I Need An MLB Team

[SirPanther]

I don't know about you guys but I've always found it hard to get into baseball since the Carolina's don't have an MLB team. I love the Panthers, Bobcats, Hurricanes and of course the Tar Heels. I'd like to get into baseball but I'm having a hard time finding a team to pull for since I don't know much about any of the teams.

If you're from the Carolina's how did you decide on which team you would pull for? A lot of my family likes the Braves but for some reason (Falcons fans) I just can't pull for them. I kind of like the Giants because of Brian Wilson but I don't like feeling like I'm jumping on their bandwagon because the won the WS last season.

This is a very tough decision for me because I want to make the right decision and not regret it. Any advice or info on your favorite team would be much appreciated. Like why do you pull for your team? What makes that team special to you?

Oh and do you guys think NC or SC will ever get an MLB team in the next 10 years?

[Swarly]

Few questions:

What team is shown most on local TV?

Is there any way you can get the MLB TV package where it shows all teams games to you?

Are you interested in a team that's going to compete NOW, or one that has a bright future ahead?

[SirPanther]

Few questions:

What team is shown most on local TV?

Is there any way you can get the MLB TV package where it shows all teams games to you?

Are you interested in a team that's going to compete NOW, or one that has a bright future ahead?

Well I'd say most of the Braves games are on TV.

Right now the MLB package isn't an option.

It doesn't really matter to me. I've been a Bobcats fan from the start so I have no problem pulling for a bad team. lol

[GritsRgreat]

I'm a huge Yankees fan. Reggie Jackson was my 1st sports hero. Played baseball most of my youth, Coached my kids softball team. Love baseball and i consider The New York Yankees the greatest sports org. of the known world. :)

I understand the Yanks are hated for the money they spend but they do it under the rules and guidelines of baseball. If people hate that, well they must hate baseball in general.

Btw if i wasn't such a huge Yankees fan i would pull for the Tampa Bay Rays. Respect what they have going on.

[GritsRgreat]

Braves suck btw.

[Joscott]

Well for me it was a couple of things that led me to the Braves. Kinda hard growing up in the 90's without being familiar with the players and division wins. Back when Turner owned them, they were pretty much on TBS everyday, making them very easy to follow.

Also being from Danville, VA, it didn't hurt that they had a farm team there where a lot of soon to be big name layers came through.

It's not really something to easily pick up, you have to find out what's important to you and stick with it for a while, good and bad. My suggestion would be to look for teams with big rivalries and go from there. I can't see NC or SC having a team anytime soon.

Braves suck btw.

Ouch that really hurts coming from a Yankee fan...:jc:

[Hugor Hill]

when I was a kid I loved the Braves mostly because of then, the Durham Bulls were a part of their franchise and I saw lot of players I watched in person playing for the Braves. That's why the majority of people in NC have pulled for the Braves over the years. We used to go to the old B.A.P. for every game so I saw alot of the players. So naturally, I rooted for the Braves. When I turned 10 I also started rooting for Boston because of Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens and Oil Can Boyd( How can a 10 year old NOT like a player with a name like that?!?!?!). Over the years my love for the Braves diminished because of the Bulls switching over to the Devil Rays, or Rays as they are now. I still pull for the Braves but not as much as I pull for the Red Sox. So basically I guess what I'm saying is, just go with your gut, don't let anybody tell you who to pull for. If you like the Giants, then go with them. If you still pull for them after they don't win the WS this year, then you wont feel like a bandwagon fan.

[GritsRgreat]

Wade Boggs is also a fav of mine.

[SirPanther]

Part of the reason I find it hard to find a team to pull for is because it seems like every year the Yankees and other super power teams take the most talented players from the not so powerful teams. Like why would I pull for a team when I know they're never going to have a chance to win the WS because their best player will leave them before the team is good enough to win it.

I'm leaning towards the Giants because I'm a big fan of Brian Wilson and Tim Lincecum but I'm thinking how long until the Yankees come after Lincecum?

If the MLB had a salary cap like the NFL it would make baseball sooooo much better for the fans.

[Joscott]

Part of the reason I find it hard to find a team to pull for is because it seems like every year the Yankees and other super power teams take the most talented players from the not so powerful teams. Like why would I pull for a team when I know they're never going to have a chance to win the WS because their best player will leave them before the team is good enough to win it..

Which is why you might like to pull for a team like the Rays. They don't have a big enough payroll to add huge free agents every year, but stay competitive.

[Swarly]

I'll just say this regarding Yankees/Redsox... unless you're from the NY/Boston area, it's the equivalent of rooting for the Cowboys in football.

Nationals are a team on the rise with one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball returning next year(Stephen Strasburg) and a guy regarded as a "once in a generation" prospect in Bryce Harper. 2011 will be a rough season, but they are going in the right direction and if Strasburg is healthy in 2012 they will compete for a playoff spot.

and the Giants are a good team to root for. absolute dominant pitching staff, and they're not like the Yankees/Sox where if they have a bad year they just throw piles of money at the best players and hope it works out.

[SirPanther]

After doing some research and thinking I've decided that I am going to be a San Francisco Giants fan. I never even considered the Yankees or Red Sox. Like KP30 said pulling for those 2 teams is like jumping on the Cowboys bandwagon. It's hard to say no to the Braves since they're so close and most of my family are Braves fans but I just can't pull for a team based in Atlanta. Their attendance is always horrible too which tells you a lot about their fans.

The Giants have a great fan base from what I've read as well as a great ballpark. I love that it sits right on the water. Brian Wilson is such a bad ass and Tim Lincecum is one of the best young pitchers in the game. Some might say I'm just jumping on their bandwagon because they won the world series last year but I just feel like this is the team I should pull for.

I plan on sticking with them through thick and thin. Just like I have with the Panthers for most of my life (I'm only 20). So yeah thanks for the help and advice guys.

Go Giants!

[The Saltman]

Die.

[GritsRgreat]

Meh, i've always compared Cowboy fans to UNC fans. Most of them couldn't name 5 current players to save their lives.

San Fran is a good pick. Funny how Pittsburgh wasn't in the running.