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Post by mikecubs on Nov 20, 2012 6:20:53 GMT -6
I wish Bell Canada and Molson would come together and buy a MLB team like they did the Canadians, build a new, decent stadium, in Montreal and bring the Expos back. They have more than enough money between them and with Bell a media group, they can broadcast all of the games the way Rogers does the Blue Jays and make a killing. Rays could be up for a relo now is the time to put a bid in. Rays still have a lease until 2027 and the St. Pete mayor won't even let the Rays talk to Tampa Bay let alone other cities but it's going to be tough for the Rays to get a stadium passed after this. 10-15 years from now they could be in play which does fit Montreal's time line perfectly(if it does work out) since Cromartie said this would be a long term project. As far as a stadium goes for Montreal anyone who brings a team there is going to want and need a ton of public help. Small market teams don't privately fund baseball stadiums. EVER. At best small market teams pay for 1/4th of the cost. Of all the new stadiums only San Francisco was privately financed. St. Louis came close at 88%. If the A's ever get league approval to move to San Jose that will also be privately financed. So far there have been 22 new stadiums built since 91 so that's almost 2 for 22 in terms of private financing(If you count St. Louis as private.) Kansas City also got a 250M dollar renovation to their stadium in 2009 that was 90% public financing. When former Expos broadcaster Roger Brulette(sp) said 2 summers ago that there may be a local buyer interested in bringing MLB back he hinted a huge public investment from the province would be needed. A team today if it was available would cost 500M dollars. An open air downtown ballpark today would cost 500M+ but a new ballpark isn't going to be built today. It will be built 10-15 years from now if things did work(ie Tampa fails and there is adequate interest in Montreal and MLB approves of a team in Montreal). So you have to factor in the rising construction costs of a stadium in 10-15 years. A 500M+ stadium today costs how much in say 2027? It's going to be tough to make it all work. What Bell, Molson or PKP should do in the short term is bring in some type of minor league ball. Build a cheap crappy minor league park. Televise/promote the games to rebuild interest in baseball. Go the Winnipeg route. Soccer has bypassed baseball right now in Montreal in terms of popularity for the youth. Baseball participation has fallen from 13% in 1995 to 5% in 2006 according to a thing I saw on statscan. This has to be reversed. You just can't wait around until 2020 something and hope for the Rays and think interest will magically appear. Something needs to be done very soon to rebuild interest and make sure the sport doesn't outright die.
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Post by mikecubs on Nov 20, 2012 6:34:29 GMT -6
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Post by jval07 on Nov 20, 2012 8:21:11 GMT -6
Really Jays??? John Gibbons??? Oh how I'm ready to throw up.
Blue Jays hire John Gibbons as New Manager John Lott | Nov 20, 2012 7:44 AM ET | Last Updated: Nov 20, 2012 9:02 AM ET More from John Lott | @lottonbaseball
One of John Gibbons’ favourite lines is “let’s get ‘er done.” The Toronto Blue Jays will do just that by announcing that Gibbons will return as their manager during a Tuesday morning news conference at the Rogers Centre.
Gibbons compiled a 305-305 record as the Blue Jays’ skipper from mid-2004 to mid-2008. He replaced Carlos Tosca and was replaced by Cito Gaston, who also was making his second Toronto tour.
The news of Gibbons’ hiring was first reported by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
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Popular with both players and media, Gibbons is an outwardly affable manager who brooks no guff, as two of his players (that we know of) discovered in 2006. He once tangled physically with Ted Lilly after the pitcher groused openly about coming out of a game. And he dressed down Hillenbrand in front of his teammates after Hillenbrand had written “This ship is sinking” on a clubhouse whiteboard.
Since then-GM J.P. Ricciardi fired him in 2008, Gibbons served as bench coach for the Kandas City Royals then managed his hometown San Antonio Padres, a Double-A team, this past season. He will inherit a roster vastly improved over 2012, owing largely to the blockbuster trade GM Alex Anthopoulos swung last week with the Miami Marlins.
Gibbons is accustomed to dealing with big names and big egos. In Toronto he managed A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus as well as the aforementioned Lilly and Hillenbrand.
C'mon... really?? I may eat my words by next October... but how can the Jays possibly follow up a big week last week with this. I understood when the Jays went back to Cito as he managed the Jays to 2 World Series and was loved by all Jays fans. Going back to Gibbons?? Gross. Are they going to sign B.J. Ryan next as their closer?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2012 9:06:52 GMT -6
I didn't even realize that Gibbons was on the radar. Weird.
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Post by Hannu Smail on Nov 20, 2012 14:57:43 GMT -6
Terrific hire. What do you want in a manager? A guy who manages the bullpen effectively (check), doesn't give up outs easily with too many sacrifices or risky stolen base attempts (check), and who commands respect in the clubhouse (check). Too much of a frat atmosphere with the Jays last year (even with headcase Yunel gone), he'll change that. And players love playing for him.
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Post by dmx101781 on Nov 20, 2012 15:56:09 GMT -6
In addition to what Hannu said, he also platoons players to perfection. Essentially he's great at everything John Farrell sucked at. He also punched out Ted Lilly in the dugout... classic.
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Post by wolfmannick on Nov 20, 2012 16:25:56 GMT -6
Everyone is saying the Blue Jays win the AL East this year if not even more. Here's hoping the Blue Jays can live up to that hype.
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Post by jval07 on Nov 20, 2012 16:42:54 GMT -6
If Gibbons is so great, why fire him the first time? He couldn't get his teams out of mediocrity and the Jays needed to re-hire Cito to clean up his mess. If he's so great, why has his only jobs since been on the bench of the Royals (really high profile there) and managing AA baseball. Yippee. Other than giving it to that overrated baby Ted Lilly, I was not impressed by his first go around and not impressed by this hire. I do not understand how this is a "perfect" hire. We have a team ready to win... bring in a winner.
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Post by Hannu Smail on Nov 20, 2012 18:30:01 GMT -6
Bring in a winner? I'd love to hear your suggestions there.
look at this year's Managers of the Year... Bob Melvin - fired twice before the Oakland job. Davey Johnson, fired, what, 4 times before Washington? That's the nature of the beast in baseball.
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Post by jval07 on Nov 20, 2012 20:00:03 GMT -6
Except that Bob Melvin had won 90+ games as a manager twice before (once with Seattle and once with Arizona) and was named NL Manager of the year in 2007 when Arizona made it to the NLCS. Davey Johnson had been a manager for 15 years before this year, so tons of experience which included 4 - 90+ win seasons and 2 - 100+ win seasons, manager of the year in 1997, a number of playoff appearances plus a World Series title. Comparing Davey Johnson to John Gibbons is a slap in the face to Johnson. Gibbons hasn't had a single playoff appearance or 90 win season, yet he's the guy chosen to lead this team? That seems ludicrous to me. IMO the Jays should have brought someone in with more experience, greater success and has managed loaded rosters before. Off the top of my head, Jim Tracy would have been my top candidate. Other options would have been to try and grab a manager currently with a team like Boston did with Farrell. Try to pry Ron Gardenhire away from the Twins who may be looking for a change, maybe even Joe Maddon since Rays always looking to shed money.
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Post by wolfmannick on Nov 20, 2012 20:07:23 GMT -6
He has to be on a short leash and if the Jays start slumping, they better axe him. If Jays come out of the gate hot and stay that way I wont care that they brought him back. We'll have to see how the season goes.
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Post by jval07 on Nov 20, 2012 20:39:15 GMT -6
A few posts above when I posted the Gibbons story, I said "I may eat my words by next October". I sure hope I do cuz if this doesn't work, bam... fire sale at the trade deadline and we're back to rebuilding. I don't want to see this happen. I want to win next year with these guys and I just don't get how Gibbons fits the bill as the manager to do so.
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Post by Hannu Smail on Nov 20, 2012 20:43:38 GMT -6
Jim Tracy? The guy who quit on his team after a 64 win season and a career winning % below .500?
You can't just poach a manager. It just doesn't happen, and when it does, it's because the team's employer is happy to dump the guy. So you couldn't just get Maddon, and I don't know why you'd want Gardenhire.
Gibbons maintained a .500 career record with often subpar rosters, and in the AL East at the height of the NYY/Red Sox powerhouses.
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Post by donwood on Nov 20, 2012 20:51:56 GMT -6
Jim Tracy? The guy who quit on his team after a 64 win season and a career winning % below .500? You can't just poach a manager. It just doesn't happen, and when it does, it's because the team's employer is happy to dump the guy. So you couldn't just get Maddon, and I don't know why you'd want Gardenhire. Gibbons maintained a .500 career record with often subpar rosters, and in the AL East at the height of the NYY/Red Sox powerhouses. I agree completely. A manger can only do so much. The team he know manages has a lot more talent then the ones he had a .500 record with.
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Post by Dcmac on Nov 20, 2012 22:25:07 GMT -6
If Gibbons is so great, why fire him the first time? He couldn't get his teams out of mediocrity and the Jays needed to re-hire Cito to clean up his mess. If he's so great, why has his only jobs since been on the bench of the Royals (really high profile there) and managing AA baseball. Yippee. Other than giving it to that overrated baby Ted Lilly, I was not impressed by his first go around and not impressed by this hire. I do not understand how this is a "perfect" hire. We have a team ready to win... bring in a winner. He did pretty good for what he had, the Jays really were a sinking ship when he was managing, yet they still managed 2nd in the east. As for why he was fired, Ricciardi though Cito was the answer to everything. Ricciardi is no longer around to mess this team up. Who would you have hired? There are no winners out there. The Jays tried to bring in a winner, and look how that turned out, he jumped ship.
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