Time for the fans to show up
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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Bobster21
Time for the fans to show up
Brault walks 2 with 2 outs and they both score. Marte seems to be taking the night off. Unfortunately, he doing it from CF.
Time for the fans to show up
2C2B3D353B2C6B671E39333F3732703D31335E0 wrote: I find the lack of people at the stadium demoralizing.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Exactly. This sham ownership group ought to be ashamed. I don’t even care that they are cheap. Everyone knows that. It’s the utter refusal to field a team of MLB-caliber players and their cavalier attitude about it. (Threw that reference in especially for you, Virginia ;D.) They know they don’t have a team that can compete, and they're quite content about it. They couldn’t give two rips that the stadium is 90% empty most nights. All they need to do is show up and turn a profit. No one is asking them to sign Max Scherzer, David Price, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, or Madison Bumgarner. No one. No one expects A+ free agents. But the occasional B guy...a bone thrown to fans to let them know you’re trying, that you care? And the end result? No fans. Frankly, I couldn’t care less except for what you say...it robs families of quality time together. MLB eventually needs to step in and do something. They won’t, because their content with the status quo, but before long, there won’t be any fans left to go to games in the first place.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Exactly. This sham ownership group ought to be ashamed. I don’t even care that they are cheap. Everyone knows that. It’s the utter refusal to field a team of MLB-caliber players and their cavalier attitude about it. (Threw that reference in especially for you, Virginia ;D.) They know they don’t have a team that can compete, and they're quite content about it. They couldn’t give two rips that the stadium is 90% empty most nights. All they need to do is show up and turn a profit. No one is asking them to sign Max Scherzer, David Price, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, or Madison Bumgarner. No one. No one expects A+ free agents. But the occasional B guy...a bone thrown to fans to let them know you’re trying, that you care? And the end result? No fans. Frankly, I couldn’t care less except for what you say...it robs families of quality time together. MLB eventually needs to step in and do something. They won’t, because their content with the status quo, but before long, there won’t be any fans left to go to games in the first place.
Time for the fans to show up
On the business of going to the game with your family, Possum gave some excellent advice last year and it holds just as true today as it did then -- give minor league ball a chance. The games are fun, the fielding can be just as bad, the food is just as good, the extra entertainment can be strange but interesting, and the food is real ball-park food. The teams (ownership) really tries to be entertaining, to get people in the park. Best of all, admission is a lot cheaper. So listen to Papa Possum and give it a try.
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DemDog
Time for the fans to show up
73716B6D7B1E0 wrote: On the business of going to the game with your family, Possum gave some excellent advice last year and it holds just as true today as it did then -- give minor league ball a chance. The games are fun, the fielding can be just as bad, the food is just as good, the extra entertainment can be strange but interesting, and the food is real ball-park food. The teams (ownership) really tries to be entertaining, to get people in the park. Best of all, admission is a lot cheaper. So listen to Papa Possum and give it a try.
Speaking of MILB there is the Altoona Curve just a couple hrs from the Burgh. Besides seeing the Pirate "Kids" play ball there is also a small but good amusement park right next to the Curve's stadium. I can't think of a better place to go for a family weekend than to Altoona. A day at the amusement park with an evening at the ball game.
Speaking of MILB there is the Altoona Curve just a couple hrs from the Burgh. Besides seeing the Pirate "Kids" play ball there is also a small but good amusement park right next to the Curve's stadium. I can't think of a better place to go for a family weekend than to Altoona. A day at the amusement park with an evening at the ball game.
Time for the fans to show up
The fans don't have to do anything. There's no reason to believe it makes any substantial difference on how the team operates with respect to payroll. Our payroll has tracked MLB nearly flawlessly.
Our goal is to do the best we can with a bottom 5 payroll. When the goal is to win, fans will show up like they did in 2014-2015. We didn't know the org wasn't trying it's best to win until 2016
This org is doing nothing to address needs. Mike Feliz is opening games. These guys aren't even ML quality pitchers.
We're a winner with a -50 run differential. If we would make a couple of aggressive moves now, we could try to take advantage of that great luck. That would mean the org would have to try to win though. Won't happen
Whatever demoralizing effect empty seats at PNC has on the players, I assume watching Mike Feliz take the mound against the best team in baseball is a little more demoralizing for them.
Our goal is to do the best we can with a bottom 5 payroll. When the goal is to win, fans will show up like they did in 2014-2015. We didn't know the org wasn't trying it's best to win until 2016
This org is doing nothing to address needs. Mike Feliz is opening games. These guys aren't even ML quality pitchers.
We're a winner with a -50 run differential. If we would make a couple of aggressive moves now, we could try to take advantage of that great luck. That would mean the org would have to try to win though. Won't happen
Whatever demoralizing effect empty seats at PNC has on the players, I assume watching Mike Feliz take the mound against the best team in baseball is a little more demoralizing for them.
Time for the fans to show up
4344525A5443040871565C50585D1F525E5C310 wrote: I find the lack of people at the stadium demoralizing.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Now, we've doubled down to the point of true absurdity. First, fans need to show up because it's demoralizing the millionaires on the field who are playing. *Eyeroll x 50*
Now, they're bad fathers too!
What's next? Cast their souls into Hades for all eternity for not going to a baseball game?
Get a grip. Take a breath. It's a game.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Now, we've doubled down to the point of true absurdity. First, fans need to show up because it's demoralizing the millionaires on the field who are playing. *Eyeroll x 50*
Now, they're bad fathers too!
What's next? Cast their souls into Hades for all eternity for not going to a baseball game?
Get a grip. Take a breath. It's a game.
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Bobster21
Time for the fans to show up
616860717F050 wrote: The fans don't have to do anything. There's no reason to believe it makes any substantial difference on how the team operates with respect to payroll. Our payroll has tracked MLB nearly flawlessly.
Our goal is to do the best we can with a bottom 5 payroll. When the goal is to win, fans will show up like they did in 2014-2015. We didn't know the org wasn't trying it's best to win until 2016
2015 set the franchise record for attendance. And we all saw how Nutting & Co responded to their windfall revenue. I can only interpret that as a clear indication of exactly what the organization's goal was. They constructed a good team on a modest budget in order to line their pockets with the increased attendance revenue. And having accomplished that, there was no longer need or interest in remaining competitive so payroll has now been slashed to the lowest it's been since 2012. The low payroll reduces operating costs, which doesn't require much attendance to make a profit. And there's the added bonus of occasionally stumbling into a pseudo competitive year despite their lack of effort such as last season when a 73-74 record as late as September 15 was deemed "in the hunt for the WC spot."
So now when they need players and can seemingly afford to spend a little ("burdened" only by MLB's 27th ranked payroll) they choose not to add players. Why would they? These are the same people who reacted to a franchise attendance record in 2015 by adding Jaso, Niese and Vogelsong in 2016 and have overseen the decline of the team ever since. A team that's not in it to win it doesn't need to improve the team. They only need warm bodies and the cheaper the better.
Our goal is to do the best we can with a bottom 5 payroll. When the goal is to win, fans will show up like they did in 2014-2015. We didn't know the org wasn't trying it's best to win until 2016
2015 set the franchise record for attendance. And we all saw how Nutting & Co responded to their windfall revenue. I can only interpret that as a clear indication of exactly what the organization's goal was. They constructed a good team on a modest budget in order to line their pockets with the increased attendance revenue. And having accomplished that, there was no longer need or interest in remaining competitive so payroll has now been slashed to the lowest it's been since 2012. The low payroll reduces operating costs, which doesn't require much attendance to make a profit. And there's the added bonus of occasionally stumbling into a pseudo competitive year despite their lack of effort such as last season when a 73-74 record as late as September 15 was deemed "in the hunt for the WC spot."
So now when they need players and can seemingly afford to spend a little ("burdened" only by MLB's 27th ranked payroll) they choose not to add players. Why would they? These are the same people who reacted to a franchise attendance record in 2015 by adding Jaso, Niese and Vogelsong in 2016 and have overseen the decline of the team ever since. A team that's not in it to win it doesn't need to improve the team. They only need warm bodies and the cheaper the better.
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rucker59@gmail.com
Time for the fans to show up
737A72636D170 wrote: I find the lack of people at the stadium demoralizing.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Now, we've doubled down to the point of true absurdity. First, fans need to show up because it's demoralizing the millionaires on the field who are playing. *Eyeroll x 50*
Now, they're bad fathers too!
What's next? Cast their souls into Hades for all eternity for not going to a baseball game?
Get a grip. Take a breath. It's a game.
You don’t get me. That’s fine. But trust me I don’t need to get a grip or take a breath. Nor do I need you telling what I need to do.
I’m speaking about something bigger than Bob Nutting. Bigger even than wins and loses. I’m speaking about an institution under attack and the impact to me. My family. Other families. How much am I willing to let Nutting steal?
You only see sabermetrics, apparently. I’m talking about something completely different that you clearly have no idea about. You should stay away from the park and protest to your hearts content. You think your biting sarcasm hurts Nutting more than my saddness? I wonder who really needs to get a grip.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Now, we've doubled down to the point of true absurdity. First, fans need to show up because it's demoralizing the millionaires on the field who are playing. *Eyeroll x 50*
Now, they're bad fathers too!
What's next? Cast their souls into Hades for all eternity for not going to a baseball game?
Get a grip. Take a breath. It's a game.
You don’t get me. That’s fine. But trust me I don’t need to get a grip or take a breath. Nor do I need you telling what I need to do.
I’m speaking about something bigger than Bob Nutting. Bigger even than wins and loses. I’m speaking about an institution under attack and the impact to me. My family. Other families. How much am I willing to let Nutting steal?
You only see sabermetrics, apparently. I’m talking about something completely different that you clearly have no idea about. You should stay away from the park and protest to your hearts content. You think your biting sarcasm hurts Nutting more than my saddness? I wonder who really needs to get a grip.
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rucker59@gmail.com
Time for the fans to show up
When I wrote the OP I fully expected that many would disagree. I have no problem with that. Maybe staying away is the right action. No one has been more angry at the FO than me. But....that does not mean I don’t experience the loss of something significant. For some it may be black and white: Nutting is bad so rooting for the team makes you a fool or losing grip or whatever.
I disagree with this ownership. It’s a fraud. I also grieve what is being lost in the process. It’s not just WS intentions, it’s a way of life or a soul or something beautiful. I understand some people are not going to get what I’m talking about. I nevertheless hope others will choose to debate my point and not my ability to function as a normal human being.
I disagree with this ownership. It’s a fraud. I also grieve what is being lost in the process. It’s not just WS intentions, it’s a way of life or a soul or something beautiful. I understand some people are not going to get what I’m talking about. I nevertheless hope others will choose to debate my point and not my ability to function as a normal human being.
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rucker59@gmail.com
Time for the fans to show up
0F07043325002728460 wrote: I find the lack of people at the stadium demoralizing.
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Exactly. This sham ownership group ought to be ashamed. I don’t even care that they are cheap. Everyone knows that. It’s the utter refusal to field a team of MLB-caliber players and their cavalier attitude about it. (Threw that reference in especially for you, Virginia ;D.) They know they don’t have a team that can compete, and they're quite content about it. They couldn’t give two rips that the stadium is 90% empty most nights. All they need to do is show up and turn a profit. No one is asking them to sign Max Scherzer, David Price, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, or Madison Bumgarner. No one. No one expects A+ free agents. But the occasional B guy...a bone thrown to fans to let them know you’re trying, that you care? And the end result? No fans. Frankly, I couldn’t care less except for what you say...it robs families of quality time together. MLB eventually needs to step in and do something. They won’t, because their content with the status quo, but before long, there won’t be any fans left to go to games in the first place.
I get the pun!
I was on campus the next day, and it was still sort of celebrating. But as a whole, most folks in Va really don’t get that sports is life and death!
I live in Boston and I'm raising my eight-year-old son as a Pirates fan, and even he notices. I tell him they're mad that the Pirates traded McCutchen. He says: Still???
At the same time, it totally pisses me off that the FO didn't recognize the need to make some kind of splash in free agency as a good faith move. Didn't have to be Machado. Could have been Gio Gonzales or Moustakas. Instead they did nothing, more or less, and tonight's starter is the result.
Nonetheless we'll be at a game in August when I visit town.
I worry about the kids.
What I’ve cone to know is that MANY dads would rather punish Bob Nutting than take their kids out to the game. There is nothing that can replace summers following a team and going out to the game. Nutting - he might destroy the Pirates but he’s not going to steal my relationship with my son (he’s in college now, but he gets home tonight; the ONE THING he told me he missed more than anything else - going to games at PNC with me. As the commercial says: priceless).
It’s all very sad.
Exactly. This sham ownership group ought to be ashamed. I don’t even care that they are cheap. Everyone knows that. It’s the utter refusal to field a team of MLB-caliber players and their cavalier attitude about it. (Threw that reference in especially for you, Virginia ;D.) They know they don’t have a team that can compete, and they're quite content about it. They couldn’t give two rips that the stadium is 90% empty most nights. All they need to do is show up and turn a profit. No one is asking them to sign Max Scherzer, David Price, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, or Madison Bumgarner. No one. No one expects A+ free agents. But the occasional B guy...a bone thrown to fans to let them know you’re trying, that you care? And the end result? No fans. Frankly, I couldn’t care less except for what you say...it robs families of quality time together. MLB eventually needs to step in and do something. They won’t, because their content with the status quo, but before long, there won’t be any fans left to go to games in the first place.
I get the pun!
I was on campus the next day, and it was still sort of celebrating. But as a whole, most folks in Va really don’t get that sports is life and death!