Let's go Bucs!!! (Pittsburgh, Mars: difference, increased, owner)

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

Grasping nothing. I've said that a short series is a crapshoot. The Cubs have as good a chance of a short series as the very best team. I just don't like that other teams lose because of luck yet for some reason we lose because we suck. Duh, how could I have been so stupid, the Pirates lost because they're evil and other teams lost because they had a bad stretch.

I'm about done here, but it's just idiotic to think any team out there isn't "trying" to win. That's only for tinfoil hats and 1980s Disney baseball movies.

Did you have the Royals going this far? Now they "try" because they've had a good few weeks, I guess.

The Cubs? That's hilarious.

The Bucs will never spend, will never sniff a WS, and will continue to regress under current ownership. Everything I've said about them has been/come true. Now if they sign Martin, I'll be happy to admit I've said all along that they won't.

Are the Royals in the bottom of the league in payroll every year? $14m ahead of the Bucs at who started the season $1m less than last year. Bucs payroll has not kept up with revenue now has it? And after all that, another fact is the Bucs choked the last 3 games and the the Royals didn't/haven't.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by erieguy

And after all that, another fact is the Bucs choked the last 3 games and the the Royals didn't/haven't.

Losing to quality pitchers like Cueto and Bumgarner is hardly considered "choking". The other teams are coming to play as well.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Losing to quality pitchers like Cueto and Bumgarner is hardly considered "choking". The other teams are coming to play as well.

Good/Great teams find a way to win. The Reds were lousy and had nothing to play for. Cueto wanted 20 wins and did it when it counted. They didn't face Bumgarner to win the division. They lost to him in the WC. Other teams/players choke, also. Be thankful the Braves and Brewers choked down the stretch.

If only the Bucs would get those great players they always seem to just miss out on each year.

[erieguy]

Bucs talked to Martin during spring training but didn't make an offer. They made an offer during the regular season which has yet to be disclosed and Martin turned it down. Stewart and Sanchez should be interesting.

[erieguy]

Pirates tix going up 9% for 2015.

Does that mean payroll goes up?

[Copanut]

No better time to raise prices now that the product is in demand.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Copanut

No better time to raise prices now that the product is in demand.

Yep. Not a bit surprised.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Pirates tix going up 9% for 2015.

Does that mean payroll goes up?

Those are two unrelated items.


Ticket prices are based on the most that fans are willing to pay.


Salaries are based on the least that talent is willing to accept.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Those are two unrelated items.


Ticket prices are based on the most that fans are willing to pay.


Salaries are based on the least that talent is willing to accept.

Not when ownership says that payroll will keep up with revenue.

But the more I read about people keeping a watchful eye on Bob's wallet, the more I know I would do the same if I were him. If people are going to drink the watered down Kool-Aid, one may as well make them pay for it.

Will tix prices go down as their winning goes down?

[sskink]

Originally Posted by Copanut

No better time to raise prices now that the product is in demand.

As former minority owner Lustig noted in an interview last year, Nutting is nothing if not a savvy businessman. And when demand goes up, a good businessman will raise prices.

OTOH, Lustig also noted Nutting is not an owner who will overspend to deliver a winner. He's always going to make a profit. But Nutting has increased payroll each of the past four years. Not to the levels many would like, but from $44 mill in 2010 to $81 mill in 2014.

We know from monies earmarked to approve acquisitions that Neal ultimately didn't deliver that a payroll of about $90 million was cleared for this year. So something near that should be expected for next year. And they're going to need every cent of that as the division will likely be even more difficult with the Reds getting healthy again and the Cubs getting better.

Of interest is the Dodgers bringing in Andrew Friedman from the Rays. I think that eliminates Martin going to LA, so one less potential suitor that might outbid the Pirates.

One can dream though, and in that dream, the Bucs surprise everyone and sign Fernandez, the Cuban 2b who defected yesterday to 7 years and $85 million. Move Walker to first, trade Pedro for pitching. That would represent a commitment to winning and Nutting could still make a tidy profit.

Edit: Just saw Bannister named as new manager for Rangers. That could mean he may try to grab some other coaches with him - hopefully not Branson, who IMO actually did make a difference this year unlike every other hitting coach the Bucs have had recently. And who knows, maybe Friedman makes an offer to Fox and/or Fitzgerald since he's going to need some data geeks out in LA. So it's not just the players on the field everyone needs to be concerned with.