http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/88695 The Quakes' stuff is after the A's stuff. The salient points: --Three years in Buck Shaw, not two. --No DP in 2008, probably, but we will see Moneyball applied to MLS.
At some point will anyone besides me say that the new ownership has to put more into this besides giving 11 guys blue shorts and swinging a real estate deal with the city?
Well, on the bright side, 2011 -- if that's set in stone -- gives me an extra year to save up for that trip home.
Probably not. You seem to think this article shows they're not in it somehow? Frankly I see the opposite. They're working as hard as they can within the framework they've been given with the city and the league.
Well between Jonah and the Murk there were several points of interest -2700+ season tickets have been sold so far (we're selling over 700 a week at this rate). Still hoping for 7k which is about where they'll cap it. -Epicenter will likely open in 2011. Seems the approval process has taken longer than expected. But sharing with the A's was never an option. -We may use the 49ers new stadium (if it's ever built) for big EQSLLC events be it Quakes or other matches possibly like the Mexico match in March. -No DP in 08. -Moneyball coming to MLS. -Russell, Yallop and Doyle are scouring Costa Rica, Mexico and Europe for talent right now.
Man, this really bothers me. I absolutely hate the A's philosophy of "trying to win the championship with the lowest payroll", and looks like our Quakes are going to suffer from the same mindset. This pretty much shows they are NOT committed to providing us a winning product on the field, first and foremost.
I agree IBT - Wolff might consider spending 12 million on Barry "Scumbucket" Bonds, but is gonna try to shave 25k or 15k or even 100k on MLS players? Most of these guys already have to do appearances or some coaching thang on the side for some pocket money. The Bay Area is not a cheap place for an MLS salary. And I HATE to see a revolving door squad - I think it's terrible for a sport/team that still needs to establish itself. I heard we lost local hero and SJ die-hard Joe Cannon over 25k. That's just head-up-your-ass when you're hoping to build affinity and a team identity.
That's not what Moneyball is. It's an attempt to find qualities of players that contribute to winning but are undervalued by the marketplace. The concepts can be applied with the lowest payroll or the highest payroll.
Well the way Jonah describes it they're looking to get the most undervalued players who are the best at their positions. So if we follow that philosophy in a capped league like the MLS, we'll actually acquire the most talent for the team possible if they find someone undervalued but rockin at each position. Seems to me that's a winning philosophy. But then time will tell. The Moneyball way of doing things has never been applied to a capped league. But I think it actually has a bigger chance of success in MLS because of the cap. That's always been the A's issue is that no matter how much low cost talent they get, someone like Boston or NY can always spend half a billion dollars and buy every superstar from the Dominican to Japan. MLS doesn't have that issue.
Another quality post. Let's consider. The stupid, pathetic, water-stealing galactoposers have a few very expensive players, which means that they have to go cheap on most other positions. (Excepting that MLS is allowing them to flout the salary cap.) But even so, their top players cost an arm and a leg, but many on their roster are bargain basement types. What I think JD, Frank, and Ian are trying to do is sign good, young, "undervalued players." Guys who are on the verge of having a breakout year. Save money where you can, then spend where you have to. In theory, every team will spend the same amount on player salaries, excepting for DP's. So do you spread the cash around fairly evenly, or do you sign a couple of big "Name" players and a cheap supporting cast because you can't afford anything else? This is part of what ails NYJ. They always have a couple of name players, but the rest of their roster is thin. It's part of what ails El-Lay. They have couple of guys making big ducats, and the rest are living on peanuts. So you get some resentment in the clubhouse, and some of your guys ought to be in USL, maybe USL-D2. I don't think it is an accident that the DynamoHums and CounterRevs are at the top of MLS and don't have DP's. These are clubs that look to have the best eleven they can manage, not one or two name guys and supporting cast of nobodies. GOOOO QUAAAAAKES!!!!! - Mark
It's not as though the New England Revolution haven't been perennial MLS contenders, despite having the smallest payroll in the league. The difference is that unlike Bob Kraft, Lew Wolff and his associates actually care.
Yeah, this is my fear, but I will give them a couple of more months. I have no problem with no DP on 2008. Let's get through a season and figure out what is working and what is not... ...but, the A's are a low key organization which is my biggest fear with the new ownership. We need to more than just competitive. Eventually, we need to be challenging for the MLS Cup every year.
To me, that's what the Yallop-Kinnear-Moore et al team has been doing all along. These guys have been forced to play a form of Moneyball from the get-go. "But with MLS’ strict salary cap, Beane’s undervalued-players-at-low-costs philosophy will eventually be translated." There it is.
Totally agree. The Quakes always built a roster. Not a few superstars, not a first XI, but a roster. One could argue that the Yallop/Kinnear collection of players (Quakes and Dynamo) had as much success without their one "name" player acquisition - Donovan - as they did with him. 2001 - Champions, 45 points, 1.73 points a game 2002 - Lost in first round, 45 points, 1.61 points a game 2003 - Champions, 51 points, 1.7 points a game 2004 - Lost in first round, 38 points, 1.27 points a game 2005 - Lost in first round, Supporters Shield, 64 points, 2 points a game 2006 - Champions, 46 points, 1.44 points a game 2007 - Champions, 52 points, 1.73 points a game Look at the key contributors to these teams and how they were acquired: Donovan - the big allocation DeRosario - picked up from the Richmond Kickers Ching - picked up from the Seattle Sounders Onstad - picked up from the Rochester Raging Rhinos Mulrooney - draft Barrett - draft Mullan - traded for a second round draft pick
We're an expansion club. We are supposed to suck. It will so much nostalgia when the players hoist the cub at MLS Cup 2008 in San Jose.
Good or bad, I get the feeling that Lew Wolff doesn't feel much pressure to do things the way everyone else does things. Personally, I think this situation is about as tough as it can get for an expansion team. There is obviously a long argument to be made about being in that situation in the first place, but dwelling on that fact is a big waste of time at this point. What's done is done and no amount of complaint will change any of the history. I think this franchise has a great chance to be something special. That being said, success is still somewhere, not yet touched.
Very true, but it could look alot worse. Our FO has been getting calls from the likes of TFC and RSL to congratulate us on our expansion draft. Apparently other FO's feel that we've had the best expansion draft in recent years. So it's not just newspaper pundits taking notice of our moves so far. The league is also quite impressed with us thus far.
I don't mean to put you on trial or sarcastically refute your claims, but do you have any links referring to this matter?
No, but I spoke directly to David Alioto about it yesterday. So it's straight from the horses' mouth so to speak. Goodsport can confirm.
Well as bad as TFC and RSL were out the gate obviously. It's obvious we've drafted the best expansion class since Chicago and I think the other expansion teams are a tad jealous.