2012 MLB & Logo Changes

[The_Admiral]

lawl did someone say mcdonalds

[Lights Out]

Or Esso, for that matter.

[zpqmaowl]

Shell, not Esso.

[Lights Out]

The "El Paso" font is Esso-esque.

[NJTank]

I say the Rays should move to the Carolinas and become the Charlotte Rays

[Perfect Zero]

I am at the Rangers game tonite... Astros appear to be wearing racing stripes on the sleeves instead of rainbow guts.

[NJTank]

I am at the Rangers game tonite... Astros appear to be wearing racing stripes on the sleeves instead of rainbow guts.

Makes sense that was the road uniform of that era.

[Matito]

The Rays were trying to get a new stadium built from around 2007-09, but have since abandoned that. They aren't even trying anymore because the TV ratings are so bad. The last thing they want to do is get locked into a beautiful new stadium to play in front of 19,000 for the next 30 years. I understand not wanting to go to a dark, smelly (from what I've heard) stadium that is far away and in a bad neighborhood, but if the people aren't even watching these young, exciting and competitive teams on TV, they just aren't baseball fans. Even the owner made a comment recently to the effect of "we aren't looking for a new stadium because the market hasn't shown that is cares that much". The Rays are pretty much playing out the string in St. Pete until a relocation opportunity presents itself.

Not sure where you're getting the "horrible TV ratings" stance. The Rays have been in the top 5 in the majors as far as television ratings for four or five years. And the Trop is not "dark and smelly," I can guarantee that. Bad neighborhood, yes, I'll give you that, but there's plenty of police presence on game days in the surrounding areas, especially around all parking lots.

The Rays have tons of fans. I work at a grocery store that's a good 20-25 minute drive from the stadium, and all day this morning/afternoon, I saw people in Rays gear, a good deal of whom said they were going to the game tonight. I think what most of the national media people have missed is that the Tampa Bay area has been one of the hardest hit metropolitan areas by this economic downturn. We've gone from a city that had a waiting list for a football team that has been mostly terrible for its 30+ year existence to one that hasn't had a game on local TV in what seems like years. It just so happened that the economic downturn happened around the time that the Rays started being a perennial contender. Had the Rays become competitive around 2002, I say they would have had lots of sellouts and might even be playing in a new stadium by now.

[BBTV]

1339906489' post='1829179']

1339778011' post='1828350']

The Rays were trying to get a new stadium built from around 2007-09, but have since abandoned that. They aren't even trying anymore because the TV ratings are so bad. The last thing they want to do is get locked into a beautiful new stadium to play in front of 19,000 for the next 30 years. I understand not wanting to go to a dark, smelly (from what I've heard) stadium that is far away and in a bad neighborhood, but if the people aren't even watching these young, exciting and competitive teams on TV, they just aren't baseball fans. Even the owner made a comment recently to the effect of "we aren't looking for a new stadium because the market hasn't shown that is cares that much". The Rays are pretty much playing out the string in St. Pete until a relocation opportunity presents itself.

Not sure where you're getting the "horrible TV ratings" stance. The Rays have been in the top 5 in the majors as far as television ratings for four or five years. And the Trop is not "dark and smelly," I can guarantee that. Bad neighborhood, yes, I'll give you that, but there's plenty of police presence on game days in the surrounding areas, especially around all parking lots.

The Rays have tons of fans. I work at a grocery store that's a good 20-25 minute drive from the stadium, and all day this morning/afternoon, I saw people in Rays gear, a good deal of whom said they were going to the game tonight. I think what most of the national media people have missed is that the Tampa Bay area has been one of the hardest hit metropolitan areas by this economic downturn. We've gone from a city that had a waiting list for a football team that has been mostly terrible for its 30+ year existence to one that hasn't had a game on local TV in what seems like years. It just so happened that the economic downturn happened around the time that the Rays started being a perennial contender. Had the Rays become competitive around 2002, I say they would have had lots of sellouts and might even be playing in a new stadium by now.

Not sure where you're getting your info, but...

My link

[The_Admiral]

I don't think it "just so happened" that Tampa-St. Petersburg was hit hard by the economic downturn so much as the meteoric rise of Tampa-St. Petersburg was a symptom of the untenable and irresponsible real estate speculation that helped bring about the economic downturn in the first place. Same with Las Vegas, Phoenix, et al. Hey, look, we made a housing bubble and it burst on our faces; it just so happens that all these empty houses with no one to live in them because there's nowhere to work just might smart a little!

[BigEd76]

Pics from last night's Astros/Rangers game

[Magnum]

I like those Rangers' uniforms more than their current style.

[McCall]

They look nice, but too much like the Dodgers. Their current ones are, or should be, a better fit. If they'd just put Rangers back on the homes and ditch all the black drop shadows. Though I would mind the current look minus the piping, as with the throwbacks. Does look pretty good.

Maybe something like this:

Or with front numbers:

[Gothamite]

The Rays' ratings swing wildly from year to year, from "pretty good" to "awful". I suspect it has more to do with their opponents than the rays themselves.

That's their problem - they're the second- or third-most favorite team in their own market.

And ratings are one thing, but even if they had good (and steady) ratings, the players have to beg fans to come to the games. One of the best, most exciting teams in baseball and the only people watching them are fans of the Yankees and Red Sox.

[Matito]

1339906489' post='1829179']

1339778011' post='1828350']

The Rays were trying to get a new stadium built from around 2007-09, but have since abandoned that. They aren't even trying anymore because the TV ratings are so bad. The last thing they want to do is get locked into a beautiful new stadium to play in front of 19,000 for the next 30 years. I understand not wanting to go to a dark, smelly (from what I've heard) stadium that is far away and in a bad neighborhood, but if the people aren't even watching these young, exciting and competitive teams on TV, they just aren't baseball fans. Even the owner made a comment recently to the effect of "we aren't looking for a new stadium because the market hasn't shown that is cares that much". The Rays are pretty much playing out the string in St. Pete until a relocation opportunity presents itself.

Not sure where you're getting the "horrible TV ratings" stance. The Rays have been in the top 5 in the majors as far as television ratings for four or five years. And the Trop is not "dark and smelly," I can guarantee that. Bad neighborhood, yes, I'll give you that, but there's plenty of police presence on game days in the surrounding areas, especially around all parking lots.

The Rays have tons of fans. I work at a grocery store that's a good 20-25 minute drive from the stadium, and all day this morning/afternoon, I saw people in Rays gear, a good deal of whom said they were going to the game tonight. I think what most of the national media people have missed is that the Tampa Bay area has been one of the hardest hit metropolitan areas by this economic downturn. We've gone from a city that had a waiting list for a football team that has been mostly terrible for its 30+ year existence to one that hasn't had a game on local TV in what seems like years. It just so happened that the economic downturn happened around the time that the Rays started being a perennial contender. Had the Rays become competitive around 2002, I say they would have had lots of sellouts and might even be playing in a new stadium by now.

Not sure where you're getting your info, but...

My link

Oh wow, okay, I stand corrected. I hadn't heard anything about the downturn, so I assumed that it stayed the status quo. Here's what I referred to: http://saintpetersblog.com/2010/11/rays-tv-ratings-fifth-highest-in-the-majors/

[FiddySicks]

I like those Rangers' uniforms more than their current style.

Those Would be the best unis in the AL, by far IMO. What they wear now isn't dreadful, but the lack of any Rangers wordmark is so egregiously bad it wrecks the whole set. It's almost as if some teams make major screw ups that ruin the whole uniform set just to toy with the likes of us.

[The Mojo Maniac]

I like those Rangers' uniforms more than their current style.

It's almost as if some teams make major screw ups that ruin the whole uniform set just to toy with the likes of us.

^This.

[zpqmaowl]

It's almost as if some teams make major screw ups that ruin the whole uniform set just to toy with the likes of us.

^This.

[waltere]

They look nice, but too much like the Dodgers. Their current ones are, or should be, a better fit. If they'd just put Rangers back on the homes and ditch all the black drop shadows. Though I would mind the current look minus the piping, as with the throwbacks. Does look pretty good.

Maybe something like this:

This would be so perfect

[marlinfan]

The Trop doesn't smell bad. However, the seating bowl is dirty and needs a deep cleaning. Mostly what seems like 20 years of grime. The concourses and outside are clean though.