The best & worst baseball cities

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:32 pm

According to Richard Justice.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3259832

Best:
1. Boston
2. St. Louis
3. New York
4. Cincinnati
5. Chicago

Worst:
1. Tampa Bay
2. Atlanta
3. Miami
4. Pittsburgh
5. Phoenix

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:35 pm

Rack Fu wrote:5. Chicago

Overrated city...the fans flock to see the bridesmaid Cubs and ignore the White Sox, who are actually winning. I almost think they go to see Wrigley as much as they go to see the Cubs. Chicago is down as a sports city right now but they will get behind their teams when they win. This was one of the best sports cities about 10 years ago when Jordan was still playing, the Bears were decent and the Blackhawks drew fans. The Cubs will always draw but that doesn't make it a great baseball city. If they can pack both Wrigley and US Comiscular...then I'll give them their props. One of the biggest cities in the world, they should be able to fill both parks up.

chowd103 · Post by **chowd103** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:48 pm

Some guy wrote:2. St. Louis
• Fans: 9
• Ballpark: 6
• Passion: 9
It's the place almost every baseball player wants to play. Those who have played other places, such as Mark McGwire and J.D. Drew, say it's the best environment on earth. Cardinals fans are every bit as interested in their team as Red Sox fans are in theirs. The difference is they're nicer in St. Louis.

That's their problem.

Watching last years WS, I was unimpressed, yet I was perplexed at how those Cards fans seemed to give the Red Sox their props.

I found it tasteful, yet weird.

As far as Yankees fans go, hell they're just used to getting what they think they deserve. Fukk 'em!

On a side note, the first call I got when the 'Sox finally delivered was from a true Yankees fan, so I take that back.

There's a huge difference between a fan and a diehard fan.

Rack the True Die-Hard baseball fan.

Yankees fan or not.

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:54 pm

There's an asterisk that should go beside any mention of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The asterisk is the fact we'll never know if baseball could have made it in Tampa-St. Pete. From the beginning, the Devil Rays have had the worst owner and the most bumbling general manager in the game. Maybe fans wouldn't have come out anyway. But these guys all but hung a ''No reason to come here" sign.

As a resident of Tampa this sums it up nicely. Vince Naimoli is a piece of crap. Chuck Lamar is his lackey piece of crap. They need to go before any change is made for us on that list. They have so pissed off the fans that most people refuse to go to games so their money won't end up in our shit owners pockets.

The Assassin · Post by **The Assassin** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:16 pm

T REX wrote:There's an asterisk that should go beside any mention of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The asterisk is the fact we'll never know if baseball could have made it in Tampa-St. Pete. From the beginning, the Devil Rays have had the worst owner and the most bumbling general manager in the game. Maybe fans wouldn't have come out anyway. But these guys all but hung a ''No reason to come here" sign.

As a resident of Tampa this sums it up nicely. Vince Naimoli is a piece of crap. Chuck Lamar is his lackey piece of crap. They need to go before any change is made for us on that list. They have so pissed off the fans that most people refuse to go to games so their money won't end up in our shit owners pockets.

Isnt Tropicana Field like an hour from Tampa? Either way they botched baseball there. From what the Vegas media says the DRays are the frontrunners to relocate to Sin City. I'll beleive it when I see actual stadium plans in place.

chowd103 · Post by **chowd103** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:19 pm

T REX wrote:There's an asterisk that should go beside any mention of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The asterisk is the fact we'll never know if baseball could have made it in Tampa-St. Pete. From the beginning, the Devil Rays have had the worst owner and the most bumbling general manager in the game. Maybe fans wouldn't have come out anyway. But these guys all but hung a ''No reason to come here" sign.

As a resident of Tampa this sums it up nicely. Vince Naimoli is a piece of crap. Chuck Lamar is his lackey piece of crap. They need to go before any change is made for us on that list. They have so pissed off the fans that most people refuse to go to games so their money won't end up in our shit owners pockets.

TRex is $

They would have a pretty decent fan base if the owners really cared. I heard that the ownership actually loses money if they generate more fans at the ball park*

They allegedly pay a large percentage to the people of St. Pete when the D'Rays draw large crowds, so the ownership does nothing to try to improve the team.

Thats how they make their money.

allegedly

And if you've ever gone to a game @ the "Trop" you'll see the Nazi-Ushers "doing their job" to make life miserable to the loyal & not so loyal fans.

It's beginning to make sense.

* Mostly like a large warehouse with A/C & fake grass.

Adelpiero · Post by **Adelpiero** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:25 pm

4. Cincinnati

give me a fucking break, i went to stl/cinccy series while they were fighting for division, and they pulled in a whopping 20K fans! :roll: Next night, 21K

If dressing up like seats make you great baseball cities, then Florida is #1.

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:03 am

The Assassin wrote:
Isnt Tropicana Field like an hour from Tampa? Either way they botched baseball there. From what the Vegas media says the DRays are the frontrunners to relocate to Sin City. I'll beleive it when I see actual stadium plans in place.

Not an hour but a good 45 minutes plus there is nothing there besides the park. The location definitely sux. The Rays cannot leave without a big legal battle. The Drays cannot even build a new stadium because of their lease. It is quite the legalese document. The Rays have to fulfill their lease or be destroyed. It is crazy.

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:05 am

chowd103 wrote:
TRex is $

They would have a pretty decent fan base if the owners really cared. I heard that the ownership actually loses money if they generate more fans at the ball park*

They allegedly pay a large percentage to the people of St. Pete when the D'Rays draw large crowds, so the ownership does nothing to try to improve the team.

Thats how they make their money.

allegedly

And if you've ever gone to a game @ the "Trop" you'll see the Nazi-Ushers "doing their job" to make life miserable to the loyal & not so loyal fans.

It's beginning to make sense.

* Mostly like a large warehouse with A/C & fake grass.

Yes, the ownership group has alienated everyone. I hear the vendors are paying ridiculous fees that many are going out of business. Naimoli is teh biggest shithead in town. I am sure he laughs all the way to the bank.

PrimeX · Post by **PrimeX** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:18 am

Richard Justice is an egomaniac with a clouded brain. Can't stand him on the radio, his flip flopping of issues is outright pathetic, and his wife is fucking fat.

Cincy? Mother fucking CINCY?

Fuckin' tard. :roll:

Bizzarofelice · Post by **Bizzarofelice** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:04 am

chowd103 wrote:
Some guy wrote:2. St. Louis
• Fans: 9
• Ballpark: 6
• Passion: 9
It's the place almost every baseball player wants to play. Those who have played other places, such as Mark McGwire and J.D. Drew, say it's the best environment on earth. Cardinals fans are every bit as interested in their team as Red Sox fans are in theirs. The difference is they're nicer in St. Louis.
That's their problem.

Watching last years WS, I was unimpressed, yet I was perplexed at how those Cards fans seemed to give the Red Sox their props.
You were perplexed? We got like three runs in games 2-4. Cardsfan was perfuckingplexed.

I found it tasteful, yet weird.

So if Cards fans took out the pressures of their lives on undeserving baseball players shit would be cool?

As for ballparks, always hated people rating a baseball, football or hockey team based on the arena. If the fucking game kicks ass, then the arena don't rate so much. If you're stuck in Tampa watching the DRays, you've got more time to bitch about the venue. I think the Rams venue sucks ass, but by no means does it rate as much as the quality of play.

Anybody who rates Fenway as a great venue isn't over 6' tall.

Carlos Lee · Post by **Carlos Lee** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:42 pm

Bizzarofelice wrote:Anybody who rates Fenway as a great venue isn't over 6' tall.

Don't forget that every seat in the house faces the same direction as the steps they're found on. The right field seats are especially heinous. They ALL face dead center field and if your wife, g/f, or... 'significant other' doesn't give a mean massage, your neck feels like it got DDT'ed from having it turned to a 90 degree angle for 3 hours.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:02 pm

T Rex and Chowd are dead on about the D-Rays. The fact that The Trop is 45 min from Tampa deters a lot of people from going to 7pm week games b/c the traffic is unbearable most days on 275 and they wont get there in time. St Pete is mostly old people and poor minorities and there are no attractive bars, pubs or sports bars around the Trop that attract the fans. If they had built a stadium in Tampa I would bet they would avg 10-12k more fans a night but the team would still suck balls b/c the owners have less money than the girl selling lemonade on the corner. They have no desire to field a successful team and they are banking that there above avg drafting wil pay off. The sad thing is, if the team was to be re-located I doubt anybody would really care.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:19 pm

There are so many things to do in Florida. Why would anybody care about baseball? If I were in FLA I'd be on the golf course 300+ days a year, catching one of the 4 PGA tournaments in state, and watching DI football and NFL. Watching baseball would be a distant 4th on my radar.

The whole idea of having a baseball team in St. Pete is retarded. All the snowbirds fly back north in May and come back to Florida in October.

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:31 pm

Shoalzie wrote:
Rack Fu wrote:5. Chicago

Overrated city...the fans flock to see the bridesmaid Cubs and ignore the White Sox, who are actually winning. I almost think they go to see Wrigley as much as they go to see the Cubs. Chicago is down as a sports city right now but they will get behind their teams when they win. This was one of the best sports cities about 10 years ago when Jordan was still playing, the Bears were decent and the Blackhawks drew fans. The Cubs will always draw but that doesn't make it a great baseball city. If they can pack both Wrigley and US Comiscular...then I'll give them their props. One of the biggest cities in the world, they should be able to fill both parks up.

Nine out of ten years, the Sox are better than the Cubs. Doesn't matter. Outside the city, the Sox get no run. Zero. But there are Cub fans nationwide. And everyone has a relative or friend in Chicago so what do they want to do when they visit? See the Sox?????? Hell, no. Shoalzie is dead on.....the ball park is the drawing card and if you've ever been there, you know why. Ask any player their favorite place to play and they'll say Wrigley. Fans love it too. Easily my favorite ball park and I've been to Fenway, Yankee, and Dodger stadiums. Sox fans even like Wrigley better than U.S. Cellular.....so they don't go to either.

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:37 pm

Fenway is nice because of the whole atmosphere (and I'm a NYY fan). That said, the stadium fucking sucks. It's old, small and dirty.

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 9:30 pm

LOL........agreed. I think it's a bit overrated. Everyone falls over themselves singing the praises of Fenway. It's pretty good, though. Best part is all the old school things like the manual scoreboard, old signs, funky hot dog buns, and general decrepitness of the whole place. But there were too many of those "so knowledgable" fans knocking beach balls all over the place. Good park but there are better.

Red Sox and Cubs are faced with the same dilemma. They'd love to have a much bigger park but would lose all their cache if they do. Then again, they're teflon teams.....fans will come out whether they win or lose.

Adelpiero · Post by **Adelpiero** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 9:36 pm

BSmack wrote:There are so many things to do in Florida. Why would anybody care about baseball? If I were in FLA I'd be on the golf course 300+ days a year, catching one of the 4 PGA tournaments in state, and watching DI football and NFL. Watching baseball would be a distant 4th on my radar.

The whole idea of having a baseball team in St. Pete is retarded. All the snowbirds fly back north in May and come back to Florida in October.

they love spring training baseball in florida, course that just passifys them till spring football practice!!!!!!

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:43 pm

T REX wrote:The Drays cannot even build a new stadium because of their lease. It is quite the legalese document. The Rays have to fulfill their lease or be destroyed. It is crazy.

While the lease is pretty strict, they could still find a way out of it if they really wanted to build a new ballpark. The hint that I-4 and I-75 could be a location would definitely improve their situation. That and having Sternberg with full control of the team.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:03 pm

I was reading about the cardinals 2-3 issues ago in SI and the picture showed a half empty stadium on a warm summer night...

what gives?

PrimeX · Post by **PrimeX** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:12 pm

The other half were busy in the concourses voting Ecktein and Rolen into the All Star game.

Carlos Lee · Post by **Carlos Lee** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:13 pm

Mustang wrote:Red Sox and Cubs are faced with the same dilemma. They'd love to have a much bigger park but would lose all their cache if they do. Then again, they're teflon teams.....fans will come out whether they win or lose.

The Sox not building a new pad has nothing to do with cache. A new stadium will never be built in the city limits. It would have to be in the burbs. There's no way the city would ever allow itself to have some 'historical landmark' torn down and turned into Fenway II. There's been numerous proposals for new sites... but it's always like 'Paul Revere's horse shit here on his way to the North Church... so that's out'... or whatever.

Bizzarofelice · Post by **Bizzarofelice** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:15 pm

jiminphilly wrote:I was reading about the cardinals 2-3 issues ago in SI and the picture showed a half empty stadium on a warm summer night...

what gives?

3rd in attendance in the MLB.
averaging 42,129 per game thusfar.
think that picture was the everyday example?

maybe the pic was taken in the 9th inning of a Cards-Pirates game, considering the way the Phils have kicked our asses this year, maybe it was the 9th of a cards-phils

Alkie · Post by **Alkie** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:17 pm

jiminphilly wrote:I was reading about the cardinals 2-3 issues ago in SI and the picture showed a half empty stadium on a warm summer night...

what gives?

Don't know when that pic was taken, but the Cards are gonna break their all time attendence record this year, Something like 3.2 - 3.4 million.

I'm not sure if that number is more or less than the amount of batteries thrown at players in philly.

d-townmike · Post by **d-townmike** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:51 am

Richard Justice wrote:2. Atlanta

This was the only city I question in his bottom 5 list. I had always thought of Atlanta as being one of the better baseball towns considering the relatively new ballpark, the fact that all games are sold out and the fact that the Braves have one of the best records in the MLB.

According to his description, it seems that the fans there are "fairweather." I have never seen that with Bravefan. I was at a Braves/Rockies game last season and it seemed as if Turner Field had moved west! I was in the minority when it came to rooting for my own team in the home ballpark!

I may be behind on the times, but as far as I'm concerned, Atlanta should be in the top 5 best baseball cities hopefully replacing....Cincinatti?

How that city made the top 5 I'll never know

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:32 am

Atlanta sells out? The fact that they don't sell out playoff games is why they're #2. Definitely a whine & cheese crowd.

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:02 am

Indeed, Atlanta has had problems selling out playoff games.

Oakland belongs in the bottom 5 as well, everytime their games are on Sportscenter, the seats are empty (average 24,000, yeah right). Their stadium is a concrete monstrosity with NO redeeming features.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:26 pm

PrimeX wrote:The other half were busy in the concourses voting Ecktein and Rolen into the All Star game.

Rack. Thats funny.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:33 pm

d-townmike wrote:
Richard Justice wrote:2. Atlanta
This was the only city I question in his bottom 5 list. I had always thought of Atlanta as being one of the better baseball towns considering the relatively new ballpark, the fact that all games are sold out and the fact that the Braves have one of the best records in the MLB.

According to his description, it seems that the fans there are "fairweather." I have never seen that with Bravefan. I was at a Braves/Rockies game last season and it seemed as if Turner Field had moved west! I was in the minority when it came to rooting for my own team in the home ballpark!

I may be behind on the times, but as far as I'm concerned, Atlanta should be in the top 5 best baseball cities hopefully replacing....Cincinatti? How that city made the top 5 I'll never know

I'm sure you've heard of TBS?

Just because there are smatterings of rabid Braves fans all over the country thanks to that abortion of a network doesn't mean that the ATL is anything more than ground zero for northern transplants who have absolutley zero passion for their "hometown" sports teams.

T1B

The best & worst baseball cities

The best & worst baseball cities

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Re: The best & worst baseball cities