Which team should I support?

Remove this Banner Ad

http://www.interpretationbydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IBD_baseball_flowchart.jpg


IBD_baseball_flowchart.jpg
 

Log in to remove this ad.

USACats

Debutant
Mar 31, 2011
112
1
USA
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Bears
I always need help talking up the Rays.

We are a team that doesn't try to buy success either. :cool:

I had heard this last year: The Rays have a top 10 viewership of their televised games. It surprised me, until the reasoning of 'Well, their stadium is awful and nobody wants to hang at The Trop' was given. Plus, Florida is full of people 65+, and they just don't go to games, so they sit at home and watch them.

I get that it rains all year in Florida, but who wants to sit in a dome, especially one that is a dump?
 

BigTimeTimmyJim

Senior List
Feb 13, 2011
186
1
Sydney
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
SF Giants, Knicks, West Ham, 49ers
The problem with all sports franchises in Florida, is that it's a state where old people retire and go to die. Either you're old, or you're extremely rich and live there for tax purposes. If you look at attendance for basically all their sports they're pretty pathetic (heck, they can't even sell out Miami Heat games properly, what chance have they got with other sports). The Miami Dolphins are really the only team who gets proper support.

The fact that Tropicana Field blows doesn't help them much either.
 

USACats

Debutant
Mar 31, 2011
112
1
USA
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Bears
The problem with all sports franchises in Florida, is that it's a state where old people retire and go to die. Either you're old, or you're extremely rich and live there for tax purposes. If you look at attendance for basically all their sports they're pretty pathetic (heck, they can't even sell out Miami Heat games properly, what chance have they got with other sports). The Miami Dolphins are really the only team who gets proper support.

The fact that Tropicana Field blows doesn't help them much either.

That is the problem with the PRO teams. With college football, Florida schools KILL in attendance. I don't really get the movement of the Big 4 US leagues to expand into Florida. Many Floridians are from the Northeast and other snow filled states, but also grew up with great pro sports, and became fans of those teams. They still are still huge fans. Look at Yankees, Red Sox, and Twins Spring Training games while they're in Florida. Those tickets are hard to come by. Florida has huge NY Rangers fan clubs too.

The Marlins and Rays aren't even the most popular teams in their own state! All four leagues are guilty of expanding to Florida in the past 20-23yrs, and you could probably say, all teams haven't lived up to expectations.
 

The_Todd07

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 8, 2008
12,336
15,227
Geelong
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Red Sox 76ers
For a long time I didn't have a favourite team and I just followed players that I liked or each season picked a team that entertained me.
The one thing that was constant though was my hatred of the Yankees and in the end that hatred plus the 2004 ALCS developed a liking for the Red Sox.
I still have soft spot the Giants who I followed through the 02 playoffs and I can't help but admire Lincecum
 
Oct 20, 2007
3,529
8,493
Perf
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
New York Jets, Toronto Raptors
As a casual fan new to Baseball, you could do worse than the Blue Jays, gotta love there go long or go home mentality :p Watching Jose this year has been a pleasure, I have MLB gamepass and its worth every penny. Some good kids in the system, Drabek, Arencibia, Romero, and regular games against the Evil Empire (yanks, bosox).

LETS GO BLUEJAYS!!!!!
 
Aug 2, 2007
6,192
5,354
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Packers, Bulls, Ducks, Angels
I started supporting the Angels because I went to a game earlier this year (night after opening night) and got a free beanie thing (the ones with the ear pieces) so I thought I may as well support them seeing as I have a free piece of merchandise that I can put to use on my next trip over there

Although I left the game before it ended (overtime. stayed until the end of the 11th I think) so I wouldn't miss the bus...but I missed it anyway (damn fast food restaraunts) and had to walk back to my hotel near the corner of Harbor and Katella:thumbsdown:
 
Jan 11, 2012
244
169
Bloomington, Indiana USA
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Dallas Stars, Duke Blue Devils
Like the Wizard said, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!!!!!" Don't listen to these guys who say National League is soooo much better than American League. "Oooooh, so much more strategy in the NL!!." Oh, please. All pitchers do is pitch so they never work on their hitting skills. They're essentially an automatic out. Conversely in the AL, there's a bona-fide hitter (usually a damn good one) to replace the pitcher in the batting order so that easy out just got a lot tougher. You actually have to play the game!!!! Ugh.

But don't let that little rules difference sway who you want to root (barrack, right?) for. Like many have said on here, just watch the games and you'll find a team with personalities that'll appeal to you. Can't recommend Fantasy Baseball if you don't really know the personnel. I'd love to do Fantasy AFL (Dream Team, I think) but don't know too many players outside Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorne, Adelaide, and Sydney....but I'm learning.

And don't be afraid to be a fan of the big market teams. If you find yourself digging Derek Jeter and Mo Rivera, don't stonewall yourself just because they're the mighty Yankees. Ditto with the Red Sox. Ugh....as a Yankee fan it kills me to say this, they're going to be a threat to win the WS every year, play in a old time stadium, used to be total underdogs, and if I wasn't a huge Yankees fan, I might like them.

If you ever get to the USA, be sure to see a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Visiting players like playing there the best when not at home, the atmosphere is electric on game day as their stadium sits amidst a neighborhood (antethisis of a huge athletic complex with enormous parking lots), and the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908. White Sox fans will disagree with this assessment but they're jealous. They'd kill for a tenth of the cache the Cubs have.

Up and coming club...Texas Rangers. Played in the last two World Series....got dominated by SF in 2010 and were within 1 pitch from winning (twice!!!!) in 2011, before succumbing to St. Louis. One of the worst kicks in the crotch in American sports history. But Rangers ownership is strong and are not reeling form the loss. They're not resting and will go hard for a World Series title.

Dodgers another big market/money team....but are in the midst of an ownership mess. Cool team though. I HATED them (I'm a Yankee fan)....until I went to a game there. Dodger Stadium zoomed into my Top 5 stadiums. Couldn't hate them anymore. They always used to be a real classy organization but ownership has changed and the team is a mess right now.

Some others were talking about the Tampa Bay Rays. Widely regarded as the best run organization from top to bottom with the best farm system. They keep grooming their own quality pitchers, have a great manager, and aren't intimidated by division rivals Boston and New York. Only problem...as mentioned....is their awful, awful stadium. If I'm management, I think about moving the team. Even playoff games don't sell out there.

Minnesota is a very cool club. They're in a relatively small market and payroll but somehow cobble together very successful teams. Last World Series win was 1991 but that's better than a lot of teams. The players they develop always have solid fundamentals and while they were dreadful last season, they'll be back in the mix sooner or later. Oh...they play in the American League and batters hate it/pitchers love it. Again, don't believe that American vs. National League garbage.

Those are just a few. Who knows, you might develope a thing for the Astros or Padres or Brewers....teams that sort of fly under the radar. But best advice is just to watch games (not just a few...a lot) and you'll figure out who's cool.
 
Like the Wizard said, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!!!!!" Don't listen to these guys who say National League is soooo much better than American League. "Oooooh, so much more strategy in the NL!!." Oh, please. All pitchers do is pitch so they never work on their hitting skills. They're essentially an automatic out. Conversely in the AL, there's a bona-fide hitter (usually a damn good one) to replace the pitcher in the batting order so that easy out just got a lot tougher. You actually have to play the game!!!! Ugh.

Big deal, you have one more hitter in the lineup. It's not like the pitcher has 5-6 at at bats a game. When to use the PH, double switch etc etc, now that's playing the game.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Jan 11, 2012
244
169
Bloomington, Indiana USA
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Dallas Stars, Duke Blue Devils
Big deal, you have one more hitter in the lineup. It's not like the pitcher has 5-6 at at bats a game. When to use the PH, double switch etc etc, now that's playing the game.

Sure, the pitchers most likely wouldn't have 5-6 at bats, but the DH would. Look, if they went to NL rules across the board, I really wouldn't care too much. It's pretty much the same game. I just don't like seeing an automatic out come up to bat all the time.
 

thurmanmunson

Brownlow Medallist
Suspended
Apr 25, 2010
10,762
3,906
Brooklyn
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
New York Yankees
Been following the Yankees since I was a kid in the early 80s when I saw a documentary on Paul Winfield on a friend's betamax video. Never looked back.

Got to see one World Series game at the old Yankee Stadium in the Subway Series in 2000. The only dream i've had that i've gotten to fulfil so far. The new Yankee Stadium is godawful and corporatised (only walked past it, haven't been able to see a game there yet). It looks like a big marble monstrosity.
 

Bomber Bears

Cancelled
Sep 30, 2005
8,948
351
Wollongong
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
North Sydney, Liverpool, NSW
always thought the Cubs or Mets would be two good sides to follow for new fans. Lack of success, but well known and in big cities.

As for other comment on AL / NL difference, I've always felt the NL is better strategy-wise. Because the pitcher bats, it's always interesting to see when teams will sub in pinch hitter or do a double switch (i.e if pitcher is due up soon and you want to sub him, then they also sub another batter who is further down the batting list).

DH is an abomination, goes against baseball history.
Yeah im getting behind the cubs, appreciate their history, can see similarities between them and the bears, play at a good old ballpark.

I like that you're not opting to jump on the Red Sox or Yankee bandwagons. Steer clear of the overrated Phillies and you're looking good.

Baseball is a sport that requires a large amount of emotional investment into a team, they play 162 games a year before the post-season even starts!

As a Giants fan it's hard to put into words the joy you get from watching your team go from a rebuilding stage to winning the World Series, using the guys you watched make their first pitches for the team, rather than simply throwing money at other players from other clubs.

As much as I hate them, the Rockies might be a fun team to follow. They're a team that's loaded with young talent at the moment with Tulo, Cargo and Ubaldo. They play at altitude so you get quite a lot of action happening during their games, although they attempt to counter this using a humidor, if you look at split stats for their players (especially Cargo) you'll realise it doesn't ultimately do much...

If you can tolerate depression, I'd recommend Seattle. They've got 2 of the nicest guys in the league in Ichiro and Felix, won't win a lot of games because they cannot score to save their lives. If you want to support a team with an Australian, the Braves have Peter Moylan who is a key player in their bullpen. If you're a patient fan, the Nationals will probably be worth the wait if Strasburg comes back as good as he was before Tommy John surgery (his stuff was ridiculous for a rookie. Check out his debut: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8802881 , although he won't be back until next season) and if Bryce Harper lives up to the hype, they'll be fun to watch. If you're all about teams which score a lot of runs, follow the Reds because they play in a stadium that you could probably hit a homer in.

There's two different leagues in the MLB. The National and the American. The National league plays baseball the correct way, which means as the pitcher is apart of the team he is required to bat in the lineup. The American league plays the way designed to please impatient fans and allows a designated hitter to bat for the pitcher. Some people keep this in mind when selecting a team because they find NL baseball 'boring'.

Ultimately the best way to become a fan of a team is to watch other teams play and find one that is appealing to you. I'd definitely recommend getting MLBtv, it's probably the best money you can spend if you have a large amount of internet cap space.
So what happens when they play each other? AL uses DH and NL doesnt?
 

Bomber Bears

Cancelled
Sep 30, 2005
8,948
351
Wollongong
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
North Sydney, Liverpool, NSW
You don't just pick a team and just start following them, the team picks you.
Again with the Cubs i'd been gearing towards them, but was mindful of what you say there. Was sort of surprised (pleasently) at how I got into it watching them yesterday, enjoyed the way they played etc.
 

Dundalis

Club Legend
Sep 16, 2005
2,726
1,195
Melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Collingwood
The AL is a hitting dominant league, while the NL is a pitching dominant league. Obviously there's a different strategy involved with the NL, but for me, I couldn't give a rats arse about baseball history. I'm an Australian, the history of American baseball wasn't part of my upbringing, so it has no effect on me. The first baseball games I started watching were AL games, I find it more interesting to watch than NL, because you are facing elite hitters all the way through, there's no let up. Each at bat is interesting.

Watching a pitcher hit is not interesting. It's like watching some random person walk into a major league game and try to hit. Some people like the 'strategy' it involves, but I just want to watch the best competition at every AB, and not watch one AB each time through a lineup with a distinct drop off in quality. Not interesting to me, and it has nothing to do with impatience or wanting all offense all the time. But I can understand and appreciate that other people like it and it has a tradition in baseball. And I certainly don't mind watching NL games, as there's a lot of great players in that league, it's just not my preference.

Also in regards to the team to support over the next couple years, the Rangers were designated number one by ESPN in their futures ranking which takes into account the next 5 years. They were ranked significantly ahead of the Yankees in second place too. The Rangers are probably the only team with a current top 5 team in MLB based on current talent while also having one of the top 5 farm systems. Not to mention a growing baseball presence in the 4th biggest market in America, with a great front office. There really isn't a team in baseball that has that combination of current talent, future talent (the farm) and playing in a large market. Plus following the Rangers wouldn't be regarded so much as being bandwagonning because the team is relatively obscure because of it's lack of history and only recent success.
 
Jan 11, 2012
244
169
Bloomington, Indiana USA
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Dallas Stars, Duke Blue Devils
Marlins, a great team

Really? Actually, if history is any indicator, they should win a World Series pretty soon. In their short history, they've won TWO. A pretty amazing feat. In most cities, they'd be Gods. But hardly anyone in SoFla cares about them....their attendance is dreadful. But they have a new stadium in the heart of Miami (where the Orange Bowl once stood), new uniforms (with pretty rainbow color scheme...hmmm....) and they spent a bunch of money on talent in the off-season. So far this season....not bad. 2nd place behind the Nats.
 

Santana

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 28, 2008
9,767
7,668
........
Their attendances are no longer dreadful to be fair. Not the greatest but not as bad as they were.

And after a long time they're spending big money again. Giancarlo Stanton will be an exciting young player to follow and they've got a hand full of other good players.
 

lionroar

Team Captain
Aug 10, 2009
569
47
A Lone Lion @ my work
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Detroit Tigers
I have just started watching basball.
Purchased Foxtel because of the footy (Lions only have one fta game into Melbourne in 2012).
Then began watching the baseball and after a few months of trying to digest the rules, tactics and lingo, i am really starting love the game.
I agree with a few comments about watching as many games as possible before choosing a team.
I feel it might take me a whole season to settle onto a team.
I will try and stay away from the 'big teams'.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back