Here is something rather cool – the Optimus Prime and Bumblebee walkaround costumes made an appearance at the Miami Marlins game with the Tampa Blue Rays recently. The characters walked out on to the field in association with the Give Kids the World Foundation to accompany young Timothy Stahlsmith as he made a ceremonial first pitch. They then stuck around to take photos with fans young and old alike.
Check out a photo of their appearance via the Marlins Instagram feed, and a video via Yahoo Sports.
seanlockyer
Ye,s WTF ?
What the heck do the Utah Jazz (and bitches) have to do with any of this ?
MV95
JaviSRK
With only 300 people watching. Miami is so bad at this.
SamsHappyTime
I also love how you can love Transformers and anything else. I love Transformers and know absolutely nothing about the Marlins. Utah Jazz just called and wants a new mascot. Bitches.
MV95
I love how this turned into a Marlins thread
seanlockyer
Another thing I just remembered is that contracts in the NFL are not guaranteed. In the MLB they are so it makes teams in "small" markets a little apprehensive about signing high-priced free agents b/c if they do not work out not only are you screwed on the salary cap you are also on the hook for the salary. In the NFL you can cut players and take a salary cap hit but within a year or two that "dead money" comes off the books….
To put into perspective-Bobby Bonilla is set to receive 1 million dollars a year for the next 25 years from the NY Mets as part of his contract that the Mets bought him out of all the way back in 2000! Oh, and who was the Mets general counsel who advised them to make this deal with Bonilla ? Why Bernie Madoff of course!
barrelks
Its what makes the NFL beautiful (also a lot of their contracts are negotiated on a national level), but the NBA couldn't really care much about parity, they are more star power driven, and I don't think share nearly as much of the local revenue, which for teams such as the Lakers is a significant amount of cash. Don't really feel like digging, and this article is about 5 years old, but I think MLB prettymuch just renewed most of their stuff to avoid a lockout/strike since then. They state that the Marlins received $60 million in sharing in 06 and 07 (and Im pretty sure that was each year and not total): MLB's Revenue-Sharing Formula – CBS News
seanlockyer
You make a very good point-a salary cap floor is just as important as a cap. That way a team cannot keep a low payroll continuously. Many don't realize this-and I didn't even learn this until the NFL lockout a few years ago-the NFL has a salary floor as well. The floor is unofficially referred to as the "Mike Brown" rule so owners like him are forced to spend money-at least some money….
barrelks
To continue off topic. Wouldn't matter if they had a salary cap unless there was a floor too. Fact is, the competitive balance in Baseball is actually pretty damn good. Hell, look at the NBA, they have a salary cap and how many teams have won the championship in the past 30 years (I believe it is less than 10). Baseball may not have a salary cap, but they have a SIGNIFICANT amount of revenue sharing outside of the minimal luxury tax that only a few teams have been hit with. The "poor" teams get an astounding amount from the revenue pot, including money from other teams local TV deals (teams are starting to get around some of this in how they are starting to structure their cable networks in the last couple years).
Fact is that these teams are run by businessmen, and these men (sorry, I don't think there are any woman majority owners in MLB) have different ideas of how want to run their team, and the Marlins owner doesn't invest much in the payroll of his major league team, because they are turning a healthy profit on the shared revenue. One of my sports economics professors once told me that the Pirates don't really care if they have 10 people show up to the games. Then you have teams like my Seattle Mariners who somehow have been able to (at least locally) come off like they are trying to put out a competitive team, and either have inept ownership (the active management Chuck and Howard), or have sold us a fantasy that they are trying to win.
Sorry for the baseball rant in a transformers forum.
MV95
The Marlins actually have great fans. After 3 complete fire sales there are still plenty of loyal fans like myself. We just want to overthrow the front office lol.
selfportrait
Ownership. The fans aren't nearly as bad. Show me another team that bad that isn't the Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs and I'll show you an empty stadium.
Strafe
Damn! All the jokes I wanted to use were taken. Putting all of that aside, it's pretty neat to see them showing up at any sports venue. (Psst. They're the Devil Rays, dude. Not the Blue Rays.)
I'm not sure who's worse, the corrupt ownership in Miami or the awful fans. Worst sports town in America, by far.
seanlockyer
The first team was a free-agent "Yankees" type team but the 2003 team was a real treat since it was made up on really good home-grown talent like Willis, Penny, etc… If there was one thing the Marlins did well after the fire sale in 1998 is that they worked their trades for prospects well to their advantage. Very similar to how the Braves became an assembly line of sorts in the 90's and early 2000's. Also very similar to what the Rays do now. It is an extra shame though that they broke up that 2003 team. They could have been poised for an Atlanta Braves like run throughout the 2000's had the ownership not been so repugnant.
On a side note, what happened with the Marlins breaking up (2) WS teams over payroll is the exact reason why MLB needs an NFL type of salary cap……
selfportrait
We have been very fortunate as a fanbase to win twice. But then again, Miguel Cabrera
seanlockyer
The National Bar Association formally accepts your apology but regrets to inform you that you will served with papers by their top lawyer, Johnny Cock-a-roach…..
seanlockyer
That and the colors! The colors man! I don't dig em' man! Looks like a bad trip!
Seriously though, if they wanted to see how to re-brand a team (logo, colors, name, attitude, etc…) all they had to do is look at the Rays, who basically were the Marlins (terrible owner who was hated, crappy colors, crappy logo, etc…) and in just a year re-invented themselves with classy colors, a new, simple logo, and a new name. (Not to mention went from the worst team in professional baseball to nearly winning the WS and being a playoff/winning team since then…..)
selfportrait
I would like to take this moment to formally apologize to all scumbags. I know that what I said was hurtful and demeaning and I am truly sorry.
seanlockyer
The Marlins also threw a fan out of the game that had an anti-Jeff Loria website as well as a Phillies fan that was seating behind home plate who dared bring a laptop to the game with him…..I bet if the Marlins offered free pot (and/or LSD) with a post-game concert by The Flaming Lips people probably still wouldn't go…..
barrelks
Yea, I could have clarified. Ownership has made that team impossible to support. Though even without the past decade where the my Mariners have been a debacle, I would probably trade histories with you given the fact that the Marlins have two World Series Titles. Only thing worse then the owners dismantling that team this offseason (as well as the two offseasons after the WS wins) is that giant fruitbasket (or whatever the hell it is) behind the CF wall.
seanlockyer
Scumbag ?! Hey now c'mon now, that's a low blow man! What did a scumbag ever do to you to warrant being compared to Jeff Loria ? (LOL!)