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It's about time for a team in Austin or San Antonio

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by Caltex2, Oct 7, 2012.

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  1. leroy

    leroy Member
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    Austin would never support a team. It's not just the school. Despite it's size, Austin just is not a major professional league sport type of city.

    San Antonio probably could support one in time. But if I were Jim Crane or Nolan Ryan, I'd fight to the death to prevent any other team in Texas. The Astros, especially, have a huge fan base in SA.
     
    #21 leroy, Oct 8, 2012
  2. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    You could have a 3rd team in TX. Would just need to be West Texas, but there isn't a good enough market yet.
     
    #22 juicystream, Oct 8, 2012
  3. msn

    msn Member

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    Respect your opinion (really I do), but I just don't see it that way.

    Yes, in fact. Some of the greats from the 70s and 80s never appeared in the 'Dome, and none of the AL stadia ever got to see the great Mike Scott. :grin:

    Why, thank you. It's not "tradition" so much as just something different. They were two separate leagues that began playing a misnamed "World Series" near the end of the 19th century. The teams' only chance to play against the other league was to make it out of their own. It's one of the things that makes (or made, sadly) baseball different from the other major sports leagues. I (and quite a few others) like it. If that's "absurd" to you, then I'm sorry you're unable to appreciate other perspectives.

    Yeah, that Red Sox/Yankees thing is nothing. And Giants/Dodgers. Ya, there's never been a *real* rivalry in MLB.

    Like Astros/Braves and Astros/Cardinals? Nahhh...

    Many folks don't hold that in high esteem the way you do. But I guess they're all just "absurd".

    Yeah, that'll make the regular season more exciting...
     
    #23 msn, Oct 8, 2012
  4. Major

    Major Member

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    Do you also feel this way about the DH? :)

    As to the original topic, I don't see Austin really being interested in or supporting an MLB team with the attendance levels needed. A basketball team (fewer games, smaller venue) or even football team (fewer games) would be more viable. That said, I'm not sure if Austin's reputation for not being a pro-sports town is warranted. Having never had them, it's really hard to say how the city would respond - though certainly UT would fight it at all costs.
     
    #24 Major, Oct 8, 2012
    1 person likes this.
  5. Caltex2

    Caltex2 Member

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    The thing is that while teams play vastly different schedules, it's not enough to justify having a team that won a potentially weak division (thinking of the 2010 Seahawks and 2008 Arizona Cardinals for starters). You're already guaranteed a playoff spot by winning your division and shouldn't granted a high seed and home field advantage (potentially twice such as in the case of the '09 Cardinals) because of it. If you have a better overall record, division record and possible head-to-head, I think you should get a higher seed because you've proven you can win in your league. I think it's sad 15-1 or 14-2 team may have to hit the road for up to three playoff games one year.
     
    #25 Caltex2, Oct 9, 2012
  6. Caltex2

    Caltex2 Member

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    It also used to be tradition for schools not to recruit blacks. On a less extreme and relateable measure, it was also tradition that no second place team could make the playoffs but that's now a staple and a good one that has enhanced rivalries, even ones as historic as Yankees-Red Sox.

    We can agree to disagree but just because they used to be separate leagues doesn't mean they have to be or and any logical way are different other than the DH anymore.

    Finally, I never said the MLB didn't have rivalries but it is easier to build them in the NFL, even outside a team's own division thanks to the scheduling format.
     
    #26 Caltex2, Oct 9, 2012
  7. msn

    msn Member

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    what the hell? wow, ok. so now it's not only absurd but it's also evil.
     
    #27 msn, Oct 9, 2012
  8. Caltex2

    Caltex2 Member

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    You didn't even read the next sentence, did you?
     
    #28 Caltex2, Oct 10, 2012
  9. msn

    msn Member

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    Oh yes. Doesn't make the first sentence any less offensive and moronic. I read the rest of your take, too, but I was too disgusted to respond to it.
     
    #29 msn, Oct 11, 2012
  10. justtxyank

    justtxyank Member

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    I'm with MSN. I like the two leagues existing and I while I don't loathe interleague play in its current format, I hate the idea of it the way it will be implemented going forward.

    I also HATE the idea of de-emphasizing winning your division. Winning your division should be important.

    I like the uniqueness and quirkiness of baseball and I don't want them to turn it vanilla like football.
     
    #30 justtxyank, Oct 11, 2012
  11. msn

    msn Member

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    the axis of evil is growing... :grin:
     
    #31 msn, Oct 11, 2012
  12. Caltex2

    Caltex2 Member

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    You completely miss the point that the main point is that times and tradition changes and even said in the next breath (figuratively) that it was extreme.
     
    #32 Caltex2, Oct 11, 2012
  13. Caltex2

    Caltex2 Member

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    No, winning your division should be important in baseball. In football though it should be enough that a team gets a playoff spot. Unlike in baseball though where teams have multiple games to overcome a lack of homefield advantage, NFL teams only have one shot and shouldn't be penalized for potentially being in a better grouping of teams than a team that potentially was the best of a bad bunch. The latter team is already being rewarded with a playoff spot but within reason shouldn't be automatically awarded a home game just for winning it's division.

    That said, I admit teams, especially outside their division, play very different schedules but that works both ways since a runner up may have won more games than another with a much tougher schedule than a division winner.
     
    #33 Caltex2, Oct 11, 2012
  14. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Member

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    All your customs and beliefs existing before 1999 are antiquated and IRRELEVANT.
    MODERNIZE and adapt, fogeys

    - Caltex2


    I think if it makes ECONOMICAL financial sense for full season interleague play, teams will do it. Thats always the bottom line deciding factor
     
    #34 Shroopy2, Oct 11, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2012
  15. Refman

    Refman Member

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    Austin has about 825,000 residents. New Orleans has no team and has a population of 1.23 million people. Jacksonville, FL has a population of about 827,000. I am sure there are other examples, but I don't feel like looking it up.
     
    #35 Refman, Oct 12, 2012
  16. msn

    msn Member

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    I didn't miss the point. Your comparison was irrelevant and wildly inappropriate. If you don't see that, perhaps you've never been personally touched by racism.
     
    #36 msn, Oct 12, 2012
  17. msn

    msn Member

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    This is an excellent argument in favor of MLB remaining different from NFL and NBA. Well done; thanks.
     
    #37 msn, Oct 12, 2012
  18. Major

    Major Member

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    New Orleans has a population of 320,000. If you including surrounding areas, then you have to do the same for Austin (Cedar Park, Bee Caves, Pflugerville, Round Rock, etc). In that case, you'd have 1.8 million people in the Austin metro area.

    Austin is the 13th largest city in the country, though it's only 34th in metropolitan area. That said, I don't think Austin is a good fit for a baseball team. It would do much better with an NBA team or even NFL team, if it needed a pro sports team.
     
    #38 Major, Oct 12, 2012
  19. Master Baiter

    Master Baiter Member

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    What does this have to do with the Astros?
     
    #39 Master Baiter, Oct 12, 2012
  20. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Even with the addition of the second wild card team, the new setup makes it very important to win your division. Not having to play the wild card 'play in' game allows division winners to rest for a few extra days and generally have their pitching rotation set up to their advantage. Including wild card teams allow teams that have had good seasons (e.g. Atlanta, Baltimore, Texas) to make the playoffs when they are in divisions with teams that have had very good years.
     
    #40 bobrek, Oct 12, 2012
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