Wil Myers has been named the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year, beating out fellow teammate Chris Archer and the Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias. Myers, the Rays’ third AL Rookie of the Year in the past six seasons, received 23 of 30 first place votes, while Iglesias came in second with five votes and Archer scratched the surface with one. The Marlins’ Jose Fernandez won the award on the NL side, to which we retort, “Ha ha, Puig!”
In other news, the Atlanta Braves are getting a new stadium. On Monday, the Braves announced plans to move to a new ballpark in the suburbs, north of downtown Atlanta. Their current home, Turner Field, opened only 17 years ago, however team president John Schuerholz said the current facility needs “hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of upgrades” that “will not do anything to improve access or the fan experience.” Sound familiar? In addition to moving away from the traffic and parking issues that plague downtown, the Braves’ new location will put them closer to the heart of their fanbase. That they’ll be moving away from the city’s downtown core is particularly interesting. In short, the announcement bucks the “build stadiums in livable, walkable districts” model that many have argued in favor of, including MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. How this bodes for the Rays in their search for a new ballpark is unknown. An owners meeting is scheduled in Orlando this week, which should allow principal owner Stuart Sternberg and commissioner Bud Selig to discuss the stadium stalemate. In short, something hyperbolic is all but expected.
The reasons for moving away from downtown are compelling. Each red dot on the heat map (below) represents a Braves ticket sold in 2012. Turner Field is at the very bottom of the dark red area, while the new stadium’s right in the thick of it.
(Courtesy of HomeOfTheBraves.com)
Marc Topkin writes, “This will be a key week, not as much for making moves but focusing on what Friedman openly admits is an “ever-evolving” plan, as the GMs gather in Orlando for their annual get-together, in advance of the traditional December winter meetings.” On the docket for the annual get-together, Friedman and company will be talking to other teams as well as outside free agents. They’ll also attempt to engage the 10 players hitting free agency, while plotting how to fill several large holes (first base, closer, DH). To that end, they’ll deal with the 10 arbitration eligibles and, as Topkin put it, “fit it all into a payroll expected to be around the same $60 million as this past season while remaining competitive.” That’s no easy task.
