AZ_
Hall-of-Famer
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
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For me you can't give diminish Hart's part in the success in the 90s , while giving shapiro a pass for the team poor on field results , the sad state of talent on the farm and general disconnect with the casual fan since Hart's departure.
You can blame the Dolans to an extent for not having the deep pocket of other owners to overspend and mask these deficiencies, however the reality is other front offices in small markets have figured it out.
the thing that I find is insulting is asking the average fan to have faith in the organization as they stick to "the plan" when that plan seemingly changes from year to year , especially when you still don't have have any starting pitching and only one position player (Kipnis) that had any success since Shapiro took over the helm.
By all accounts Shapiro is a bright guy that was in demand. my issue is the onfield results haven't lived up to his wunder kid rep . Its been 11 years since 2001 when Hart left . With one playoff run in 2007, a farm system with few players that have produced at the major league level , a disconnect with general fans and resulting declining attendance, you can see why some might not have the warm feelings for this guy.
I don't know where saying its a young man's game is relevant. we have had a young front office that have embraced the changing face of baseball. my issue they have done a poor job while other small part teams have done a better job and are in a better position moving forward
While there may be marginal differences in terms of wins and losses, I fail to see where other small market teams have "figured it out."
There doesn't seem to be a ton of consistently winning franchises in small market's who have deep owners to "make up for deficiencies."
While other franchises have certainly been better at drafting over the last decade, they're still losing their talent when they hit free agency and quite frankly the guys they have produced have stayed healthy/productive to the point where they can reap the benefits (Sizemore, Hafner, Carrasco, Carmona).