GeorgiaPeach

If you were there in the last few years of its existence you'd realize it didn't have anything close to a historical feel. It felt like a ballpark built in the 70's (reno). Sitting with the "creatures" though, a 2nd to nothing fan experience. Tiger Stadium had a historical feel..... Fenway has a historical feel. I was just at Wrigley for the 100th anniversary game and that doesn't feel all that historical. McDonald's & other fast food joints around the park, just doesn't feel right.

You're talking about an always-changing group of people who have a fleeting interest in a game I love. I don't care to cheer with them or get to know them. That's probably why I don't get them.

I'd tend to think most people in their mid 30's & 40's have had enough time to like or dislike baseball. I don't mind talking about specific, unique instances or things like the catcher blocking the plate rule change, but by no means am I trying to lure more fans to the game.

bwahahaha

\ You're right I don't care why they're at the game. They could buy a billion dollars worth of merchandise and still not know f*** all about baseball. But because they spent a shitload of money, they're a superfan.....that deserves a big LOL!!!!

I agree that it can grow and shrink. But it really gets annoying when friends or co-workers who are definitely not baseball fans would be considered part of the fan base because they may have a flickering interest if the team starts winning and go to or watch games. Let's not go overboard. If I don't like the sport I don't waste my time watching, no matter who's playing or if its the pinnacle of the sport. It was sickening during the Olympics listening to people go on and on about the Olympics, but they've never played sports and rarely if ever talk about sports. So how are they anything if they show fake interest in what their watching? That to me, is NOT a fan. As I said before, winning consistently more is what would swell the Jays fanbase. You need a bunch of years strung together before casuals may turn into a hardcore fan. But what the Jays FO did in the Marlins & Dickey trades was trade the future and financial flexibility for years, for a 2-3 year window to "contend" with a let down to follow. So the casual fans they drew in over the course of the past year + are likely gone or will be gone due to last years collapse and the demise of what's on the field right now. Casual fans will not stick around to watch 30+ year olds decline to nothing with good farm pieces 4 years away. There was nothing wrong with the path the Jays were on. But someone got impatient, thought they could luck their way to a playoff berth and ended f***ing up royally. I'll take the Cards & Rays way of running an organization over what the Jays just tried pulling off. I agree casuals hold importance in providing noise and money to the team. As for demonising them.......I have no interest in talking baseball with friends or co-workers I know who aren't baseball fans, but start showing an interest when things have looked bright in the past. Because I know as quick as they've started to follow what's going on, it'll be just as quick they stop following when the Jays start losing.

How can a potential fan base, be considered the fan base? If you're not a fan, you're not a fan. I f***ing hate it when the Jays start doing well and all these non-Jays fans I know are all of a sudden trying to talk baseball. Don't trash the Jays and ridicule me for being a baseball fan when the Jays suck and then when they start winning its like they never stopped following the team from 92 & 93. IMO, if you don't like baseball and only follow when the going is good, that person and everyone like them, cannot be considered part of the fan base.

Maybe Alex doesn't know how to go balls out and make a big free agent splash? One of his positive traits early on were the team friendly deals he inked current Jays to. And in having that trait I could see it as a negative trait to carry into free agent conversations, because you're dealing with a market of players who have 29 possible other suitors and the player may get a feeling Alex is trying to squeeze the guy to tight on money or years. IMO he could've kept moving the organization along in the right direction with all his value moves he was making.

I was close. And how you get this particular market to pay more attention is one of two ways. One is the correct way, the other isn't. Building a contender gets non-baseball fans to pay attention (right way). Signing or trading for a bunch of name players past their prime is a quick burst way of generating interest. (wrong way, unless the FO/owner cares more about attendance/TV Numbers over the short term than they do winning.)

Oh no? Count how many times during those irrelevant months the Jays are ahead of the Leafs in the Sports section pages. I'd say less than a dozen. Isn't it odd that we have a whole country of Jays fans getting regular TV broadcasts, yet the fans still know very little about the game?

When compared against their peers I have them around 10th in baseball for market size. "Market" being a bunch of different factors. True to a point. I would say the Jays were neglectful for a time. But you also can't force a hockey first country to be a fan of baseball or any other sport. I was loving most of the moves up to the Marlins trade. And in hindsight stick by my original like or dislike of a trade. The Marlins trade was exciting to nab what we did. But we gave up a ton of financially flexible youth and value, the excitement and high-priced big names we got was an immediate injection of talent for a huge loss of talent a couple years down the road. Even the Happ trade hate was overblown. Most of the pieces we moved, 1st rounders or not were progressing slowly.

True. But this is a hockey country. And California has more people than Canada.

Maybe. With the way he has blinders on to address weaknesses only lately. OMG our defence was putrid, the only thing I'm looking to upgrade is defence. 2B & 5th SP are bad, I'm looking to upgrade those spots. If he can move Rasmus, Bautista or Edwin for an upgrade elsewhere, he should be looking at it. Not saying these guys are long term fixtures.

I asked why? Meaning why even bring Uggla's name up? He's f***ing s***.

I know they're not a small market, but they're also not a big market.

If it is the case that it's all Alex, then maybe he should see his road to success would've been patience and slow building instead of pretending the Jays are a big market team. If he would've let the system naturally promote Syndergaard & d'Arnaud to push a mediocre SP & Arencibia out of the picture. I would've been completely fine with that over Dickey. I didn't need a rush job to contention like most sports fans need. "OMG, my team better contend now or else"........those fans can pretty much go f*** themselves.

Because you're paying RP's 5+ mil when you could be allocating that money to a better SP and be paying young solid RP's like Stilson & Wagner LG MIN. The bullpen & bench are below the lineup and rotation on where money should be spent first. If you don't allow yourself to be misled, because you see the product on the field doesn't match up with what s*** Beeston is spewing about contending then don't worry about it. But if you hear Beeston talk about contending and you're like ....."yeah the Jays can contend"......then you're either delusional or let an idiot sway your opinion.

Those 3 Jays will either walk as a free agent, or continually get extended until they retire. You gotta love a FO that panders to what the fans want.

I don't understand why fans want to continue on down that road? It puts the Jays in a further financial bind and cuts at the future even deeper.

For sure. I don't consider competing and contending to be the same and that gets thrown around way too much. To me competing is being able to stay in a ball game.... an average team if you will. Contending means to actually be good enough to contend for something, a goal....the pennant or WC. I don't think the Jays are close to contention. They'd either have to luck their way in, or make a couple of significant moves.

Win now, or contend now?

So basically he's fielding a team, being house poor. f***ing brilliant.

Somebody else must've been calling the shots on all the moves from when he started wearing the GM hat until the Happ trade.

If Option A had the 925 guy as a 1B and the other 800 guys as OF'ers & B had a SS, 2B & 3B as the 850's guys I'd definitely take Option B Age would also factor into the players values and how I would prefer an option.

depends what positions they play.