If the A's Move, What's the Next City to get a Team?

[splitterpfj]

The Giants won't allow the A's to build in San Jose, so here come the rumblings about a possible relocation.

 

If that happens, which city is next in line?

 

I'd love to see a team in Jersey, but I know we won't...I'll bet on San Antonio.

[PKBadger]

As a current resident of Portland, I'd love to see one here. Driving 3 hrs. north to see a crappy Mariners team has lost its appeal.

[Funketown]

I have a little pipe dream of a team in Greensboro. The Greensboro metro is ~1 million, but Raleigh-Durham-CH is about 2 million and only 50 miles (50-55 minutes) East, while Charlotte is also ~2 million and about 90 miles (75-85 minutes) Southwest. Given that baseball starts and ends opposite college basketball, there isn't a lot to follow down here outside of MiLB during the summer.

[RockCoCougars]

The North Carolina option seems to be the only realistic one at this point. Lots of money there and a fast growing population... MLB is probably holding off on that market to reap a huge expansion fee though. That said, the A's have been rumored to be on the move on and off for the past 30 plus years (after the franchise actually did move twice in a decade or so). I'd say that the smart money is that they stay in the Bay Area.

[trwi7]

Portland since they have a stadium plan.

[craigharmann]

I'll bet on San Antonio.

 

As a current resident of San Antonio, I'd be all for it. As a former resident of Portland, it would be great for the city. On San Antonio, the desire of many is either football or soccer. We've got a new Area League team, the Talons, and they're drawing OK. There's talk of building a downtown stadium for UTSA, and the minor league stadium is OK. It's on the SW part of town, and for me living on the NE side, it's about a 30 minute drive. But outside of talk about the stadium for UTSA, I haven't heard much in the way of definite plans. And without a team, I think there's some leery feelings, because of the Alamodome.

[3and2Fastball]

Portland as long as they have a roof

[berniebrewer4life]

Honestly, i think Montreal could happen. They have a stadium plan(Location of the old stadium was a major problem, similar to Tampa Bay), and their economy is much stronger than it was when they were moved

[owbc]

It would never happen, but from a revenue perspective, Brooklyn, NY is easily the best available option.

 

A's fans don't really need to worry yet, nothing is going to happen in the near future.

[DatHoser]

Were it not for all the publicity problems south of the border, I'd add in Mexico City or Monterrey. I hear the north side of Chicago could use a pro team. Just had to do that one.

 

Seriously, I'd love to see Montreal - but would they take MLB back?

[razzzorsharp]

Sheboygan? They did have a pro basketball team at one point.

[RightFieldCoder]

Did Milwaukee?

[xisxisxis]

it would be great if Milwaukee could get the A's and we send the brewers to some city that's hoping for an expansion team. Of course I'd only wish that if we get to keep beane and jettison our front office.

[ecjimg]

It would never happen, but from a revenue perspective, Brooklyn, NY is easily the best available option.

 

 

I love this option.... And a second team in Boston!

[Oxy]

It would never happen, but from a revenue perspective, Brooklyn, NY is easily the best available option.

 

 

I love this option.... And a second team in Boston!

 

I would think that Providence, Brooklyn or New Jersey, North Carolina and Portland could all support a MLB team pretty easily. Breaking up the TV markets in the NE would be one heck of a chore, though. There would be an incredible amount of blowback from the other 3 teams up there. It only makes competitive sense, though.

[PKBadger]

Portland as long as they have a roof

 

 

It also needs to be the right kind of roof. I went to a Twins-Mariners a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night...first time with the roof shut, the previous times I'd been to Safeco were sunny afternoons in the middle of summer. Safeco does not have the panels behind the outfield like we have a Miller Park, so while the roof kept us dry, we still had to deal with cold temps and wind coming into the park. Made me appreciate MP a lot more.

[DHonks]

The Blue Ribbon Panel suggested New York, New York, and Los Angeles as deserving the next 3 teams, population wise. Additionally, you have Portland with it's multi-phase stadium plan, Boston, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Nashville (look past the poor attendance in AAA...for an MLB club, could this city draw? it has beautiful summers, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, etc. I really like the Montreal or Vancouver idea. Both are trendy fun cities that should be better with the much strong Canadian dollar than a decade ago (as was said before). Las Vegas had a chance....till the housing bubble burst. Of course at current growth rates, North Dakota might have the resources and the wealthy fan base due to the Bakken boom.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

Considering there's a AAA team playing in Milwaukee right now, maybe we can fashion a Major League team between the A's and Brewers...

[FVBrewerFan]

The Blue Ribbon Panel suggested New York, New York, and Los Angeles as deserving the next 3 teams, population wise. Additionally, you have Portland with it's multi-phase stadium plan, Boston, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Nashville (look past the poor attendance in AAA...for an MLB club, could this city draw? it has beautiful summers, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, etc. I really like the Montreal or Vancouver idea. Both are trendy fun cities that should be better with the much strong Canadian dollar than a decade ago (as was said before). Las Vegas had a chance....till the housing bubble burst. Of course at current growth rates, North Dakota might have the resources and the wealthy fan base due to the Bakken boom.

 

 

I just don't see NY, Boston, or LA working. Fan support is so strong for the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers. To a lesser extent the Mets and Angels. Just because the population base COULD support another team, why would they support a new team?

 

Not real familiar with Portland or Vancouver, but with little baseball history those cities just don't strike me as MLB cities. SLC, San Antonio and OKC don't seem like they could/would support a team either. For no particular reason, just doesn't seem like a fit.

 

That leaves Charlotte, Indy, and Nashville. I think those would be the most likely cities to really support MLB, probably in that order. With Charlote, you get huge population within driving distance from the Triangle, the Triad, even Greenville/Spartanburg and Columbia.

[folly412]

Would agree that it would be great to have baseball in NC. Not much besides the occasional Braves fan and random team fans from the many transplants in the area. There's a good amount of minor league activity, just hard to tell if the area is baseball-starved or not able to support baseball. Charlotte just approved a new stadium for its AAA team which was a really contentious issue, not sure they're ready for the MLB team in the near future. Can't see a move of a significant distance from the A's though. If they move at all I think the close move to Portland is the safe bet.

[JohnBriggs12]

They'll look to Sacramento if they can't get in San Jose. Sacramento is the 22nd largest metro area in the US, just ahead of Portland, but it's also where Oakland's AAA affiliate is and it's not all that far from Oakland. In the short term, they'd need to expand Raley Field, which has a capacity of 15,000, according to the facility's website but that's been done before.

[FVBrewerFan]

I don't think expanding a minor league stadium would work. To have a viable franchise, you need a new facility with suites, etc. Which is also a problem Sacramento would have, corporate support. Not an impossible location, but far from ideal.

[Invader3K]

I could really see a return to Montreal as a viable option for MLB. I read recently a "Bring baseball back to Montreal" sort of group was formed recently, so there is at least some local support.

[paul253]

I always thought Portland would be great but I wonder how much support they'd have now that they have an MLS team. Their fans seem to have really taken in the soccer team.

 

If it were strictly up to me I'd pick San Antonio, Oklahoma City or Indianapolis. It'd be cool to have all 3 Texas teams in the AL West. I wouldn't mind a team in NC but then they'd have to juggle around the divisions. Same with Indy.

[homer]

The plans for the downtown Montreal stadium that never was were really cool.

 

http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/monbpk.htm

 

It's a very compact city and the downtown area is great. The old stadium was connected via subway but out in the middle of nowhere. I don't know if that would be a profitable market for MLB or not but it would be a neat location if it ever did happen. Expos were my second favorite team for a while. People forget how awesome they were back in '94 when the strike wiped out their hopes for a World Series title.