I don't think we could get 18,000 people to consistently go downtown on weekdays to support any sport.

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Charlotte just opened a new ballpark for its AAA team ( and a lousy one to boot... worst record in its league) and they get near sellout crowds of around 9K every game... Prices at that park are higher than Jacksonville and it's a nice park right near the uptown Charlotte area which also has the Hornets arena and the Panthers stadium within walking distance of its main drag..    Suns draw well on Thursdays (Thirsty), Fridays ( Fireworks), and Saturdays...  Most of the other midweek games draw nothing...  They've also started televising games on weekends though I wonder who bothers to watch....  Problem with minor league baseball at the AA level is you can't depend on your best players to be there due to callups...    

 

Rays attendance is even worse this season since the team is now bad...  With the Yankees and Red Sox not having very good seasons, they probably won't even get as much of an attendance bump for those teams except for Jeter's last series...

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Not "arguably", its the truth. 

 

AA is the best because its filled with ascending stars and not cluttered with AAAA players and has beens. 

 

BaseballProspectus top prospects going into 2014 and their most recent minor league level:

 

1. Byron Buxton (A+)

2. Xander Bogaerts (AAA)

3. Oscar Taveras (AAA)

4. Javier Baez (AAA)

5. Carlos Correa (A+)

6. Francisco Lindor (AA)

7. Addison Russell (AA)

8. Taijuan Walker (AAA)

9. Archie Bradley (AAA)

10. Kevin Gausman (AAA)

11. Noah Syndergard (AAA)

12. Yordano Ventura (AAA)

13. Lucas Giolito (A)

 

 

Some other young players that you like that spent a good amount of time in AAA:

Gregory Polanco

Michael Wacha

Matt Harvey

 

 

 

I'm not saying which is better or which is worse because they are moot points. Most call-ups need to prove that they can perform well at the AAA level before they get called up. I don't know many prospects that made AA to MLB jumps for anything more than a "cup of coffee" or a spot start situation.

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Charlotte just opened a new ballpark for its AAA team ( and a lousy one to boot... worst record in its league) and they get near sellout crowds of around 9K every game... Prices at that park are higher than Jacksonville and it's a nice park right near the uptown Charlotte area which also has the Hornets arena and the Panthers stadium within walking distance of its main drag..    Suns draw well on Thursdays (Thirsty), Fridays ( Fireworks), and Saturdays...  Most of the other midweek games draw nothing...  They've also started televising games on weekends though I wonder who bothers to watch....  Problem with minor league baseball at the AA level is you can't depend on your best players to be there due to callups...    

 

Rays attendance is even worse this season since the team is now bad...  With the Yankees and Red Sox not having very good seasons, they probably won't even get as much of an attendance bump for those teams except for Jeter's last series...

 

(BOLD) Not true, especially in relation to AA baseball. Ever since opening the new ballpark (not so new now, 10+ years) the Suns have lead the Southern League in attendance.

 

Jacksonville is a good baseball town. No way we'll have MLB here. Just don't have the population base, especially in the surrounding area.

 

And as others have stated, I hope the Suns remain AA and don't think of going to AAA. With the Bragan family ties to the Southern League I think that's where they'll be for a long time.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

I can't get into any minor league sports simply for that fact that wins & losses really don't matter.  Anytime your best players can leave the team in the middle of a playoff run to pursue their dreams detracts me from getting interested.

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My baseball thoughts…


 

1. Jax isn’t ready for an MLB team and would not be ready for at least another 10 years. In addition to the reasons already stated you also have to consider sponsorship. In (MLB) baseball, it is way more important to have big time corporate sponsorship deals than in the NFL. Money from the sponsors fills the void of all the unsold seats.  Tampa, which has a way bigger corporate community in their metro than Jax still has trouble getting enough of them to pick up the slack from all the unsold seats. Also, the lack of a real salary cap means that small market teams will always have a hard time against the big market teams. We’re lucky that the one major league team we do have is in a league where our market size doesn’t keep us from putting together a team that could dominate the league for sustained periods of time.


 

 

2. The Suns should move up to AAA ball. I know that AA ball may see slightly more future MLB players but (1.) the stadium was built by the city with AAA ball in mind and (2.) going to triple A ball puts us more in the company of cities similar to us (i.e., Buffalo, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City). We should be in that group. All of these cities (except Las Vegas) have major league teams in some other sport (i.e., NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLS), and all are million+ metros like we are. We lead the Southern League every year because the rest of the Southern League is made up of the likes of Mobile, Montgomery, Pensacola, Huntsville, Perl MS, etc. Except for maybe Birmingham the other markets of the Southern League aren’t on our level and we all know it. Also, you can’t have aspirations of someday getting a MLB team when your minor league team hasn’t shown it can do well at the top level of minor league. In short, we have the market, enough corporate presence, and stadium to play at the top of the minor leagues along with other cities like ours.


 

 

3. I wish the stadium was on the shipyards property now where the outfield was toward the downtown skyline. How awesome would that be?!?! I say use the current Baseball Grounds property for a 17,000 seat stadium for the Armada (expandable to 30,000 in case we get MLS upgrade) that could also host big high school football games, JU, EWC, UNF (when/if they get a team) football games, lacrosse, rugby etc. This stadium could do so much for Jax since EverBank is truly too big for some events that need a stadium. 

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

My thoughts on a 2^nd major league team in Jacksonville…


 

1. MLB just won’t work here at this time. See all the reasons above.


 

2. NBA won’t work here either. We’re less than 2 hours from Orlando. Being close to Orlando is also why Tampa will never have an NBA team as well. Lump us in. Plus the NBA as a league is already too larger and they know it. There’s currently 30 teams but the NBA would be better off with having about 26 teams.


 

3. NHL could actually work here but the city stupidly didn’t invest the extra $25 - $40 million to make the Veterans Memorial Arena NBA/NHL standard when they built it and I don’t know the feasibility of expanding and upgrading it to make it NBA/NHL ready. At least another 4,000 seats, additional suites, and expanded club spaces would be needed to make the arena worthy of the NHL or NBA. Outside of that, I think we’re far enough from Tampa that we might be able to make the NHL work here in about another 4 – 6 years.


 

4. MLS could work here for sure. We already are getting the minor league team. Build the stadium where the baseball grounds are now and make it easily expandable for future MLS membership. Make the stadium work for you year round with big high school football games, concerts that are too big for the arena but too small for EverBank. There’s also lacrosse, rugby, and small school college football. This would give huge bang for the buck. I think this could be built as well as a new AAA level stadium for the Suns at the Shipyards that faces the skyline on the river for $100 million. The city just used $43 million at Everbank. If they commit $70 million to this I think the other $30 million could be made up in naming rights deals. 

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

My baseball thoughts…


 

1. Jax isn’t ready for an MLB team and would not be ready for at least another 10 years. In addition to the reasons already stated you also have to consider sponsorship. In (MLB) baseball, it is way more important to have big time corporate sponsorship deals than in the NFL. Money from the sponsors fills the void of all the unsold seats.  Tampa, which has a way bigger corporate community in their metro than Jax still has trouble getting enough of them to pick up the slack from all the unsold seats. Also, the lack of a real salary cap means that small market teams will always have a hard time against the big market teams. We’re lucky that the one major league team we do have is in a league where our market size doesn’t keep us from putting together a team that could dominate the league for sustained periods of time.


 

 

2. The Suns should move up to AAA ball. I know that AA ball may see slightly more future MLB players but (1.) the stadium was built by the city with AAA ball in mind and (2.) going to triple A ball puts us more in the company of cities similar to us (i.e., Buffalo, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City). We should be in that group. All of these cities (except Las Vegas) have major league teams in some other sport (i.e., NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLS), and all are million+ metros like we are. We lead the Southern League every year because the rest of the Southern League is made up of the likes of Mobile, Montgomery, Pensacola, Huntsville, Perl MS, etc. Except for maybe Birmingham the other markets of the Southern League aren’t on our level and we all know it. Also, you can’t have aspirations of someday getting a MLB team when your minor league team hasn’t shown it can do well at the top level of minor league. In short, we have the market, enough corporate presence, and stadium to play at the top of the minor leagues along with other cities like ours.


 

 

3. I wish the stadium was on the shipyards property now where the outfield was toward the downtown skyline. How awesome would that be?!?! I say use the current Baseball Grounds property for a 17,000 seat stadium for the Armada (expandable to 30,000 in case we get MLS upgrade) that could also host big high school football games, JU, EWC, UNF (when/if they get a team) football games, lacrosse, rugby etc. This stadium could do so much for Jax since EverBank is truly too big for some events that need a stadium. 

 

I'm not sure anyone really has aspirations to have AAA in Jacksonville. The history and market size seem fine for AA. 

 

And no, we don't want the ballpark on the Shipyards property. As cool as it may look, we want tax-revenue producing property on the river, not another city facility. I do agree that a medium sized soccer facility makes sense - which should be closer to Southside/St. Johns County - where the soccer fans reside. But the powers that be will keep trying to have facilities downtown.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

Who's "we"?

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

Who's "we"?

 

The people with sense.

---

The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

So only those that agree with your stance on an issue have sense? 

 

 

 

Story of our nation these days.  <_<

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

So only those that agree with your stance on an issue have sense? 

 

 

 

Story of our nation these days.  <_<

 

I'm sorry - I guess I missed all those facts you used to back up your opinion. We're just supposed to take your suggestion on blind faith, I guess. Story of our nation these days ...

 

No one seems to think they have to show how their brilliant ideas are supposed to be funded. I guess that takes all the fun out of it.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

I'm sorry - I guess I missed all those facts you used to back up your opinion. We're just supposed to take your suggestion on blind faith, I guess. Story of our nation these days ...

 

No one seems to think they have to show how their brilliant ideas are supposed to be funded. I guess that takes all the fun out of it.

 

 

I also must have missed all the facts used to back up your opinion as well, you know – the one about your OPINION on what “we” want and don’t want and how those who agree with you are the only ones with sense on the subject.

 

In terms you can understand, I’ve brought to the table as many facts as you have brought about this “we”.

 

This place was established on the principle of innovation of thought. I kicked around a thought aka, my opinion. It would have been just fine for you to say I disagree but when you use unverifiable garbage like “we” to back your point you come off as stupid imo.  

 

 History has shown that when people aren’t free to put out ideas freely creativity/innovation goes away so excuse me for not falling in line to become a blind member of your “we”. I can only pray your followers are as few as your original thoughts seem to be.

 

Lastly, as long as this remains a board where we can come and think and wonder out lout I’ll do just that. When it’s time to show funding facts to back that up, put me in an office, board room, etc. pay me and I’ll do just that – it’s actually what I already do for a living. You know, that is how things work in a free thinking capitalist society.   

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

I also must have missed all the facts used to back up your opinion as well, you know – the one about your OPINION on what “we” want and don’t want and how those who agree with you are the only ones with sense on the subject.

 

In terms you can understand, I’ve brought to the table as many facts as you have brought about this “we”.

 

This place was established on the principle of innovation of thought. I kicked around a thought aka, my opinion. It would have been just fine for you to say I disagree but when you use unverifiable garbage like “we” to back your point you come off as stupid imo.  

 

 History has shown that when people aren’t free to put out ideas freely creativity/innovation goes away so excuse me for not falling in line to become a blind member of your “we”. I can only pray your followers are as few as your original thoughts seem to be.

 

Lastly, as long as this remains a board where we can come and think and wonder out lout I’ll do just that. When it’s time to show funding facts to back that up, put me in an office, board room, etc. pay me and I’ll do just that – it’s actually what I already do for a living. You know, that is how things work in a free thinking capitalist society.   

 

Man, that post made me stand up and salute!

 

Thanks for the high school history lesson.

 

I see you gave a much more adult response in the (Jaguars) Lamping thread. See, it wasn't that hard.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

(BOLD) Not true, especially in relation to AA baseball. Ever since opening the new ballpark (not so new now, 10+ years) the Suns have lead the Southern League in attendance.

 

Jacksonville is a good baseball town. No way we'll have MLB here. Just don't have the population base, especially in the surrounding area.

 

And as others have stated, I hope the Suns remain AA and don't think of going to AAA. With the Bragan family ties to the Southern League I think that's where they'll be for a long time.

Actually the Suns have not led in attendance since 2011. They were second in 2012 and dropped to third in 2013 behind both Birmingham and Pensacola.

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if Tampa and Miami can do it.... although we all know nobody goes to their games.

 

I cant speak for Tampa, but the consistent reason why Marlin Fans dont invest in their team is because of the feeling of being burned again by the owners is real.

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Whether someone has a liberal, or conservative viewpoint, a authoritative figure should not lock a thread for the sole purpose to get the last word in all the while prohibiting someone else from being able to respond.

Man, that post made me stand up and salute!

 

Thanks for the high school history lesson.

 

I see you gave a much more adult response in the (Jaguars) Lamping thread. See, it wasn't that hard.

 

 

Come on dude. Don’t flatter yourself. I would never think you could understand a high school lesson. I figured you’d top out at middle school so I went low for ya. 

 

 

You're welcome. :thumbsup:

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# EVEN IF HE'S RELEASED

Come on dude. Don’t flatter yourself. I would never think you could understand a high school lesson. I figured you’d top out at middle school so I went low for ya. 

 

 

You're welcome. :thumbsup:

 

I was so hoping you liked my opinion. Man, now I'm bummed. I really want the respect of all the fifteen year-olds on this board. Oh well, I'll get over it.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.