OT MLB to PDX: We're talking baseball to PDX (2 Viewers)

[TorturedBlazerFan]

View attachment 28183

I love arrested developement!

 

[Lanny]

Its never happened that theres been all 6 games won by the road team.

Though its a bit misleading since not all series go 7 games... So id like to see how many game 7s have happenrd in sports. (Its never happened in any of the major sports).

Are you daft? It's happened 18 times in the NBA and at least once in the NHL. I can't tell you when but I know damn well it's happened in MLB.

Wait a minute, were you talking about the road team winning all seven games in a seven game series? If that's what you meant then your queston should have been more clear. This is the first time it's happened in MLB. Not sure about other sports.

 

[Strenuus]

Are you daft? It's happened 18 times in the NBA and at least once in the NHL. I can't tell you when but I know damn well it's happened in MLB.

Wait a minute, were you talking about the road team winning all seven games in a seven game series? If that's what you meant then your queston should have been more clear. This is the first time it's happened in MLB. Not sure about other sports.

Its the first time in any sport.

 

[BigGameDamian]

https://www.oregonlive.com/mlb/2019...nd-project-and-mlb-to-pdx.html?outputType=amp

Canzano: Feels like a big month for the Portland Diamond Project and MLB to PDX

The Portland Diamond Project renderings of their proposed MLB stadium.

I bumped into Craig Cheek, the founder of the Portland Diamond Project, the other night at Autzen Stadium.

Cheek is a Washington State product. He was a guest of Cougars’ athletic director Pat Chun, hanging out with the WSU contingent there for its game against the Ducks. And at one point, Cheek ventured off to say hello to his old Nike boss, Phil Knight.

Knight typically hangs one level down on the press-box side, in a suite alongside the University President. And I wondered as I observed the gears moving behind the scenes just how important the month of November will be for the MLB to PDX effort.

Well it’s finally here.

The World Series is over. Baseball’s Winter Meetings are scheduled for December 9-12. The future of the A’s in Oakland and the Rays in Tampa is up in the air. And so November becomes a vital month for the organization that aims to bring MLB to Portland.

The Portland Diamond Project has been quiet lately, hasn’t it?

There’s an ongoing petition drive that now has more than 40,000 signatures. There’s a line of people like this columnist who would plunk down deposits on season tickets. There was a World Series viewing party, too. But we don’t have a fresh indication from Rob Manfred, the commissioner of MLB, that Portland remains a viable option for relocation or expansion.

In fact, weeks ago when the playoffs started, Manfred fired a missive at the City of Oakland, threatening that the A’s could be moved. But he didn’t use Portland as the threat. After all, we don’t have a suitable venue for them next season. He instead used Las Vegas, where the Raiders are currently building a stadium. That went over in Portland only slightly better than it went over in Oakland.

Did MLB just threaten Portland with losing the A’s too?

Or was Manfred using Las Vegas because that threat comes especially loaded?

MLB’s Vice President of Communications, John Blundell, didn’t reply to a request for an interview in October. He’d previously told me, in May, “MLB is currently working with Tampa Bay and Oakland on their local stadium situations. Beyond that, there is nothing to say at this time.”

Well, November becomes the time to say something.

The World Series went seven games. That was great for baseball. But the sport needs new cities -- young, vibrant, underserved ones. A city that will draw rabid, engaged fans for 81 home dates and become an MLB success story.

But Portland needs to hear something this month.

Not just from MLB, but from the Portland Diamond Project, too. What’s the plan? What’s the status of the real estate development play? Does MLB really want to expand? Is Portland still top of that list? And what of the real estate development plan for the Terminal Two site?

I spoke with Chris McGowan, head of Vulcan Sports, after the Trail Blazers’ opening night. I was particularly interested in the ownership plans of Jody Allen, who is positioning herself very much like she wants to keep the team, at least for a while. But is she interested in developing the Rose Quarter and creating an entertainment district? There’s a lot of development whispers, particularly about the Lloyd Center Mall.

McGowan said, “There’s no active plan in motion I am aware of.”

November is an important month, see.

It’s when the A’s slowly come to grips with the fact that Oakland isn’t ever going to build a baseball stadium for them. It’s when MLB talks about expansion as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. But I’d also like to hear more from the Portland Diamond Project about its ongoing efforts.

Was the MLB to PDX group under a playoff gag order from Manfred?

I hope so.

And I hope it ends for all involved in November.

 

[julius]

I hope they put some onsite parking wherever they (potentially) build a stadium.

 

[AldoTrapani]

I hope they put some onsite parking wherever they (potentially) build a stadium.

Oh god not in this city. They hate cars..

 

[julius]

Oh god not in this city. They hate cars..

Could you imagine what it'd be like if the RG was being built now?

There's be so many bike lanes in there....and homeless camps too.

 

[Lanny]

https://www.oregonlive.com/mlb/2019...nd-project-and-mlb-to-pdx.html?outputType=amp

Canzano: Feels like a big month for the Portland Diamond Project and MLB to PDX

The Portland Diamond Project renderings of their proposed MLB stadium.

I bumped into Craig Cheek, the founder of the Portland Diamond Project, the other night at Autzen Stadium.

Cheek is a Washington State product. He was a guest of Cougars’ athletic director Pat Chun, hanging out with the WSU contingent there for its game against the Ducks. And at one point, Cheek ventured off to say hello to his old Nike boss, Phil Knight.

Knight typically hangs one level down on the press-box side, in a suite alongside the University President. And I wondered as I observed the gears moving behind the scenes just how important the month of November will be for the MLB to PDX effort.

Well it’s finally here.

The World Series is over. Baseball’s Winter Meetings are scheduled for December 9-12. The future of the A’s in Oakland and the Rays in Tampa is up in the air. And so November becomes a vital month for the organization that aims to bring MLB to Portland.

The Portland Diamond Project has been quiet lately, hasn’t it?

There’s an ongoing petition drive that now has more than 40,000 signatures. There’s a line of people like this columnist who would plunk down deposits on season tickets. There was a World Series viewing party, too. But we don’t have a fresh indication from Rob Manfred, the commissioner of MLB, that Portland remains a viable option for relocation or expansion.

In fact, weeks ago when the playoffs started, Manfred fired a missive at the City of Oakland, threatening that the A’s could be moved. But he didn’t use Portland as the threat. After all, we don’t have a suitable venue for them next season. He instead used Las Vegas, where the Raiders are currently building a stadium. That went over in Portland only slightly better than it went over in Oakland.

Did MLB just threaten Portland with losing the A’s too?

Or was Manfred using Las Vegas because that threat comes especially loaded?

MLB’s Vice President of Communications, John Blundell, didn’t reply to a request for an interview in October. He’d previously told me, in May, “MLB is currently working with Tampa Bay and Oakland on their local stadium situations. Beyond that, there is nothing to say at this time.”

Well, November becomes the time to say something.

The World Series went seven games. That was great for baseball. But the sport needs new cities -- young, vibrant, underserved ones. A city that will draw rabid, engaged fans for 81 home dates and become an MLB success story.

But Portland needs to hear something this month.

Not just from MLB, but from the Portland Diamond Project, too. What’s the plan? What’s the status of the real estate development play? Does MLB really want to expand? Is Portland still top of that list? And what of the real estate development plan for the Terminal Two site?

I spoke with Chris McGowan, head of Vulcan Sports, after the Trail Blazers’ opening night. I was particularly interested in the ownership plans of Jody Allen, who is positioning herself very much like she wants to keep the team, at least for a while. But is she interested in developing the Rose Quarter and creating an entertainment district? There’s a lot of development whispers, particularly about the Lloyd Center Mall.

McGowan said, “There’s no active plan in motion I am aware of.”

November is an important month, see.

It’s when the A’s slowly come to grips with the fact that Oakland isn’t ever going to build a baseball stadium for them. It’s when MLB talks about expansion as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. But I’d also like to hear more from the Portland Diamond Project about its ongoing efforts.

Was the MLB to PDX group under a playoff gag order from Manfred?

I hope so.

And I hope it ends for all involved in November.

You seldom see that many boats in one place in the river and never that many sailboats.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Could you imagine what it'd be like if the RG was being built now?

There's be so many bike lanes in there....and homeless camps too.

well they did mess up big time by building all those parking garages that surround the RG like it’s being fortified.

They should have built all the parking underground and on the surface make a walkable entertainment destination with bars and restaurants

 

[julius]

well they did mess up big time by building all those parking garages that surround the RG like it’s being fortified.

They should have built all the parking underground and on the surface make a walkable entertainment destination with bars and restaurants

They SHOULD just tear down the MC, or at least gut it and turn it into a parking lot.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[julius]

MB is starting to look more and more like Super Dave Osborne.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Natebishop3]

The dumbest shit ever. When we were buying our Camry a while back I shopped around and they had a high price and I asked if they would negotiate and they said no so I bought from another dealer. This is just a strategy to make people think they're getting a deal, while instead they're getting gouged.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[julius]

They're gonna look awful foolish when this never happens.

read that with a semi green font.

 

[kjironman1]

They're gonna look awful foolish when this never happens.

read that with a semi green font.

Semi Green?
Ride the fence much?
We just started our volunteer group for following the legislation issues and a couple companies have now started cost and overall mobilization estimates on the waterways for materials.
People are still putting money into being prepared if this does happen.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Semi Green?
Ride the fence much?
We just started our volunteer group for following the legislation issues and a couple companies have now started cost and overall mobilization estimates on the waterways for materials.
People are still putting money into being prepared if this does happen.

I'd give it like a 15% chance of happening. Using my very scientific method of pulling a number from https://www.random.org/.
It sounds about right though.

 

[AldoTrapani]

They love pushing their clothing line

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

They love pushing their clothing line

Dehen 1920 is pretty legit though.

 

[julius]

Semi Green?
Ride the fence much?
We just started our volunteer group for following the legislation issues and a couple companies have now started cost and overall mobilization estimates on the waterways for materials.
People are still putting money into being prepared if this does happen.

It was semi green for the opposite reason than what you responded with.

 

[kjironman1]

It was semi green for the opposite reason than what you responded with.

So semi green because money is only green on the back?

 

[blazerfan11]

What's the baseball thing you talk about? Is it a sport? When channel flipping, I occasionally watch it 'cause it puts me to sleep and I have a really good nap.

well they did mess up big time by building all those parking garages that surround the RG like it’s being fortified.

They should have built all the parking underground and on the surface make a walkable entertainment destination with bars and restaurants

Or put all shops with no parking spots at street level with parking above and below.

 

[julius]

So semi green because money is only green on the back?

Im too tired to be witty.

 

[kjironman1]

 

[BigGameDamian]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports...with-brackets-or-doubleheaders-190406940.html

Baseball brainstorm: Brackets? 7-inning games? How MLB could experiment in a short season.

The fate of Major League Baseball’s 2020 season is up in the air as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic. At the very least, its form will have to be altered.

That is not what anyone wished for, but if public health eventually stabilizes enough to allow for sporting events, an unusual season could carry a small opportunity for America’s most tradition-bound game. The baseball world is constantly obsessing over the tug of war between adaptation to the contemporary entertainment environment and adherence to the rules, numbers and structures that, over more than a century, have created a rich framework around the sport. A season that is already inherently different is a chance to float a trial balloon, to see how different the sport can be before we denounce it as too different. (When the NBA began a lockout-shortened year on Christmas Day, for instance, many were convinced every season should start on Dec. 25.)

So, we assembled the Yahoo Sports baseball staff in Slack, put the more pressing pandemic-related questions to the side for a moment, and took to the whiteboard, so to speak: What experiments could baseball run in 2020 that might stick around?

EXPERIMENT: Brackets for baseball (AKA Save The Tigers Fans)

Chris Cwik: Bracket-style baseball: If this stretches into August and we need to get in games in a month or two, MLB should do a bracket with every single team. The team with the worst record last season (Tigers) would play a best-of-five series against the Nationals and we would keep moving down until only two teams were left. We could even have a loser's bracket type scenario as well. This is most helpful for this year when we might not get baseball for a while, but if the NBA is considering something similar in the regular season, MLB can too.

Boom.

Mark Townsend: August Madness.

Cwik: Problem solved. Let's pack it up.

Hannah Keyser: Do they stop playing as soon as they lose a series?

Jack Baer: My initial thought was that Tigers fans might not appreciate watching only five games this year, but that actually might be a plus for them.

Keyser: Like do Tigers fans only get to go to three games? THREE GAMES.

Cwik: I think that's why we probably need a loser's bracket. You can come out of the loser's bracket at the end to take on the one team that won the winner's bracket.

Mike Oz: I'm all about the notion of March Madness for baseball. But I think there has to be the thrill of anything-can-happen upset where the Pirates oust the Dodgers and that doesn't really happen in a five-game series.

Keyser: Doesn't it? I was concerned this would be TOO random.

Cwik: The team that comes up from the loser's bracket has to win two best-of-seven series against the team from the winner's bracket.

Zach Crizer: What if this is a sideshow? Like one of those English soccer tournaments that matters but not reeeeally.

Cwik: To answer Hannah's question above, though, it's possible the Pirates only get to play six games. But that's the price they pay for not fielding a competitive team.

Townsend: I agree with that notion that it could kill off interest from fanbases pretty quickly. Then again, most of them had nothing to look forward to to begin with.

Cwik: Every game is do-or-die, though. That's my counterpoint.

Pirates fans are super invested in those games. In the regular season, they'll check out in May.

Baer: Plus, imagine the "Duke loses in the first round" level schadenfreude that would erupt if the Astros' season ended in September because variance.

Oz: I love a bracket, here's how I would adjust it: All the regular season is just for seeding. Top team in each league gets a bye into the second round. First two rounds are one game and you're out. From there, the series become three, five and seven games each. Use NCAA Tourney style setup where there are games at four sites; you play game after game for the first two rounds. Eventually, once you get to like eight teams playing 5-game series, they return to their home fields.

Keyser: I think they should or could do this for the playoffs if the regular season isn't long enough to feel "fair.”

Townsend: For a shortened season, I wouldn't be against an experiment like this. But I don't see any carryover appeal.

Keyser: Yeah this feels very ~if the regular season isn't long enough and we want all 30 teams in the postseason~ but I do like it for that.

Oz: Furthermore, before the bracket tourney starts, you have MLB Awards days, broadcast from all four sites, and hand out MVP, etc. there. Not after the season. Next day, tourney starts.

That's how baseball could own a sports news cycle.

Cwik: I think Oz's idea helps carry it over to every single season. But you could do it as a World Baseball Classic type event, too. Which is kinda what he just said.

EXPERIMENT: Condense the season (AKA The Dad Plan, AKA The Modified Boras)
Townsend: I think the baseball season itself needs to be shorter. Given the unpredictable weather in October, it doesn't make sense to spend that entire month playing baseball. MLB should aim to end the regular season in mid-September. But I don't necessarily think there needs to be fewer games.

My idea: Chop three weeks off the regular season. Schedule weekly doubleheaders with two seven-inning games like they do in the minors. A shortened season would be the perfect time to experiment with how these future doubleheaders would work at the highest level.

The current regular season schedule runs 26 1/2 weeks. The weekly doubleheader would keep us at 162 games. Every six weeks, leave three days open for either rest or makeup games if a future makeup can't be scheduled. Make the All-Star break a full week where either makeup games are held or teams are allowed to rest. Teams will undoubtedly be opposed since they'd lose home dates, but I think the interest in attending a doubleheader could help even that out.

Cwik: My head hurts.

Baer: Every manager with bullpen problems (which is all of them) just threw up a little.

Keyser: I am all for a shorter season — I wonder if players think more days off would balance out more doubleheaders. Also! You're assuming they'd let fans attend two games for the price of one, which would never happen.

Oz: Well, I'm all for a shorter season.

Keyser: BREAKING: People who work in baseball support a shorter season.

Crizer: I am against this because I like it when players wear the funny ear flap hats because they are cold.

Keyser: It's pretty damn cold in March.

They couldn't do this AND limit pitcher spots on the roster.

Baer: Maybe this comes with a rider that the Twins have to install a dome.

Townsend: There would be a lot of kinks to work out. Undoubtedly. Expanding the rosters further would be a must as for the bullpen issues mentioned.

Oz: I DO think this is an easy way to ease into what a seven-inning game would look like and see if we hate it ... or actually love it.

Cwik: Yeah, I can get on board with that too, Oz.

I'd be in favor of introducing the concept this season. Just to see.

Townsend: I really just want more doubleheaders. I've always like how the minor leagues do that.

Keyser: Are you more in it for the doubleheaders or the shortened season?

Townsend: Doubleheaders first and foremost. Not having baseball possibly on Halloween right behind that. October postponements are the worst.

Oz: My kids vote for this.

Cwik: Mark has introduced the dad plan.

Keyser: Yeah I think you actually have everyone sold on this except owners who don't want to do a two-for-one deal on tickets.

Oz: The doubleheaders need to come with foam fingers, four beers and hot dogs.

Townsend: Whatever it takes!

BONUS INTERLUDE
Cwik: This is only tangentially related, but Jack brought it up. Every team should play in a dome is a take I've had for some time. Does it apply here? Probably not. But it's a good take.

Keyser: Every team should NOT play in a dome. Get that take out of this great take space. Townie's doubleheaders and no November baseball can stay, but baseball should be played in weather.

Cwik: We would get a 162-game season this year if every team had a dome. Year-round baseball.

Sorry, I've hijacked Mark's idea.

Townsend: All of us for commissioner of something. Maybe baseball.

Keyser: Cwik trying to rob Marco Scutaro of his iconic moment.

 

[Hoopguru]

those dudes are good

 

[kjironman1]

Just to let everyone know. Seems like even with the virus and obvious shutdown issues the PDP is still keeping this alive on the logistics front. There was a meeting last week among fabricators/shops last week. We had some decent plans and bid options that were presented.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Just to let everyone know. Seems like even with the virus and obvious shutdown issues the PDP is still keeping this alive on the logistics front. There was a meeting last week among fabricators/shops last week. We had some decent plans and bid options that were presented.

You have stock in putting the MLB team in PDX?