leaffie

Approx. 24% of the people that live in the Tampa Bay area are retireds. When they arrive there if they are baseball fans, they already have their team. They are yankee or red sox or even blue jay fans and that allegiance doesnt change. They will go to games, when "their" team plays, or they will go once in awhile just to see a ballgame, but they dont become Rays fans. This to me, besides,the traffic nightmare has always been the Rays biggest problem. No young men or families attending, whether in the playoffs or not.

Braden looks so much like his father it was almost too difficult to watch.

Dont know how relevant this is, but there was a lengthy discussion on sirius radio about which team would sign Otani. They said that the Jays had numerous scouts at every game, and the appearance was that they were serious. Said that no one had more eyes on him than the Jays. They also thought that the Jays had someone, and sorry didnt get his name, that had a long relationship with Otani. Also said that from all they had heard , money was not that important to him. Otani was more interested in being allowed to pitch and hit. And he definitely was going to choose a team that he will be comfortable with, not necessarily one of the big names, such as yankees, dodgers etc. Fwiw.

Well thank god, now they can finally stop talking about our guy in the white shirt.

Anyone have any idea when Gibbons is back???

Is it just me, or does it seem like every game the Jays are down in the first inning?

The Jays have been in existence for 40 years, and were pretty lousy for a lot of those years. There is a core group of older fans that have been supporting this team no matter what. They are knowledgeable baseball fans that Rogers has always been able to count on. What the Jays will lose if they don't do this right, is the young new fan that have flocked to the parks everywhere. The older fans and if you saw any of the games in Seattle are in their 60's and up now. They are reaching the stage where health etc. become a factor. This core group is getting smaller. So if the new fan is not able to find something to hold their interest, this team is in big trouble. It is fine to think they will come back, but if the core group is gone in the next five years, there is no core of faithful young fans to rely on. The Jays have not been good long enough to capture their interest. Plus, each family has so much money to spend on entertainment. Will they spend it on lousy baseball, or will they go to a hockey game or a raptor game? Any baseball fan can look at this team and know that a rebuild is coming soon. But how they market this team will be the biggest challenge for Shapiro.

I am sure that some of them could play as well as some of the misadventures we have seen on the field this year.

I hate to be a nitpicker, but when you have got your wishes and traded everyone to fill up that farm system, who exactly will be playing on this team???

Lol

Omg another sterling play from our RF

]Kind of feel the same about this squad Leaffie and it's not just the record. And it is a sad way to feel about a team that most love.

Right, and why did the powers that be, not see that and go and get a #5 starter and keep him where he was the most successful.

You know how long I have been a Jays fan, and this is the very first time I do NOT like this team. Even when they were perennial third place, I liked the team and the players. Too many players that I would not have. But this is the team we have. I hope that Shapiro does a better job than he has done this year when he starts the rebuild.

Well I hope you are right and I am wrong

Spanky of course they would be smiling, but do you honestly think this team is capable of reeling off a bunch of wins. I wish I would be dead wrong, but this team is done.

But most thought the Jays underachieved all year last year, and finally started clicking near the end of the year. But this year, there is something wrong with the basic makeup of this team. Too many errors, terrible bullpen for too much of the season. starting pitching that was number one, to probably near the bottom this year. When was the last time anyone saw this team excited and even appearing interested.

This team has played like this all year. Even if they should luck into a second wildcard, does anyone have any hope that they can all of a sudden play well.

I wondered if Donaldson is seeing the ball as well since he added that faceguard to his helmet.

This team was buried in April, we are just waiting for the last rites.

This team is boring, and I cant remember a game where the team even looked like they were interested.

Every member of this board knew during spring training that the bullpen needed fixing. Well they didnt fix it, and this is what you get.

Why doesnt he go to a nail salon and get a gel nail. They are practically indestructible. Have to get them ground off. Wasnt it AJ burnett that used to use a gel nail.

Toronto always has problems getting free agents to sign here. They are probably going to be less inclined, when they look at a team that might be in the midst of a rebuild. Although I do like your idea.

Every fan wants a team that is consistently good year in and year out. Residing in the AL east with the sox and Yankees, doesn't make that as simple as say the AL west. But the question is, not if a rebuild was coming, but when. If Shapiro has decided that this is a holding year with a vague shot at the WC, then it was simply a waste of a year. The question now is, will Shapiro be the guy that can do the rebuild. If his bullpen is any example, I would be worried. If a rebuild and a supposed rush of top prospects via trade is the hope, then he should have just started it. He should have done what Cashman has done, and told the fans, we have to do this, and here is our plan for the future. Those bandwagon fans that most on this board hate, will be gone, but they will come back somewhere down the road. The real worry for this Jays organization is the older long time fans that have stuck with this team for 20 years of ineptitude. If this rebuild takes ten years, they will be gone, and will not be back as they don't have time. This is not as simple as filling the farm system and trading off what assets this team has.