+- CSNbbs (https://csnbbs.com)
+-- Forum: Active Boards (/forum-769.html)
+--- Forum: Lounge (/forum-564.html)
+---- Forum: The Sports Bar (/forum-531.html)
+----- Forum: Pro Sports (/forum-516.html)
+----- Thread: MLB Expansion/Realignment (/thread-830593.html)
MLB Expansion/Realignment - Phlipper33 - 10-19-2017 08:04 PM
There were a couple of articles earlier in the week about a “growing consensus” to MLB expansion to 32 teams. Montreal and Portland appearing to be the front runners.
Speculation of realignment to only 4 divisions of 8 teams each, with the possibility of even dropping the American and National Leagues to go to more regional divisions. Perhaps reducing the regular season to 156 games as well.
Lots of potential changes, I think the most likely is expansion to 32 teams. There’s a few other locations that could challenge Portland, but I definitely think Montreal is a front runner. I could definitely see two new teams playing within 5 years, maybe sooner. It’s currently the longest time without expansion since the leagues first expanded, and owners could probably get $50M or more each just from expansion fees from two teams.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - PirateTreasureNC - 10-19-2017 08:21 PM
What were the expansion waves then?
I ask because wasn't it like
Rockies/Marlins
then
Devil Rays/Diamondbacks
... then Expos moved to become the Nationals?
I'm still surprised that NC hasn't gotten a pro team but yeah, the could probably use more western teams.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Phlipper33 - 10-19-2017 08:33 PM
(10-19-2017 08:21 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: What were the expansion waves then?
I ask because wasn't it like
Rockies/Marlins
then
Devil Rays/Diamondbacks
... then Expos moved to become the Nationals?
I'm still surprised that NC hasn't gotten a pro team but yeah, the could probably use more western teams.
Correct, NL expanded with Marlins and Rockies. Arizona and Tampa were supposed to be AL expansion teams later in the 90s but Arizona didn’t want to be an AL team so Bud Selig had the Brewers move the NL, keeping the AL at 14 teams while the NL went up to 16 teams. Then the Astros moved to AL a couple years ago evening the leagues at 15 teams, but requiring interleague games played all season due to having an odd number of teams in each league.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Wedge - 10-19-2017 08:38 PM
There won't be MLB expansion unless there are places where some city or county or state pays over half of the cost of building a ballpark. No potential owner is going to pay for all of a $1 billion ballpark on top of an expansion fee of $1 billion or more.
If public money was there for a ballpark, I'd put Austin or San Antonio at the top of the list. They are about 80 miles apart and have a combined metro population of 4.5 million.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Phlipper33 - 10-19-2017 09:38 PM
Getting ballparks built is definitely a big challenge to any expansion. Cities putting up the money to getting a stadium built will basically be a requirement for getting a franchise.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 10-20-2017 03:30 AM
(10-19-2017 08:38 PM)Wedge Wrote: There won't be MLB expansion unless there are places where some city or county or state pays over half of the cost of building a ballpark. No potential owner is going to pay for all of a $1 billion ballpark on top of an expansion fee of $1 billion or more.
If public money was there for a ballpark, I'd put Austin or San Antonio at the top of the list. They are about 80 miles apart and have a combined metro population of 4.5 million.
That would work in football, not baseball. Too many home dates. Even if you put a stadium halfway, it'd be far from the ticket buying public in both cities and closer to San Antonio, which is taxed out from supporting the Spurs and has little more disposable income.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 10-20-2017 03:46 AM
Baseball requires a really big market or ballpark culture (i.e. like at minor league games where no one but friends and family care all too much about the game). As noted in another thread, there's only about 3 legit small markets that haven't had teams for scores/a full century of years.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - chargeradio - 10-23-2017 07:58 PM
I think this is really only a three horse race between Charlotte, Montreal, and Portland.
Indianapolis probably should be in the discussion (15th largest city, 34th largest Metro) but Cincinnati and Chicago (more so the Cubs) will mow them down pretty quickly. Portland will probably be the useful empty threat for everyone in need of a stadium.
If it's Charlotte and Montreal, Charlotte's AAA team can move to Birmingham. Nashville and Memphis join the IL. The PCL can park the new AAA franchises in two of Portland, Escondido, Tucson, Vancouver, or Edmonton. Birmingham's Southern League team moves to Huntsville.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Love and Honor - 10-23-2017 10:14 PM
(10-20-2017 03:30 AM)_C2_ Wrote:(10-19-2017 08:38 PM)Wedge Wrote: There won't be MLB expansion unless there are places where some city or county or state pays over half of the cost of building a ballpark. No potential owner is going to pay for all of a $1 billion ballpark on top of an expansion fee of $1 billion or more.
If public money was there for a ballpark, I'd put Austin or San Antonio at the top of the list. They are about 80 miles apart and have a combined metro population of 4.5 million.
That would work in football, not baseball. Too many home dates. Even if you put a stadium halfway, it'd be far from the ticket buying public in both cities and closer to San Antonio, which is taxed out from supporting the Spurs and has little more disposable income.
I looked at the post in terms of either San Antonio or Austin, not both, no doubt that a joint effort would fail. Both cities would be a great pick imo. My other choice would be Montreal, that was a solid baseball market that was screwed over big time. Charlotte is already big Braves territory IIRC so that makes it more difficult.
I'd be surprised if baseball expanded before the Rays and A's figure out their stadium situations. It's a lot easier to extort local markets when you don't have other large cities to move to, and both teams' owners are having a hard enough time as it is even with that theoretical leverage.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 10-23-2017 11:46 PM
(10-23-2017 07:58 PM)chargeradio Wrote: I think this is really only a three horse race between Charlotte, Montreal, and Portland.
Indianapolis probably should be in the discussion (15th largest city, 34th largest Metro) but Cincinnati and Chicago (more so the Cubs) will mow them down pretty quickly. Portland will probably be the useful empty threat for everyone in need of a stadium.
If it's Charlotte and Montreal, Charlotte's AAA team can move to Birmingham. Nashville and Memphis join the IL. The PCL can park the new AAA franchises in two of Portland, Escondido, Tucson, Vancouver, or Edmonton. Birmingham's Southern League team moves to Huntsville.
Indy has no chance. Indy is basketball crazy, yet unless something has changed in recent years, the Pacers have never turned a profit. A third team, especially in baseball would really be taxing the market to the limit with an NFL team already present. The disposable income is just not there, as they're pressing to support two teams. Ditto for Charlotte, although they didn't like the owner, the current Pelicans' franchise moved in part because there's only so much disposable income there. When the economy is doing well, so does Charlotte but when it tanks it really gets hit hard, as it is primarily a banking city.
I just don't see how Montreal would work. Many French-Canadians are anti-American which is a major reason the Expos support tailed off [the Strike enhanced it but it wasn't everything. They only got 31k for their last ever game]. Go to Vancouver or somewhere else first before Montreal.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - TardisCaptain - 10-25-2017 02:57 PM
The owners of the Utah Jazz have been exploring the option of getting a Salt Lake MLB team since the 90s. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a bid.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 10-25-2017 05:44 PM
It's just not big enough. I could see an NFL team but not an MLB team.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - goofus - 11-02-2017 10:16 AM
Sounds like the old time zone idea for divisions
Pacific division
SD, LAD, LAA, SF, Oak, Sea, Ariz, Portland
Central Division
Col, Tex, Hou, KC, STL, Minn, Mil, CHC
American east
CHW, Det, Cle, NYY, Bos, Tor, Bal, Tampa
National East
Pitt, Cincy, Atl, Miami, Philly, NYM, Wash, Montreal
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - BePcr07 - 11-07-2017 10:02 AM
Before expansion (which I am always excited about), I think we should find suitable homes for the teams that seem to suffer the most in attendance. Lately, the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics have consistently poor attendance. I'd relocate the Rays to North Carolina (either Charlotte or Raleigh) and I'd relocate the Athletics to Montreal.
If expansion were to occur, two Western teams would be my choice. Perhaps Portland and Vancouver.
American League
East: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays
West: Vancouver Canadians, Seattle Mariners, Portland Beavers, Los Angeles Angels
South: Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox
North: Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians
National League
East: Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates
West: San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks
South: Charlotte Knights, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals
North: Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Erictelevision - 12-15-2017 10:13 PM
Move the Marlins to any of these cities:
Charlotte
Nashville
San Antonio
Portland (OR)
Move the Rays to Miami
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 12-15-2017 11:32 PM
Move the Rays somewhere that basically has already failed as an MLB host despite 2 World Series titles? They might as well stay where they are. The Marlins might as well stay, at least Miami has some potential being so close to Latin America. But I'd move the Marlins to New Jersey, Yankees be damned, and Rays to LA...well, at least if I were an owner who wanted to make money. There's no new market that can can do much better than any current MLB market.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - AllTideUp - 12-16-2017 02:27 AM
(12-15-2017 11:32 PM)_C2_ Wrote: Move the Rays somewhere that basically has already failed as an MLB host despite 2 World Series titles? They might as well stay where they are. The Marlins might as well stay, at least Miami has some potential being so close to Latin America. But I'd move the Marlins to New Jersey, Yankees be damned, and Rays to LA...well, at least if I were an owner who wanted to make money. There's no new market that can can do much better than any current MLB market.
In all honesty, the megalopolis that is NY/NJ/NE could definitely handle another franchise. Used to be 3 teams in NYC in the old days, seemed to work fine. And it also happens to be the region of the country where fans are most likely to really engage and be passionate about the sport.
The only challenges would be overcoming long time loyalties to the teams that are already there. That and convincing the other owners it would work.
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - bluesox - 12-17-2017 12:19 PM
32 does make sense but hard to see it happen without fixing Oakland and TB stadiums. I think Montreal would be a lock and wouldn’t be shocked with Mexico getting a team either. Charlotte makes the most sense for US cities as expansion or relocation
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - Lush - 12-17-2017 03:22 PM
move tampa to havana and miami to san juan. let's build up the islands boys
RE: MLB Expansion/Realignment - C2__ - 12-17-2017 04:06 PM
(12-17-2017 12:19 PM)bluesox Wrote: 32 does make sense but hard to see it happen without fixing Oakland and TB stadiums. I think Montreal would be a lock and wouldn’t be shocked with Mexico getting a team either. Charlotte makes the most sense for US cities as expansion or relocation
Montreal? Are you serious? French Canadians detest most things American.