when I was child, and I grew attached to watching them; Joined the caf when United were in a poor run unlike you
 
May 2005 wasn't the best of times; I dont see how you can find fault at me liking United
 
Alex said:
Because they were on television when I was child, and I grew attached to watching them; Joined the caf when United were in a poor run unlike you
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LMAO@U

I am born and raised in Manchester. Went to every home game from the mid-70s to around 1990, plus six seasons of every away game.

Go check the United history, I was a loyal paying supporter for nearly two decades without a single league title.

WATCHED THEM ON TV.....give me a fecking break get a clue.
 
Alex said:
May 2005 wasn't the best of times; I dont see how you can find fault at me liking United
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I`m not, it`s just I don`t think we`ve had a poor run since about 1990. I suppose all things are relative.
 
Nearco said:
Unfair. How can our international fans go home and away?
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You want the honest truth....without attending a heck of a lot of games and/or being from Manchester you are 2nd rate fan in my eyes. You can't have the same understanding and passion for the club, its just not possible.

It would be like me deciding the Yankees were my team while watching on TV from Manchester. Sure I could follow them and enjoy watching them, but no way would I be a fan on the same level of the folks living in NY.
 
I disagree. Baseball has a marvellous tradition of literature and I reckon an international fan who reads up on the team can be just as loyal, suffer just as badly through the bad times and be as joyous through the good. It`s a small world these days, when I started following Baseball in `86 I listened to that year`s Series on the Armed Forces Network. The reception was terrible - now I can watch it on tv live and in comfort.
 
Alex said:
Some of them live in Tampa like mjs haha; I never said I was Yankees fan, I just dont know how long these Rays will last, hopefully they win it this year
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They'll last a while if management retains the key core of players. The farm system is currently miles ahead of all other clubs. According to one of the well known baseball analysts (Olney or Stark I think it was), it was stated the Rays have nine pitchers in the minors that are major league ready. Nine. Most teams have one or two. This means they can make trades as necessary with tradeable talent or replace departing free agents. They are in the best division in baseball right now which makes it tougher to continue. The BoSox and Yanks will continue to outspend everyone. The Yanks are going for Peavy and/or will sign Sabathia and probably throw a bucket of money at Teixeira though it's the OF that should be a big concern for them. I've heard one rumor involving them dealing Canoe.

There are some decent pitchers available this off-season.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/12/2009-mlb-free-a.html
 
Nearco said:
I disagree. Baseball has a marvellous tradition of literature and I reckon an international fan who reads up on the team can be just as loyal, suffer just as badly through the bad times and be as joyous through the good. It`s a small world these days, when I started following Baseball in `86 I listened to that year`s Series on the Armed Forces Network. The reception was terrible - now I can watch it on tv live and in comfort.
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Football is traditionally a working mans sport. You can't understand the nuances of the sport and what it means to be a fan without experiencing the basics.
 
I find it hard to be a Yankees fan purely down to people assuming I am a glory hunter and knowing little about baseball, I have followed the Yankees since watching them in the 2001 World Series which was my first time watching baseball. Obviously I can't be a true fan until I have even seen a real baseball match but what are the rules for oversea fan's?

Enjoying this game tonight though, breaking out the Red Bull's for this one. The Backstreet Boys were a fecking joke :lol:
 
Leg-End said:
I find it hard to be a Yankees fan purely down to people assuming I am a glory hunter and knowing little about baseball, I have followed the Yankees since watching them in the 2001 World Series which was my first time watching baseball. Obviously I can't be a true fan until I have even seen a real baseball match but what are the rules for oversea fan's?

Enjoying this game tonight though, breaking out the Red Bull's for this one. The Backstreet Boys were a fecking joke :lol:
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I wouldn't use the term "true fan" because you can get pretty involved watching on TV. What those fans do lack is a connection with the City of Manchester and the fans there. I have dozens of memories of hanging out with fans before, during and after games. I used to spend our at the training ground, and even watch reserves games.

Sure you can watch on TV and be excited but the feelings run much deeper for the fans with real connections to OT, and Manchester.
 
Alex said:
3-0 Philadelphia
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Yep, we all have TVs.

This was always a tuff game for the Rays. Our 3rd and 4th pitchers are a step above the Phillies though. Basically without a win tonight the Phillies would be in big trouble.
 
It's on tv in the UK, India, or all around the world?
 
It's on TV in the UK :) First time we are getting all 7 potential games live too I think :)
 
Haha that's hilarious two shit baseball markets too, FOX was freaking out because it knows the ratings are gonna be fecking horrible
 
It is awesome, usually we get wednesday and sunday games in the season and the same in the post season, best thing is its on terrestrial tv so no paying either :)
 
Game one is going exactly on script.....I wish I had gone to bed early.

Rays win the next three.
 
MrMarcello said:
I will stick with my original prediction... Tampa in six games.
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I tend to agree. The drop off for the 3rd and 4th pitchers is very noticeable for the Phillies, but the Rays are solid 1-thru-4. The first game was no surprise, it didn't changed anything really.

The Rays are going to be very strong next season with the emergence of Price.
 
4-3 Philadelphia, 7th inning stretch, 1st base line judge made a horrible call that gave Tampa two runs that inning
 
Alex said:
4-3 Philadelphia, 7th inning stretch, 1st base line judge made a horrible call that gave Tampa two runs that inning
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Well it makes up for the three or four pitches called fair in the first two innings.

And how the feck can an umpire get that cal right every time at that speed? Sue he got it wrong but we can only see that with freeze frame and magnified images.
 
mjs020294 said:
Well it makes up for the three or four pitches called fair in the first two innings.

And how the feck can an umpire get that cal right every time at that speed? Sue he got it wrong but we can only see that with freeze frame and magnified images.
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Wtf does this mean?
 
Pitches are called strikes or balls mjs or did you not know that
 
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