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Yea I would like to see New Orleans get a MLB team, but it wouldn't work, the support would be there, just not the money. The New Orleans Dodgers, or LA (Louisiana) Dodgers.
The area sells out the Superdome and Arena and fills up the field for Zephyr games (semi-pro league based off Marlins I believe). Plus the the frastructure is there.
The smart money would be on cities west of the Mississippi as MLB is not going to shuffle divisions and mess with long-standing rivalries. The American League West with just 4 teams (all of the rest have 5) is the obvious choice for expansion. With that narrowing one would have to think Oklahoma City might be leading the pack with their overwhelming support of their NBA team and the possibility of big revenues with an OKC-Texas Rangers rivalry. Portland would be another consideration with a similar rivalry of Portland-Seattle Mariners. California's saturation with the Dodgers, A's, Padres and Giants is probably sufficient enough to leave it out of expansion talks.
Can OKC support another major league franchise? They are doing well with the Thunder but do they have the population and market to support a warm weather big league team such as Major League Baseball?
Can OKC support another major league franchise? They are doing well with the Thunder but do they have the population and market to support a warm weather big league team such as Major League Baseball?
Even though OKC is a very small market with a small corporate presence, I think it could support another major league team. Their Texas Rangers-affiliated AAA baseball team has a dedicated local following. Oklahoma has, in general, a very sports-obsessed culture that would probably lend strong support to any type of major league team.
Thanks jr1038, I've been following the Thunder last few weeks and very excited for the young organization and the town. Maurice Cheeks the Thunder Asst. is a former Sixer's player and Sixer's Coach. He played on the last Sixer's team that won the NBA title in 1983. I was there for the city parade in Philly.
I'm moving to OKC this coming July with the prospects of finding work. I always wanted to move to a western state, I have nothing to loose b/c I'm umemployed and want to give it a try for about 6 months. Look forward to relocating there and yes it would be great to have one warm weather major league team in OKC such as MLB there.
Tony
You cannot predict what cities will successfully host a team. Case in point, St. Louis.
St. Louis ranks 17th in market size, among the 26 cities in MLB. Yet, they have had attendance above the league average for 31 consecutive years.
It depends on a lot of factors, the first of which is how well the team is marketed.
The Cardinals, as well as the Reds and the Red Sox, DEFINE those cities, as surely as the Liberty Bell and the Golden Gate define other cities. You can't walk into Portland or Indianapolis and create from nothing that kind of identity. The Cards, Reds and Red Sox don't need a city landmark to use in their logo---they ARE the city landmarks.
It is unconvincing to me when you say that there are a lot of people in San Antonio, therefore the baseball team will sell a lot of tickets and the spectators will turn out with enthusiasm, win or lose.
I've seen suggestions pop up now and then for cities outside of the US mainland, like San Juan or Mexico City or Santo Domingo.
Aside from the distance, the problem with any of the Caribbean cities is lack of available revenue. Local incomes are lower, and ticket/luxury box prices would need to be reduced accordingly. Broadcast rights are much less lucrative for the Puerto Rican or Dominican markets than similar-sized media markets in the US.
Mexico is a different case. The most serious proposals involved sticking a team in Monterrey, a city with a lot of money floating around, and which is only a few hours south of Texas. But the drug war put an end to that for the time being.
Mexico City was seen as both too remote, and not the traditional center of Mexican baseball fandom (which is stronger in the north than in the center or south of the country).
Tijuana was never really considered for a team due to the Padres.
The area sells out the Superdome and Arena and fills up the field for Zephyr games (semi-pro league based off Marlins I believe). Plus the the frastructure is there.
Minor league baseball support is way different and far easier to support than MLB. The NFL is easier as well as its usually eight games per year. You have to fill an MLB stadium 81 times per year. You don't have the market to compete with the big market teams. NO is the 53rd largest market in the nation. It's having a hard time supporting the Hornet as it is. Three teams in that market size is oversaturation of that market.
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