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Anybody know anything about any possible expansion in MLB? I haven’t heard anything for a long time now. Seems like it would be a good idea to get the even numbered 16 teams in each league.
r/Rat
With inter-league play fully integrated into the game today, there really is not a big need to get the leagues evened out in terms of number of teams.
With some clubs struggling quite a lot, like Miami, I am not sure it makes much sense to further dilate the product. Personally I think there are too many teams in all professional sports as it is. But it is a reality of the times because the industry is so big dollar-wise.
The commissioner seems open to expansion but has stated that he doesn’t see anything happening until stadium resolutions can be found for Oakland and Tampa.
Bring the Rays to St. Louis.
Build a stadium in the south or by Earth City or even across the river.
Call them the Browns.
Send the Tigers to the East and put the Browns in the West.
You’d have a great natural rivalry with Kansas City and Chicago.
Good all around.
SAVE THE BROWNS!!!Under that scenario if the Browns were placed in the West, the West would have six teams and the Central would have four teams.
Miami
Tampa
OaklandIMO are all on the hot seat for moving…moving of some teams woudl also be a part of the bigger picture too
You have to have something in Florida… Miami just got bought…i don;t think they move…they get to be the Florida team
Tampa goes to Puerto Rico
Oakland goes to Vancouverthen add
-Omaha (it would sell out every single game every year, look at how they love the College WOrld Series, not to mention the Nebraska Cornhuskers…they just need SOMETHING to do and they will go do it…this would work)
-Montreal…it will happen at some point…
This adds a middle america team, and adds 3 outside the US (even if PR is basically the US)
Vancouver and Montreal would work and both have been hosts to US major sports teams before
Lincoln works out of the lack of anything in that region and excitement
Puerto Rico works for the region and for the growth of the sport and excitementIf baseball wants to grow it needs to spread…soccer does so well in the rest of the world because it is everywhere…unless we bring baseball to other places it isnt going to come up on it’s own…these moves would show the willingness of MLB to expand into new markets
and just for giggles…go with this…shake it up big time…go TWO divisions East and West (keeps down on travel time and cost)…just the best 6 from each division…last 4 in are “wild cards” and play a best of 3 series against the others while the other 2 rest…then best of 7 for two rounds followed by World Series
I don’t think the Royals would be happy about adding Omaha or Lincoln.
I think the A’s will stay in the Bay Area. I don’t know about Tampa. Odds are they end up in Montreal.
I’m not saying it will happen. Just throwing some fun ideas out there.
I’d love to see more international teams. And if cities can’t get it together to get fans and money to keep teams there then move it on to others who would.
How about Charlotte…. they have NFL and NHL already…. growing area. Tampa Bay to Carolina might make more sense… more moderate climes. I went to an Expo’s game during their 1st season in late May, there was still piles of snow just off the field. They played the other 1st year team the Padres in the old Parc Jarry Park. That town starts with hockey in Sept and ends in June…. not enough sports fans in the area. And the French is always a problem…. then two national anthems (I love both of them), but they might be a detraction for the phone-users.
Many game-goers today don’t even watch the game or know what’s going on. These are the people that MLB is trying to attract. There must be a lot of that ilk in Charlotte.
Good call on Charlotte, as that is an area that seems to be a decent sports locale. Another one might be Nashville.
But as mentioned, before you expand you need to figure out a way to strengthen the existing franchises that are perennial financial drains. Florida has never been a big regular season baseball area, although it is great for Spring Training.
The Athletics were an iconic franchise, but since the late ’30s when Connie Mack ran the franchise into the ground due to mot being able to finance the organization like it should have been, in turn brought on by the Great Depression, they have mostly struggled to make ends meet. First the move to Kansas City where the owner was a New Yorker, and the club became the major league farm team of the Yankees turned out to be a joke.
Then they had an owner who wanted to build a winner, but his personality was so abrasive he alienated the big shots in Kansas City, who wanted nothing to do with him. Finley then moved the team to an area where baseball already had a toe hold, but was struggling. The Giants were not drawing all that well at the time and had a bad ballpark.
At any rate once again, you gotta strengthen what you have first, before diluting the product.
A new St. Louis Browns team is fun to think about, but I doubt the area can support two teams despite the rabid following the Cardinals have. That has been built up over many decades, and putting a new team there and calling them the Browns might work for awhile from a novelty standpoint, but would not be sustainable. Plus I doubt the Cardinals would allow it to happen.
Geesh Rat….this thread was 2 years old. Amazing that you were able to dig it up. Your Barnaby Jones episodes must be exhausted.
Cannon tonight Pugs. Along with a sausage and egg sandwich, some bar-b-q chips, chocolate shake, and then a cigar.
If you are going to move or expand, I would look first at:
1. El Paso–Juarez
2. Mexico City
3. Havana
4. San Antonio—AustinI don’t remember Montreal as having worked out well. Canada, especially Montreal, would need a domed stadium for cold and rain.
Havana and Mexico City are large enough to support a franchise, as well as being sports crazy. Juarez and El Paso operate like they were one city of over 2 million. San Antonio is large enough, and they have supported basketball. I don’t know that Austin would be a fit, but it might provide a draw, as would Corpus Christi.
Vegas and Montreal are the likeliest next spots, for the A’s and Rays that is. There are just to many questions on other issues for expansion right now.
Nashville would also have to be on the short list too, but that would harm the Cards, Braves and Reds attendance, so that’s likely not happening.
Not sure San Antonio is ready. They hosted a AA team until this year when they moved up to AAA.
One thing you have to remember with some foreign areas is that even though they may have the population base the population base not have the disposable income to support the team.
Carioca is spot on, St Louis might not be the the best economic place in the US but the disposable income by families and businesses is exponentially higher than San Juan, Mexico City, etc
As far as moving another team into another country, Canada is the only realistic market at this point. Vancouver would be the best option if Seattle wasn’t so close. Based on that, going back to Montreal is the likeliest option for monetary/market reasons. They would have to build a new stadium with a roof, and if Milwaukee can pull that off, there is no reason Montreal can’t.
Vegas, due to tourism might be smart for a team like the A’s if they can get a stadium close to the strip. It would get some support from locals, but the tourists already headed there PLUS opposing fans coming in for a reason to go to Vegas would fill the seats. The local TV portion of the teams revenue would be the biggest hardship in comparison to NY, LA, CHI, SF, Bos, etc But the Royals did it in 2015 and it couldn’t get worse for a couple of the current teams.
I have always looked at Vegas as a winter place for the most visitors so I don’t think a baseball team playing 81 games there in the heart of the summer would be a winner. They have NFL and NASCAR and another race car group but those are not everyday events and the prime reason for folks to visit Vegas is the gambling. Just my opinion.
I have heard Portland mentioned and that might add to the West Coast teams and ease up for some of the teams further into the east that do a lot of travel out that way. But Portland seems to be having a lot of political problems right now and I am not sure MLB would want to dive into that market.
Wonder if my old home town New Orleans would not be a favorable place. They do support their sports teams rather well and have the ability to draw a lot of visitors (but not me).
I don’t think much has changed since this thread started two years ago. MLB is still sorting out Tampa and Oakland. Until those puzzles are solved there will be no expansion.
And I don’t think New Orleans will be on the expansion list when the time comes. Their AAA team is moving to Wichita next season and as far as I know there isn’t another minor league team moving in.
I would say the top expansion candidates are Montreal, Portland, Vegas, Nashville, Charlotte, San Antonio, and Mexico City but it appears to be years away.
My two cents…
Las Vegas – Gold/yellow uniforms. Call them the Las Vegas Luckys – NL.
How about Buffalo – dome required – Blue Jays OK – call them the Buffalo Browns – Brown uniforms with a pixie – AL. Creates a rivalry with TOR who have none right now.
Not for international teams… not enough fan base with money for tix.
New Orleans could do.
Charlotte is another viable choice.
Montreal had their chance.
I got to thinking about this yesterday when Dan and Tim mentioned Montreal on the broadcast. So I went searching for the Expansion thread from a couple of years ago and found it.
And Dan and Tim thought Montreal needs baseball again. Why couldn’t Toronto played about 12-15 games in Montreal every year?
Miami isn’t going anywhere.
I do think they need to has out any stadium situations with Tampa and Oakland. I think Tampa is a lost cause. I unfortunately see them ending up in Montreal but I think if the league moved them there they’d like to have a stadium deal in place. The can play in that dump until it’s ready. They already play in one to begin with.
My top 5 places for expansion.
Monterrey Mexico
Nashville
Portland
Charlotte
Vegas (puke)
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