Upheaval in Tampa Bay

by calig23 on Oct 6, 2005 1:47 PM EDT

Tampa Bay has fired GM Chuck Lamar, Assistant GM Scott Proefrock, and player personnel director Cam Bonifay.

Also, there is a new managing general partner- Stuart Sternberg- replacing Vince Naimoli.

http://www.news4jax.com/mlb/5065045/detail.html

I would guess that this is a good thing for the Devil Rays, as LaMar isn't exactly the greatest GM in the world. The AL East may be about to get very interesting in the next few years.

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three words

ABOUT.

DAMN.

TIME.

and boom goes the dynamite.

by Mean Dean on Oct 6, 2005 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

2 words

THANK

GOD!

:-D

by So Cal Bob on Oct 6, 2005 2:27 PM EDT reply actions

we won't hear from Tyler

for a few days after this announcement. He is celebrating The D Rays "New Year's Day."

by So Cal Bob on Oct 6, 2005 3:22 PM EDT reply actions

Shouldn't That Be...

...Emancipation Day? Independence Day? How about V-L Day?

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 6, 2005 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I am

And I'm going to the Trop to celebrate. Stu announced free parking, so I'll be dancing on in the parking lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the greatest day of my sports fan life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob Abreu for Kevin Stocker....I'll take it-Chuck Lamar

by Tyler on Oct 6, 2005 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Congratulations to all D Ray fans

This is big news and hopefully well herald in a new era and give the big boys of the East someone to worry about. Very curious who everyone will be replaced with.

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen.

by Phil Gurnee on Oct 6, 2005 3:39 PM EDT reply actions

One Word

HALLELUJAH

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 6, 2005 4:44 PM EDT reply actions

D Day

WOW. It's wierd to think that somebody in the Tampa Bay front office actually has a brain. This is great news for the Devil Ray fans and players.

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

by Goodfella on Oct 6, 2005 4:49 PM EDT reply actions

Congrats

to al the D-Rays fans who will now have the opportunity to learn what it means to have Hope, that most precious of human conditions...

Get busy living...

by CrimsonLiederhosen on Oct 6, 2005 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

I hope this puts the reluctance to recall Delmon and Upton during September into better perspective now. If I was taking control of a major league baseball team, I'd want management playing as hands off as possible until I got in, especially with two of my three cornerstone players (Kazmir being the other).

The fact that he paid off the former owner to take off a year early speaks to how excited Sternberg is about putting together a strong franchise.

The presence of a new GM should make a huge difference. I imagine the guy put into place will be somebody with an eye for picking up top notch amateur talent, and a person who won't be afraid to go about making some key trades.

by mrkupe on Oct 6, 2005 6:06 PM EDT reply actions

From this Yankees fan...

...congrats, Tampa Bay fans. Here's hoping your franchise has many bright days in the future and that you can become a force in the American League East.

(Well, at least a force against everyone else in the East. You seemed to have figured out how to beat the Yanks already)

by FunWithHeadlines on Oct 7, 2005 2:36 PM EDT reply actions

not out of the woods yet..

its gonna be HUGELY interesting to see who the new GM is and how he handles this particular team... and if / how $CASH$ is actually applied.. their core of great young talent still has alot of development time ahead, plus the AL East is so tough. i think its a tricky job to take over, and can make a decent GM look bad..

but please dont misunderstand - im not sticking up for Lamar at all. he's still a bonehead..

go D-rays

by ufo on Oct 8, 2005 7:29 AM EDT reply actions

Bobby V.

I saw a report that said the D Rays were going to attempt to contact Bobby Valentine in the next few days, but even with new ownership it's hard to imagine them matching or bettering what he's getting in Japan now. Apparently he really likes it over there too, so a discount for a return to the states is unlikely as well...

I'm biased as a Met fan, but Valentine always worked pretty well with the younger guys, often getting more out of them than expected. He pushed for Reyes as an 18 year old but was denied by the front office, so I would imagine he'd have wanted Upton and Young up at some point this year. Obviously he would have more to work with then he did when he took over the Mets in '96, and that worked to the tune of about 90 wins a year...

by MetfanBren on Oct 9, 2005 2:12 AM EDT reply actions