04/19/24
May 09, 2006
Minor league team challenges the Royals: Talk about a back hand slap across the face. If I'm the Royals, I accept and tack this article to the club house wall. What a great motivator. Ofcourse, they will probably lose the bet, but still!
posted by Big D Alexander to baseball at 08:54 AM - 30 comments
This is clearly a preseason publicity stunt by the independent league team - and it's working, as I'm sure no one on this board has ever heard of the Rox until today. The Royals should continue to ignore this Bill Veeck wannabe and maybe donate some cash to the charity mentioned so as not to come off as jerks. BTW, I agree with the concept of picking on the Cubs...they keep raising ticket prices while putting mediocrity on the field...
posted by ChiSox1977 at 09:32 AM on May 09, 2006
This is clearly a preseason publicity stunt by the independent league team - and it's working, as I'm sure no one on this board has ever heard of the Rox until today. Except for the people in New England. Seen them is a different story. A toxic waste dump in Brockton would be urban renewal.
posted by Mayor Curley at 09:52 AM on May 09, 2006
This is clearly a preseason publicity stunt by the independent league team - and it's working I prefer the dizzy bat contest, personally.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:52 AM on May 09, 2006
What Hizzoner said. I've heard of the Rox any number of times. To suggest a publicity stunt might be the root cause of a Veeck-owned club seems redundantly redunant.
posted by yerfatma at 10:01 AM on May 09, 2006
Publicity stunt or not, that's pretty lame. The Royals should counter with an offer to play the Rox and raise the stakes to a cool million.
posted by tron7 at 10:17 AM on May 09, 2006
If the Royals offered to play the Rox they would be admitting their mediocrity. And if they lost... hehehe. Ignoring the situation publicly and using it as a motivational tool internally is definitely the better move. I think the slap in the face was not the wager itself, but the condition that KC not contract Rox players in September, implying they field the superior team. And btw- a quick calculation says that the Royals are currently on pace to win 43 games this season.
posted by MW12 at 10:28 AM on May 09, 2006
Unfortunately, I think the Royals are probably doing the right thing by issuing a "no comment". I've never heard of the Rox - and I'm damn sure not going to go out of my way to know anything about them now. But, what I'd rather see is them come out and quote: - Jim Lucas (pres of the Rox) is obviously a jackass - Keep in mind, this is the same chucklehead who just offered Roger Clemens a contract, only so he had an excuse to see his own name on his own team's website. - If the Rox were able to schedule games against the likes of the Chi White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Bos Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, etc ... we'd be happy to take them up on their challenge. - Even though we couldn't give a fuck about the Brockton YMCA, but here's $5000 for it win-or-lose, but only if Lucas agrees to resign if he loses the bet. Oh and, regardless, we're giving $50,000 to the KANSAS CITY YMCA. I otherwise couldn't care less about the Royals, but I feel bad for their players. I'd like to see them show up at the Rox stadium during the All-Star Break, offer to play for charity, apologize ahead of time to the Rox players (assuming they had nothing to do with this), and proceed to crush them.
posted by littleLebowski at 10:29 AM on May 09, 2006
Personally, I think it is a great publicity stunt. One the Royals should jump on, win-or-lose they could give the money, or match the Rox's donation to BOTH YMCA's. Internally, a running total of where they are in the contest would certainly be a motivation to this lask-luster team. Besides, there is no condition that says the Royals can't ship off some prospects to the Rox's opponenets late in the season, if they need to hand them a few losses. Of course, that would presuppose that the Royals wouldn't need those same prospects on the big club....
posted by elovrich at 10:48 AM on May 09, 2006
At this point, the Royals would do well to engage in some self-deprecating humor. Take the bet. Give your players at least ~something~ to play for, for heavens sake. And I think they should play the Rox. Just for the hell of it. Donate the gate to the YMCA. Why not?
posted by rgchappell at 11:14 AM on May 09, 2006
I'm picturing "Brewster's Millions."
posted by MW12 at 11:22 AM on May 09, 2006
- Jim Lucas (pres of the Rox) is obviously a jackass - Keep in mind, this is the same chucklehead who just offered Roger Clemens a contract, only so he had an excuse to see his own name on his own team's website. I don't get it. They're a minor league baseball team that is not affiliated with a major league team. If they don't get their name in the paper, who's going talk about them?
posted by yerfatma at 11:38 AM on May 09, 2006
When I was a kid, my Dad lived in Brockton. It is, without a doubt, one of the worst places in Massachusetts. It's terrifically ugly and depressing, mostly poor, and has quite a bit of crime. Although I haven't been there in many years, I would imagine that their YMCA could really, really use the money.
posted by Samsonov14 at 11:43 AM on May 09, 2006
Let me play. But set the stakes a bit higher. Maybe a relegation (is that the right word) like in European Soccer.
posted by scottypup at 12:27 PM on May 09, 2006
I remember a number of years ago like the 70's or early 80' The Cubs played their minor league team in the middle of the season like July or something and lost boy was that a good laugh but I think it was more common to play games like that back then if this is an independent league team that league is going bust maybe they just need the publicity and some cash
posted by luther70 at 12:34 PM on May 09, 2006
Ok, I wasn't serious about the Royals challenging the Rox to a game. I was just looking for an over the top way for the Royals to get back at some lousy little indpendent league team that felt like insulting them.
posted by tron7 at 12:53 PM on May 09, 2006
I was getting at the same thing, tron. I don't get it. They're a minor league baseball team that is not affiliated with a major league team. If they don't get their name in the paper, who's going talk about them? I welcome them managing to get their name in the paper in almost any fashion they choose. But, most of us have never heard of the signifcant majority of minor league clubs out there, particularly below AAA or unless the team has an especially comical name or logo. So, by itself, offering Clemens a spot on the team is mildly amusing or simply non-newsworthy. But this stunt with the Royals (while KC should otherwise be disgusted with the big-league club), indicates that Lucas deserves to have a Reggie-Sanders'-sized foot up his ass ... and needs to come up with better, less-shameful ways of getting his team's name in the papers.
posted by littleLebowski at 01:50 PM on May 09, 2006
needs to come up with better, less-shameful ways of getting his team's name in the papers. I'll leave the "shameful" part for you to talk to my mom about. I imagine most minor league sports teams operate under a "Any publicity is good publicity" mindset.
posted by yerfatma at 01:53 PM on May 09, 2006
You have to admit though, the Royals are just awful. signed: Pirates Fan
posted by steelcityguy at 02:05 PM on May 09, 2006
I learned to swim at the Brockton Y. Brockton was once a thriving city with a vibrant economy great sports history. Thanks to the foresight and magnaminity of Massachusetts politicians who forced state-financed, low income housing on the city, it has become a wasteland of crime and drugs thanks to the folk from the inner city who lapped up the subsidized housing. At least the denizens can comfort themselves by continuing to believe that they live on the "Cape".
posted by stojko at 03:11 PM on May 09, 2006
I like the thing. We'll put up $500 if we lose, but you put up $5000 if you lose. That makes no sense.
posted by v3rity at 03:16 PM on May 09, 2006
If they don't get their name in the paper, who's going talk about them? I think that this thread is exactly what Lucas wanted. When you're a minor-league ball club, any little bit of publicity helps. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I say go for it. That's the beauty of the minors. These guys don't do it for the check, they do it for the love of the game. Odds are, attendance will go up because of what this guy said, and that is probably his ultimate goal.
posted by wingnut4life at 04:22 PM on May 09, 2006
If they want publicity maybe they should try and sign Sammy Sosa.I think they would have a better chance with that than Clemens or playing the Royals
posted by surfvbva at 04:32 PM on May 09, 2006
Rickey Henderson. He'll play anywhere.
posted by MW12 at 04:43 PM on May 09, 2006
[Brockton] has become a wasteland of crime and drugs thanks to the folk from the inner city who lapped up the subsidized housing. At least the denizens can comfort themselves by continuing to believe that they live on the "Cape". You're right, it's not like towns in Mass ever go in the crapper on their own and then poorer people move in. The poor people just buy, buy, buy into these thriving communities and drive businesses out. Why if it weren't for them, and whaling becoming illegal, I'm sure New Bedford would still be the Utopia it was in the past. And judging by some of the projects in Southy, it seems like white folk are capable of drug abuse and awful housing conditions. -Where's the outer city? -I believe 'inner city' means 'black'. MC Paul Barman
posted by yerfatma at 04:43 PM on May 09, 2006
WOW...I would love to see the line on this one.... thats really pathetic. Thats like having the NY Giants challenge the Knicks to see who wins the most games. The sad part is that the Knicks would still probably lose- lol
posted by redsoxrgay at 05:01 PM on May 09, 2006
If they want publicity maybe they should try and sign Sammy Sosa. Yep, and then they can have promotional nights like "Official Sammy Sosa Corked 'Practice' Bat Night."
posted by wingnut4life at 05:10 PM on May 09, 2006
The Rox also offered the GM position to Theo Epstein when he walked away from the Sox. I'm sorry the Royals are offended (and understandably), but the Rox crack me up.
posted by swerve at 12:29 PM on May 10, 2006
the marlins are wiping their collective brows...
posted by bar_mangled_banter at 10:33 PM on May 10, 2006
THE ROYALS ARE A JOKE.FOR GOD SAKES EVEN WITH THERE PAYROLL YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE THAN 8 WINS BY NOW. I WILL TAKE THE BET, HOW ABOUT $2000!!
posted by BADAMS at 11:43 AM on May 11, 2006
Leave the Royals alone!! They have about a buck and a half payroll budget and once they get someone they get hurt. Pick on the Cubs for God's sake.