BASE-BALL

[triplemultiplex]

Be cool to see that same POV today.  Just a look at regular aerials and it's remarkable how much is the same despite the fact that both stadiums and that bridge are gone.
I-87 appears under construction, so I reckon someone can date that image based just on that.

[Alps]

Some Hot Stove baseball history, Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees, and the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants.

I like you.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Be cool to see that same POV today.  Just a look at regular aerials and it's remarkable how much is the same despite the fact that both stadiums and that bridge are gone.
I-87 appears under construction, so I reckon someone can date that image based just on that.

Considering that the Polo Grounds was torn down in 1964

[Henry]

Be cool to see that same POV today.  Just a look at regular aerials and it's remarkable how much is the same despite the fact that both stadiums and that bridge are gone.
I-87 appears under construction, so I reckon someone can date that image based just on that.

Considering that the Polo Grounds was torn down in 1964

I never knew that those two ballparks were that close to each other! So the Giants (Mets too, in their first two seasons) and Yankees were practically neighbors because their respective stadiums were basically a short cross-river trip away .

[davewiecking]

Be cool to see that same POV today.  Just a look at regular aerials and it's remarkable how much is the same despite the fact that both stadiums and that bridge are gone.
I-87 appears under construction, so I reckon someone can date that image based just on that.

The Major Deegan predates I-87, putting this photo in the early-mid 50's. Yankee Stadium configured for baseball, but possibly some fresh sod in the middle of what would have been the football field. Can't tell what's inside the Polo Grounds.

[Flint1979]

Be cool to see that same POV today.  Just a look at regular aerials and it's remarkable how much is the same despite the fact that both stadiums and that bridge are gone.
I-87 appears under construction, so I reckon someone can date that image based just on that.

Considering that the Polo Grounds was torn down in 1964

I never knew that those two ballparks were that close to each other! So the Giants (Mets too, in their first two seasons) and Yankees were practically neighbors because their respective stadiums were basically a short cross-river trip away .

I had always known where the Polo Grounds were. The Yankees of course played there before Yankee Stadium was built and built the ballpark right across the river from the Polo Grounds.

[SectorZ]

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton all in to the BBHOF for 2024.

Things that never pissed me off so hard as a Red Sox was the Sox bringing in Beltré for one year, watch him be an elite player and culture fit, only to let him walk.

[tmoore952]

I stopped collecting baseball cards around 1995, which is long enough that younger inductees are now young enough that I don't have any baseball cards of them.

This is the case with all of three inductees. I thought Helton was an original Colorado Rockie, but I am wrong. He didn't start until 1997.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024:

https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-baseball-hall-of-fame-election-results

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I stopped collecting baseball cards around 1995, which is long enough that younger inductees are now young enough that I don't have any baseball cards of them.

This is the case with all of three inductees. I thought Helton was an original Colorado Rockie, but I am wrong. He didn't start until 1997.

Helton replaced Andres Gallaragra at 1st base for the Rockies.

[bing101]

https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-orioles-david-rubenstein-sale-dffd7b500dc97d432ad1e739df656a67

David Rubenstein has a deal to buy the Baltimore Orioles for $1.725 billion, AP source says

[Henry]

Looks like the A's are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With this season potentially being their last in Oakland, they're exploring lots of options as to a temporary home until their new Las Vegas ballpark can open, like Sacramento and Salt Lake City. The latter could follow Oklahoma City's NBA blueprint, where the then-New Orleans Hornets played for two seasons after Hurricane Katrina damaged their home building and it paved the way for the Seattle SuperSonics to become the Thunder. Plus, Salt Lake City is far more interested in hosting a new MLB team than Sacramento is.

[Ted$8roadFan]

More on the A's/Tropicana:

https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/mlb/oakland-athletics/tropicana-las-vegas-demolition-ballpark-construction/1698031/

[gonealookin]

Looks like the A's are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

An alternative to a rock or a hard place is a graveyard.  For what it's worth, a Sacramento sports talk radio station floated a rumor that the A's could go on hiatus for three seasons until the new park in Vegas is completed.

A Bay Area source told Sactown Sports' Allen Stiles that the idea of ceasing operations between 2025 through 2027 has been floated.

"So basically, between 2025 and 2027, Major League Baseball would run with 29 teams. And when 2028 comes around, they would basically do an expansion draft," Stiles said. "Those players would be able to sign with other teams... and then we refresh everything in 2028 in Vegas."

There would be some logistical issues in that, not the least of which being the scheduling for the other 29 teams, with the odd one having several days off in a row due to lack of an opponent.  They are going to lose a pile of money for the three years wherever they play.  There's no reason anyone in Oakland or San Francisco would pay to see them play, and in Sacramento, Salt Lake City or the Las Vegas Aviators' park in Summerlin the attendance would be low due to capacity of the ballpark.  They also lose a lot of television revenue if they choose something other than the empty-seats options of the Oakland Coliseum or the Giants' Oracle Park.  So while it's kind of absurd on the surface I can see the logic in at least brainstorming the franchise hiatus idea.

[tmoore952]

WRT to A's new stadium on the site of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas:

(1) I'll always remember that hotel as where I had a very hot streak playing blackjack one night (1994). Won about 12 hands in a row, and several hundred dollars. I remember the pit bosses looking at me like I was counting cards -- but I wasn't, I just got very lucky. I haven't played in about 15 years, but still remember the basic strategies.
(2) If memory serves this site is not far from the airport. Maybe it'll be like the old Shea Stadium, where you heard planes going over the stadium when listening on the radio or watching on TV.

Montreal Expos for a while played in Puerto Rico. So there is precedent for the A's situation, with the exception that Montreal didn't know it was being relocated several years in advance. They should go play in a town that doesn't have MLB, like Portland Oregon, or Reno Nevada. I'd assume they'd want to be at least in the same time zone, partly for scheduling reasons for the other teams.

[gonealookin]

WRT to A's new stadium on the site of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas:

(2) If memory serves this site is not far from the airport. Maybe it'll be like the old Shea Stadium, where you heard planes going over the stadium when listening on the radio or watching on TV.

There won't be any plane noise.  The site is the red square at the southeast corner of the existing Tropicana property, so the ballpark won't be directly on the Strip but will be on the back side of whatever new buildings replace the Tropicana.  It's not anywhere near in line with the runway approach or takeoff routes.  In any case, after discussing a retractable roof ballpark extensively, they seem to have concluded what everybody thought months ago, that they can't fit a retractable roof design on a nine-acre parcel.  It looks like they are going with a fixed roof with windows on the side looking out toward the MGM Grand and New York New York, something like the windows the Miami Marlins ballpark has.

[tmoore952]

WRT to A's new stadium on the site of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas:

(2) If memory serves this site is not far from the airport. Maybe it'll be like the old Shea Stadium, where you heard planes going over the stadium when listening on the radio or watching on TV.

There won't be any plane noise.  The site is the red square at the southeast corner of the existing Tropicana property, so the ballpark won't be directly on the Strip but will be on the back side of whatever new buildings replace the Tropicana.  It's not anywhere near in line with the runway approach or takeoff routes.  In any case, after discussing a retractable roof ballpark extensively, they seem to have concluded what everybody thought months ago, that they can't fit a retractable roof design on a nine-acre parcel.  It looks like they are going with a fixed roof with windows on the side looking out toward the MGM Grand and New York New York, something like the windows the Miami Marlins ballpark has.

Maybe not right over the stadium, but that runway at compass bearing 30-210 is not that far away.

(I shouldn't have said "over" for Shea, I'm not sure exactly where they were going. But you could always hear them on radio/TV.

But yes, you reminded me that the new Las Vegas stadium will have a retractable roof.

[Big John]

^^ He said it will likely be a fixed roof now.

[Henry]

The NBA, NHL and even the NFL can get away with having an odd number of teams, but MLB can't. Remember 2001, when contraction was once in the cards for Montreal and Minnesota? After the Twins sued and won, MLB realized that it could not run a schedule with just 29 teams, so something good came out of it: Both teams got new ballparks (Washington--where the former Expos relocated--was first, then Minnesota followed), and the Nationals even won a World Series, ending their city's 95-year drought.

Just wondering: In case the A's do suspend their operations, would their minor-league affiliates do the same, since there'd be no major-league team to which they could promote their players?

[Takumi]

https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-orioles-david-rubenstein-sale-dffd7b500dc97d432ad1e739df656a67

David Rubenstein has a deal to buy the Baltimore Orioles for $1.725 billion, AP source says

One day later, the Orioles trade for Corbin Burnes. Maybe coincidence, but it sure looks like the new owners are going to be going for it.

[NWI_Irish96]

The NBA, NHL and even the NFL can get away with having an odd number of teams, but MLB can't. Remember 2001, when contraction was once in the cards for Montreal and Minnesota? After the Twins sued and won, MLB realized that it could not run a schedule with just 29 teams, so something good came out of it: Both teams got new ballparks (Washington--where the former Expos relocated--was first, then Minnesota followed), and the Nationals even won a World Series, ending their city's 95-year drought.

Just wondering: In case the A's do suspend their operations, would their minor-league affiliates do the same, since there'd be no major-league team to which they could promote their players?

Scheduling and the minors are two of many reasons why it's not feasible to just not play for any number of years.

There are plenty of fine AAA parks that seat as much as what the A's average attendance was recently, so they just need to pick one and play there. It may require a AAA team to move for a few years as well.

[brad2971]

The NBA, NHL and even the NFL can get away with having an odd number of teams, but MLB can't. Remember 2001, when contraction was once in the cards for Montreal and Minnesota? After the Twins sued and won, MLB realized that it could not run a schedule with just 29 teams, so something good came out of it: Both teams got new ballparks (Washington--where the former Expos relocated--was first, then Minnesota followed), and the Nationals even won a World Series, ending their city's 95-year drought.

Just wondering: In case the A's do suspend their operations, would their minor-league affiliates do the same, since there'd be no major-league team to which they could promote their players?

Scheduling and the minors are two of many reasons why it's not feasible to just not play for any number of years.

There are plenty of fine AAA parks that seat as much as what the A's average attendance was recently, so they just need to pick one and play there. It may require a AAA team to move for a few years as well.

You just described why the A's (soon to be Las Vegas Aviators?) will likely be in that Summerlin ballpark in 2025 for about 3-4 years before the Tropicana ballpark is available. Which means Sunday night baseball from Memorial Day to Labor Day starting at 8PM (Pacific).

And as for the AAA team that's already there: Both Talking Stick in Scottsdale and Tucson's ballpark (which used to have the D-Backs AAA team) are available.

[triplemultiplex]

One day later, the Orioles trade for Corbin Burnes. Maybe coincidence, but it sure looks like the new owners are going to be going for it.

Interesting trade.  Sucks to lose such a high caliber arm, but I seriously doubt Milwaukee would've paid to keep him here after this season so I guess might as well get something for him.  Just glad it'll be another year before Burnes ends up on one of the cash-chucker teams.



It's absurd on its face that the A's would literally stop playing until their new casino stadium is done.  That'll never happen and it's insane to suggest.  They'll take over a sandlot before they do that.

[Henry]

The NBA, NHL and even the NFL can get away with having an odd number of teams, but MLB can't. Remember 2001, when contraction was once in the cards for Montreal and Minnesota? After the Twins sued and won, MLB realized that it could not run a schedule with just 29 teams, so something good came out of it: Both teams got new ballparks (Washington--where the former Expos relocated--was first, then Minnesota followed), and the Nationals even won a World Series, ending their city's 95-year drought.

Just wondering: In case the A's do suspend their operations, would their minor-league affiliates do the same, since there'd be no major-league team to which they could promote their players?

Scheduling and the minors are two of many reasons why it's not feasible to just not play for any number of years.

There are plenty of fine AAA parks that seat as much as what the A's average attendance was recently, so they just need to pick one and play there. It may require a AAA team to move for a few years as well.

You just described why the A's (soon to be Las Vegas Aviators?) will likely be in that Summerlin ballpark in 2025 for about 3-4 years before the Tropicana ballpark is available. Which means Sunday night baseball from Memorial Day to Labor Day starting at 8PM (Pacific).

And as for the AAA team that's already there: Both Talking Stick in Scottsdale and Tucson's ballpark (which used to have the D-Backs AAA team) are available.

I thought the Aviators were going to stay put when the A's moved to Vegas. Teams like Seattle and Atlanta have their AAA affiliates play a short distance away from their home parks, so there is precedent involved.

[NWI_Irish96]

The NBA, NHL and even the NFL can get away with having an odd number of teams, but MLB can't. Remember 2001, when contraction was once in the cards for Montreal and Minnesota? After the Twins sued and won, MLB realized that it could not run a schedule with just 29 teams, so something good came out of it: Both teams got new ballparks (Washington--where the former Expos relocated--was first, then Minnesota followed), and the Nationals even won a World Series, ending their city's 95-year drought.

Just wondering: In case the A's do suspend their operations, would their minor-league affiliates do the same, since there'd be no major-league team to which they could promote their players?

Scheduling and the minors are two of many reasons why it's not feasible to just not play for any number of years.

There are plenty of fine AAA parks that seat as much as what the A's average attendance was recently, so they just need to pick one and play there. It may require a AAA team to move for a few years as well.

You just described why the A's (soon to be Las Vegas Aviators?) will likely be in that Summerlin ballpark in 2025 for about 3-4 years before the Tropicana ballpark is available. Which means Sunday night baseball from Memorial Day to Labor Day starting at 8PM (Pacific).

And as for the AAA team that's already there: Both Talking Stick in Scottsdale and Tucson's ballpark (which used to have the D-Backs AAA team) are available.

I thought the Aviators were going to stay put when the A's moved to Vegas. Teams like Seattle and Atlanta have their AAA affiliates play a short distance away from their home parks, so there is precedent involved.

They may stay in Vegas as their permanent home, but if the A's use their stadium for a few years, they'd have to find a temporary home.