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If MLB could expand to 32 teams, what do you think the MLB would look like? What cities do you think could get a new team?
Current cities
Anaheim
Arlington(part of Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX)
Atlanta
Baltimore
Boston
Chicago(2)
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Denver
Detroit
Houston
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New York(2)
Oakland
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
St. Petersburg
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Toronto
Washington DC
Possible places:
Portland,OR
Las Vegas, NV
San Antonio,TX
Virginia Beach,VA
Portland would be the best bet among cities that currently do not have teams. Another excellent bet, perhaps not right now but in about 10-15 years, would be...Montreal.
Portland would be the best bet among cities that currently do not have teams. Another excellent bet, perhaps not right now but in about 10-15 years, would be...Montreal.
Montreal could be in a matter of a few years. It would depend on who would have the financial clout to do it.
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I've said this for a long time, but if baseball were to expand, it should be to two sixteen-team leagues. That would mean that any future expansion would have to be in the American League because it has two fewer teams.
The cities, you ask? Las Vegas would be a good choice, location-wise, but it would create an interesting scenario regarding long-time oddsmakers, and MLB has eebie-jeebies about that. I think another team should either be in Nashville or San Antonio, but then, there would be a realignment problem. The West needs to have five teams, and preferably within the Pacific and Mountain time zones. And there's nobody in danger of moving right now, unless Tampa's ballpark plan somehow fails, which I don't see happening. And Nashville would be a perfect road stop for the Rangers when they make trips to Baltimore and Cleveland; it's right there in between. That'd be a perfect location. But Sacramento and Portland should also be considered, as well. And I'm not sure Oakland's situation is completely settled yet even though they have every intention of getting Cisco Field open in a few years. I think the AL should look at going west, and that's just to balance out the divisions, with the Rangers moving to the more-appropriate AL Central.
Hasn't expansion done enough damage already? Just think about how they'd have to expand the season and the playoffs to accommodate new franchises. And watering down the talent pool, which is already not so exceptional. I was thinking that baseball should do exactly the opposite--go back to each league having two 5 or 6-team divisions and only one playoff round to determine who goes to the World Series.
Yeah, that wouldn't please the networks. Or in all likelihood, genuine baseball fans in all the cities suddenly without major league teams. But it would do wonders for the game itself.
Hasn't expansion done enough damage already? Just think about how they'd have to expand the season and the playoffs to accommodate new franchises. And watering down the talent pool, which is already not so exceptional. I was thinking that baseball should do exactly the opposite--go back to each league having two 5 or 6-team divisions and only one playoff round to determine who goes to the World Series.
Yeah, that wouldn't please the networks. Or in all likelihood, genuine baseball fans in all the cities suddenly without major league teams. But it would do wonders for the game itself.
Like you, I don't see any expansion at all (at least for the next decade or so). However, in answer to the OP question I would guess Charlotte and San Antonio to be the most likely places for new teams.
Sacramento actually has a larger metro area than some current major league cities. The current metro population is 2.4 million, while Cincinnati is 2.2 million, Kansas City is 2.1 million and Milwaukee is 1.8 million. But with San Francisco and Oakland just 100 miles away, I can't see a ML franchise in Sacramento.
Like you, I don't see any expansion at all (at least for the next decade or so). However, in answer to the OP question I would guess Charlotte and San Antonio to be the most likely places for new teams.
Sacramento actually has a larger metro area than some current major league cities. The current metro population is 2.4 million, while Cincinnati is 2.2 million, Kansas City is 2.1 million and Milwaukee is 1.8 million. But with San Francisco and Oakland just 100 miles away, I can't see a ML franchise in Sacramento.
I wouldn't say that. The Dodgers, Angels, and Padres are a county away from each other. Sacramento could work out.
Charlotte could work. It would have to draw a fan base from South Carolina.
The Piedmont Triad almost had a team when the Minnesota Twins were thinking of relocating to North Carolina.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred314X
Hasn't expansion done enough damage already? Just think about how they'd have to expand the season and the playoffs to accommodate new franchises. And watering down the talent pool, which is already not so exceptional. I was thinking that baseball should do exactly the opposite--go back to each league having two 5 or 6-team divisions and only one playoff round to determine who goes to the World Series.
Yeah, that wouldn't please the networks. Or in all likelihood, genuine baseball fans in all the cities suddenly without major league teams. But it would do wonders for the game itself.
I don't think the playoff format needs to be expanded or changed at all, Fred. It shouldn't have to change just because of two more teams being added. As it is, the season's long enough. It wouldn't hurt just to have two more teams. The leagues just need to be balanced out, that's all. Plus, it's a great opportunity for new cities to have new fans.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewToCA
Like you, I don't see any expansion at all (at least for the next decade or so).
First, the pitching just needs to get better in the American League overall. But I say 'go for it' when it comes to expansion. You just don't want to see baseball overdo it like the NBA has. All we really need is two.
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