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If it were to expand it should try to place a team back in Montreal, but, other locations that would support teams would be Nashville(this city also being close enough to Memphis and Knoxville could generate enough money from advertising and media. Charlotte, NC another good bet. Other great locations would be in Tidewater Virginia area, but Virginia Beach not so, locate them in Newport News where the drive from possible fan support in Richmond would be better, and since a large contingent of retirees live in Williamsburg. The other thing is bridges from Norfolk, Suffolk and Va. Beach would bring fans to the team. Land would be cheaper to acquire in Hampton next to N. News. Other locations-New Orleans, San Antonio, Portland, Salt Lake City, Louisville or Indianopolis.
I like the idea of 4 teams in 4 divisions the more I think about it. If you don't want expansion, and I personally do not, the best thing to do is to throw the Rockies into the AL West and the Astros into the NL West. Giving each league 15 teams and a nice balance for a Wild Card based sport.
However, since we are playing with expansion in this thread, let's try this:
American League:
East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
West: A's, Mariners, Angels, EXPANSION TEAM
North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
South: Devil Rays, Rangers, Royals, EXPANSION TEAM
It lays out fairly well. No awful time zone stuff like the Rangers have in the AL West right now.
Now, the expansion teams. You need one in the South and one in the West.
As well as considering the territorial rights of the current teams (so, no team in Riverside, CA for instance) I propose the following:
For the American League West: Portland, OR Beavers
Largest MSA with only one pro-sports team (Riverside does not count since for sports they are considered LA). Putting them in the AL goes against baseball's usual play of splitting natural geographic rivals, but if the Dodgers and Padres can be in the same division so can the Beavs and Mariners.
I wanted to pick Vegas since baseball is not a high stakes gambling sport the same way football and basketball are and the built in tourist dollars are huge. However, a team needs home fans and Vegas has fewer people than Portland. Especially fewer locals.
If you want to say "screw territorial rights" then the pick here is the Riverside, CA Earthquakes
For the American League South: San Antonio Alamos
I would prefer to make this a team in the Eastern time zone to balance the two Central teams already placed here. Looking at the MSA list Orlando is the best choice. However, Orlando also has Vegas' transient problem as well as the fact that baseball has failed in Tampa and Miami - two larger Florida cities. 2M to me is the minimum population necessary for a team. I really wanted to pick Charlotte as they have a lot going for them. However, the best choice was San Antonio. Much like Portland/Seattle you have a natural rivalry built in with the Rangers. SA also has the highest population of any other choice besides Orlando. In ten years, Charlotte may be the obvious choice, but right now it is San Antonio.
As for the idea of placing a team in NJ or LI, it won't work. This has been tried, just look at the NHL. The Devils and Islanders both have trouble drawing even if they win. With the way the Tri-State area is set up geographically you will have a hard time drawing fans from outside of its area. For instance, a team in New Jersey will have a difficult time drawing people from Conn or LI and to a lesser extent eastern upstate NY. If you are on LI and went to drive to a NJ baseball game you would literally drive past both Shea and Yankee Stadium to get there. A Long Island team will have trouble drawing people from anywhere outside LI. If you took those regions in a vacuum and placed them in Nebraska it would work but when you are competing with two incumbent teams that have a large history and following you cannot limit yourself like that and be successful.
The city of Buffalo, NY has a minor league team that outdraws almost half the franchises in the majors. If there was another expansion, not putting a team there would rank as a crime. Unless, of course, the powers that be in baseball aren't actually interested in fan loyalty.
The city of Buffalo, NY has a minor league team that outdraws almost half the franchises in the majors. If there was another expansion, not putting a team there would rank as a crime. Unless, of course, the powers that be in baseball aren't actually interested in fan loyalty.
That is simply not true.
Minor league attendance (2008):
That link was old. This one is better. Or worse if you are Buffalo...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteyNice
I like the idea of 4 teams in 4 divisions the more I think about it. If you don't want expansion, and I personally do not, the best thing to do is to throw the Rockies into the AL West and the Astros into the NL West. Giving each league 15 teams and a nice balance for a Wild Card based sport.
However, since we are playing with expansion in this thread, let's try this:
American League:
East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
West: A's, Mariners, Angels, EXPANSION TEAM
North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
South: Devil Rays, Rangers, Royals, EXPANSION TEAM
It lays out fairly well. No awful time zone stuff like the Rangers have in the AL West right now.
Now, the expansion teams. You need one in the South and one in the West.
As well as considering the territorial rights of the current teams (so, no team in Riverside, CA for instance) I propose the following:
For the American League West: Portland, OR Beavers
Largest MSA with only one pro-sports team (Riverside does not count since for sports they are considered LA). Putting them in the AL goes against baseball's usual play of splitting natural geographic rivals, but if the Dodgers and Padres can be in the same division so can the Beavs and Mariners.
I wanted to pick Vegas since baseball is not a high stakes gambling sport the same way football and basketball are and the built in tourist dollars are huge. However, a team needs home fans and Vegas has fewer people than Portland. Especially fewer locals.
If you want to say "screw territorial rights" then the pick here is the Riverside, CA Earthquakes
For the American League South: San Antonio Alamos
I would prefer to make this a team in the Eastern time zone to balance the two Central teams already placed here. Looking at the MSA list Orlando is the best choice. However, Orlando also has Vegas' transient problem as well as the fact that baseball has failed in Tampa and Miami - two larger Florida cities. 2M to me is the minimum population necessary for a team. I really wanted to pick Charlotte as they have a lot going for them. However, the best choice was San Antonio. Much like Portland/Seattle you have a natural rivalry built in with the Rangers. SA also has the highest population of any other choice besides Orlando. In ten years, Charlotte may be the obvious choice, but right now it is San Antonio.
As for the idea of placing a team in NJ or LI, it won't work. This has been tried, just look at the NHL. The Devils and Islanders both have trouble drawing even if they win. With the way the Tri-State area is set up geographically you will have a hard time drawing fans from outside of its area. For instance, a team in New Jersey will have a difficult time drawing people from Conn or LI and to a lesser extent eastern upstate NY. If you are on LI and went to drive to a NJ baseball game you would literally drive past both Shea and Yankee Stadium to get there. A Long Island team will have trouble drawing people from anywhere outside LI. If you took those regions in a vacuum and placed them in Nebraska it would work but when you are competing with two incumbent teams that have a large history and following you cannot limit yourself like that and be successful.
If we absolutely have to "pull an NFL" on this, provided expansion is to be done, Petey, then you certainly have the right idea. It would, however, eliminate the need for a Wild Card in each league. But I can see those purists out there who would frown on this, but then, they frowned years ago when MLB expanded to three divisions in each league.
The thing I would do is add Charlotte and Memphis, but Colorado would move to the AL so each expansion team is in a different league.
Realignment
American League
EAST: Boston, Cleveland, New York, Toronto
NORTH: Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota
SOUTH: Baltimore, Charlotte, Tampa Bay, Texas
WEST: Anaheim, Colorado, Oakland, Seattle
National League
EAST: Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
NORTH: Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis
SOUTH: Atlanta, Florida, Houston, Washington
WEST: Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
The thing I would do is add Charlotte and Memphis, but Colorado would move to the AL so each expansion team is in a different league.
Realignment
American League
EAST: Boston, Cleveland, New York, Toronto
NORTH: Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota
SOUTH: Baltimore, Charlotte, Tampa Bay, Texas
WEST: Anaheim, Colorado, Oakland, Seattle
National League
EAST: Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
NORTH: Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis
SOUTH: Atlanta, Florida, Houston, Washington
WEST: Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
Not a great idea.
Memphis belongs in the South, and Washington can be in the North.
The city of Buffalo, NY has a minor league team that outdraws almost half the franchises in the majors. If there was another expansion, not putting a team there would rank as a crime. Unless, of course, the powers that be in baseball aren't actually interested in fan loyalty.
The problem here with Buffalo is. Us taxpayers are already paying for the TaxPayer Stadium in Orchard Park, NY for the losing Bills. So we would have to build another stadium in Buffalo if the Bisons became a major league team. Why? U ask, because Dunn Tire Park, now Coca-Cola Field can't hold enough people to make it a Major League Team. Now if we still had the old War Memorial Stadium a.k.a The Rockpile, then yeah we could easily have a major league team. Honestly i would love it if the Buffalo Bisons moved up. Keep the name, but just moved up.
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U ask, because Dunn Tire Park, now Coca-Cola Field can't hold enough people to make it a Major League Team. Now if we still had the old War Memorial Stadium a.k.a The Rockpile, then yeah we could easily have a major league team. Honestly i would love it if the Buffalo Bisons moved up. Keep the name, but just moved up.
