UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Season?

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

I just heard that the Tampa Bay / Montreal MLB team will be renamed the X-Rays.

Yeah, I saw that a half-dozen times yesterday from various commentators. It will never become the official team nickname, but it's a pretty clever pun that will become very tiresome very quickly to folks in both impacted cities. It's just a snarky derisive term meant to belittle the franchise, and two cities that have struggled at times to support MLB to the level its true believers think they're entitled to.

Folks in baseball strongholds like New York, Boston, St. Loo and Philly can't conceive of how a great baseball city could ever lose a team ...

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Wildcat/Bruins fans will get a look at first round Bruins pick Johnny Beecher when the Wolverines come to the 'Whit Nov 22/23...he will be an incoming Freshmen.

[Fishman'81]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Yeah, I saw that a half-dozen times yesterday from various commentators. It will never become the official team nickname, but it's a pretty clever pun that will become very tiresome very quickly to folks in both impacted cities. It's just a snarky derisive term meant to belittle the franchise, and two cities that have struggled at times to support MLB to the level its true believers think they're entitled to.

Folks in baseball strongholds like New York, Boston, St. Loo and Philly can't conceive of how a great baseball city could ever lose a team ...

What has amazed me for some years now is how Tampa has competed vigorously with a very low payroll and no fan-support.

The Rays have the lowest ERA in the AL right now. Exceptional starting pitching, and a solid 'pen. I wouldn't bet against them v. my Sox in a playoff series.

[Snively65]

What has amazed me for some years now is how Tampa has competed vigorously with a very low payroll and no fan-support.

The Rays have the lowest ERA in the AL right now. Exceptional starting pitching, and a solid 'pen. I wouldn't bet against them v. my Sox in a playoff series.

No worries, as Sox not looking like a playoff team this year.

And, maybe neither three of the Cats, Catamounts, Warriors, and Black Bears either (just to keep this thread on track).

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

What has amazed me for some years now is how Tampa has competed vigorously with a very low payroll and no fan-support.

The Rays have the lowest ERA in the AL right now. Exceptional starting pitching, and a solid 'pen. I wouldn't bet against them v. my Sox in a playoff series.

Sadly for my fellow fans in hibernation north of the border, even if this does come to pass in some way, it won't be soon enough for the current iteration of the Rays' roster to still be with the team by then. Snell and others will be well on their way to greener pastures (maybe even Boston) well before then.

The more I think of this, the more I believe this is MLB's way of creating a contest to see which of Tampa Bay and Montreal they can force into starting a stadium project first. Winner gets the franchise.

The lease in St. Pete runs through the 2027 season. Buying it out now would likely be prohibitively expensive, but every year closer to expiration, it gets more and more fiscally feasible.

Personally, I've always been a National League guy, so landing in the AL East would not be something I'm looking forward to. But beggars can't be choosers, and having a division with their natural/national rivals in Toronto would be terrific. My guess is we may see a larger reshuffling of divisions once MLB expands to 32 teams, and having Montreal and Toronto in the same division, plus one of the NY teams (and possibly Boston) would at least create natural rivalries that would help keep Montrealers' interests, in ways that Atlanta, Miami, and Philadelphia couldn't in the late stages of the original Expos' existence.

I only hope to live long enough to see baseball again in Montreal. It's fun at least considering it again.

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

It is NHL Development Camp season. I would expect all the draft affiliated Wildcats will be attending their respective camps, which means...

T. Taylor - Tampa Bay (Confirmed)
M. Robinson - San Jose (Confirmed)
M. Gildon - Florida (Confirmed)
A. Crookshank - Ottawa (Confirmed)
B. Maass - Washington (Confirmed)

Additionally, so far...

J. Pierson - Winnipeg (Confirmed)
A. Wyse - Florida (Confirmed)
W. MacKinnon - Philadelphia (Confirmed)

---

M. Vela - San Jose (Confirmed)

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

It is NHL Development Camp season. I would expect all the draft affiliated Wildcats will be attending their respective camps, which means...

T. Taylor - Tampa Bay (Confirmed)
M. Robinson - San Jose
M. Gildon - Florida (Confirmed)
A. Crookshank - Ottawa (Confirmed)
B. Maass - Washington

Additionally, so far...

J. Pierson - Winnipeg (Confirmed)
A. Wyse - Florida (Confirmed)
W. MacKinnon - Philadelphia (Confirmed)

Dan thanks for posting this. Funny I was just thinking today about these camps having seen other players showing up on Twitter...I looked up a few of our guys but the camp rosters weren't out just yet? Glad you put this up. Also today saw pics of a few of the players back for summer school at the U. Hope they have a great camp experience...it's so good for them as they get great coaching and conditioning there...

[Greg Ambrose]

Sadly for my fellow fans in hibernation north of the border, even if this does come to pass in some way, it won't be soon enough for the current iteration of the Rays' roster to still be with the team by then. Snell and others will be well on their way to greener pastures (maybe even Boston) well before then.

The more I think of this, the more I believe this is MLB's way of creating a contest to see which of Tampa Bay and Montreal they can force into starting a stadium project first. Winner gets the franchise.

The lease in St. Pete runs through the 2027 season. Buying it out now would likely be prohibitively expensive, but every year closer to expiration, it gets more and more fiscally feasible.

Personally, I've always been a National League guy, so landing in the AL East would not be something I'm looking forward to. But beggars can't be choosers, and having a division with their natural/national rivals in Toronto would be terrific. My guess is we may see a larger reshuffling of divisions once MLB expands to 32 teams, and having Montreal and Toronto in the same division, plus one of the NY teams (and possibly Boston) would at least create natural rivalries that would help keep Montrealers' interests, in ways that Atlanta, Miami, and Philadelphia couldn't in the late stages of the original Expos' existence.

I only hope to live long enough to see baseball again in Montreal. It's fun at least considering it again.

Chuck, when this news came down I immediately went to the Montreal Gazette and Tampa Tribune websites. In Montreal they are expecting the heir to the Bronfman empire to lead the group to bring the Rays to town. Polling showed that those over 50 were all for this, those under 30 were indifferent, probably because there has been no baseball in Montreal for 20 years. As long as no public money is involved, people up there are for it.

In Tampa you can safely say that the populace is done with the Rays or, specifically, their owner. The biggest take was that he had orchestrated this proposal to try to squeeze money out of either Tampa, St. Pete, or both but the citizens, at least those quoted, were having none of it. One writer had the theory that there would never be a split season and that Bronfman would not only build a new stadium in Montreal but also pay for the buy out with St. Pete.

As for where Montreal would wind up, it will be the AL East where natural rivalries with Toronto, New York, and Boston are a given. Like you I went to many an Expo game back in the day and always found the fans enthusiastic and knowledgeable. And the ballpark food was great. Hope I can make it back there some day.

[Snively65]

Dan thanks for posting this. Funny I was just thinking today about these camps having seen other players showing up on Twitter...I looked up a few of our guys but the camp rosters weren't out just yet? Glad you put this up. Also today saw pics of a few of the players back for summer school at the U. Hope they have a great camp experience...it's so good for them as they get great coaching and conditioning there...

Does BvR still have a course or two to take for completion of his degree requirements? Or, is he done done?

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Does BvR still have a course or two to take for completion of his degree requirements? Or, is he done done?

I get the impression he has some summer work to do....Also! If anyone is looking for some travel info for the 'Friendship Four' Belfast trip in November, I received this:

https://caragrouptravel.com/universi...ampshire-2019/

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

I get the impression he has some summer work to do....Also! If anyone is looking for some travel info for the 'Friendship Four' Belfast trip in November, I received this:

https://caragrouptravel.com/universi...ampshire-2019/

The NU travel info: https://www2.nuhuskies.com/news/2019...ship-four.aspx

Hotels look comparable although as a Marriott lifer I lean towards the NU choice. The NU hotel location and slightly less costly package price are winners as well.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Chuck, when this news came down I immediately went to the Montreal Gazette and Tampa Tribune websites. In Montreal they are expecting the heir to the Bronfman empire to lead the group to bring the Rays to town. Polling showed that those over 50 were all for this, those under 30 were indifferent, probably because there has been no baseball in Montreal for 20 years. As long as no public money is involved, people up there are for it.

In Tampa you can safely say that the populace is done with the Rays or, specifically, their owner. The biggest take was that he had orchestrated this proposal to try to squeeze money out of either Tampa, St. Pete, or both but the citizens, at least those quoted, were having none of it. One writer had the theory that there would never be a split season and that Bronfman would not only build a new stadium in Montreal but also pay for the buy out with St. Pete.

As for where Montreal would wind up, it will be the AL East where natural rivalries with Toronto, New York, and Boston are a given. Like you I went to many an Expo game back in the day and always found the fans enthusiastic and knowledgeable. And the ballpark food was great. Hope I can make it back there some day.

I think that's a fair and accurate assessment of the overall situation, Greg - some of which I touched upon in further detail earlier in this thread. Frankly, I think the folks down in TB/SP are being a little unfair to Sternberg - if someone like him had owned Les Expos 20 years ago, instead of the frauds Loria and Samson, Montreal might never have lost its team to begin with. Sternberg has been pretty patient, and is at least still saying the right things publicly, despite seeing multiple stadium proposals down there fail on the launching pad. Whereas L&S had made much more significant progress with a lot more community support to build their proposed new stadium in downtown Montreal when they decided to pull the plug on their own, starting the toppling of dominoes that led them to Miami, John Henry and pals to Boston, and Montreal to MLB custodial ownership, and then on their way to DC.

I don't doubt for a second that Sternberg is pulling the strings to some degree on this latest development, but it's not like he's dumped on TB (clearly he doesn't see SP being part of a successful Rays' future though), he's just given them added motivation to get moving with a stadium project sooner than (say) 2025. They certainly haven't been precluded from the competition, but it's hard not to think that if Montreal gets shovels into the ground before TB does, then a move is just a matter of time.

Here's to hoping we get to see a Boston @ Montreal game someday fairly soon, Greg.

[HockeyRef]

The NU travel info: https://www2.nuhuskies.com/news/2019...ship-four.aspx

Hotels look comparable although as a Marriott lifer I lean towards the NU choice. The NU hotel location and slightly less costly package price are winners as well.

Looked up the trip via a Expedia found it was much cheaper of course you’d have to figure out the transportation and game tix...we are definitely considering it!

[Snively65]

Back to UNH hockey...schedule. I see NU fans have their schedule so that means that the HE schedule is out? If that's the case schedule has been or is very close to being formalized (speculation). We know a lot of variables already just curious if the rest is carved in stone yet...

With very little digging I see that: (and in addition to what's been posted here already)

BC: Nov 1 (away) March 6-7 Home and Home
BU: Oct 26 Home
NU: Away, Dec Plus Friendship 4 games

UMass-Flagship schedule recently announced, with the FF runner up visiting Lake Whitt on Sunday October 10th (time TBA) and Saturday January 25th, and our Cats visiting Amherst on Friday January 24th, the latter two at 7:00 pm. So, maybe we will play Flagship 5+ times this season.

[HockeyRef]

UMass-Flagship schedule recently announced, with the FF runner up visiting Lake Whitt on Sunday October 10th (time TBA) and Saturday January 25th, and our Cats visiting Amherst on Friday January 24th, the latter two at 7:00 pm. So, maybe we will play Flagship 5+ times this season.

Ah there’s the Sunday game I heard about...ugh Friday game down there hmmm looks like another sick day hahaha.