More Baseball Teams in New York!

btb002

I think baseball is really stupid to continue their inhabitants of Florida and other nonbaseball cities. Kansas City, Miami, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburg, why are teams even there? I know Miami and Pittsburg just financed new stadiums so they're locked in there for a while. But what about the Rays and the Royals (I assume they still play in Kauffman stadium)? Let one of them relocate to the New York, New Jersey area. Obviously if New York is home to two of the three largest payrolls, they can easily afford another. We're talking 20 million people! Let the other move out west where all but the Athletics are doing great. Vegas possibly. Rays would easier to locate since they really don't have tradition in Tampa. Royals would be harder. And I would feel for KC if the Royals left, but just can't compete. I remember one year when they had Damon and Dye with Pena as the manager where they were remotely competitive. Every other year, not so much. So for the best interest of baseball, and actually pursuing a way to level the play field that doesn't restrict the salaries of the highly overpayed ball player, why not just relocate a bunch of floundering teams to more prominant areas... and stop the Steinbrenner's hold on the Bronx area?

Character Zero

It's not that those teams don't have populations that don't want baseball, it is that the owners of those teams are terrible and do nothing to make their team better so they can prey on the profits of teams like the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals and Red Sox through revenue sharing.

The Pirates are one of the most classic teams in the majors, and they are rich with baseball history and the people of Pittsburgh know and appreciate it.

The Royals were excellent before their ownership change and the Rays are finally turning it around and should actually be pretty good.

The Marlins have arguably the worst owners in sports, they win championships and conciously dismantle the team for the sake of cutting costs. When the owners don't care about the teams the fans aren't going to.

Drop The Leash 10

youre an idiot. 2 baseball teams in new yyork is more than enough. how out another AL west team. maybe Portland or Salt Lake

The Champ

I'd quote your sig if I could and apply it accordingly here ..

norm

the pirates are one of the oldest teams in the league and won the first world series so moving them would be stupid....

contract the florida teams...no one there cares anyway and there are too many teams anyway.....:)

Drop The Leash 10

Character Zero wrote:

The Marlins have arguably the worst owners in sports, they win championships and conciously dismantle the team for the sake of cutting costs. When the owners don't care about the teams the fans aren't going to.

thats why i hate the yankees and steinbrenner. all they care about is money and they still WIN! :mad:

all though im not complainin. they haven't won since 2000

and there team will place behind the jays in the AL east

adam42381

The Carolinas would be a great fit for a team but I don't see them contracting a team anytime soon. The Twins were almost contracted in the late 90's and moved to this area but the taxpayers voted down public funding for a stadium. I think this area makes a lot of sense for MLB but only time will tell.

btb002

Drop The Leash 10 wrote:

youre an idiot. 2 baseball teams in new yyork is more than enough. how out another AL west team. maybe Portland or Salt Lake

I'm an idiot? You suggested something I said in my original post! And the New York area, back before the western expansion, was more than able to support three teams.

I just want what's best for baseball. How can baseball be the only single entity in the world that's better off away from normal profit? Rich tradition aside, Pittsburg isn't a baseball town. And Florida? No one cares about baseball in Florida. Even when they have winners, no one shows. Remember the '96 Marlins? They put money into bringing players in (Brown, Alou, Leiter, and ect), and still they couldn't gather remote interest. Tampa has a good thing going, but lack the capital to stack seasoned vets around their young talent to compete against Boston and New York. And I wasn't being negative. Just bringing up conversation.

rhinomagic

Moving a team to Portland is a much better idea than moving a team with no historical connection in New York to that city.

However, the Pirates aren't going anywhere for reasons already noted AND because their beautiful downtown ballpark guarantees their place in the city.

The Royals are in the very early years of recommitting themselves to winning. New GM is re-building from the ground up. There are very knowledgeable and loyal baseball fans in KC. The Royals were competing for division titles and pennants less than 25 years ago. If you relocated every team with similarly bad recent histories, the Cubs would have been moved four times since 1908.

The Marlins are apparently getting a new stadium on the grounds of the Orange Bowl, so they aren't going anywhere. Their attendance should greatly improve by moving closer to the communities of Miami that can appreciate baseball.

The Rays seem to be the odd team out, but they have been discussing a new stadium deal in St. Petersburg in recent months. That franchise has come a long way since its inception and the Tampa Bay area could still be a very viable MLB market. I mean, if NHL hockey can become a big attraction there, why not a sport like baseball (which is very much at home in Florida)?

I would say move the Expos again, but they're opening a new stadium in DC this year.

Play Ball!

.

Stelly

btb002 wrote:

I'm an idiot? You suggested something I said in my original post! And the New York area, back before the western expansion, was more than able to support three teams.

I just want what's best for baseball. How can baseball be the only single entity in the world that's better off away from normal profit? Rich tradition aside, Pittsburg isn't a baseball town. And Florida? No one cares about baseball in Florida. Even when they have winners, no one shows. Remember the '96 Marlins? They put money into bringing players in (Brown, Alou, Leiter, and ect), and still they couldn't gather remote interest. Tampa has a good thing going, but lack the capital to stack seasoned vets around their young talent to compete against Boston and New York. And I wasn't being negative. Just bringing up conversation.

Pittsburgh is definitely a baseball town! I've only lived here for about 5 years now, but the people here love baseball. Give them a somewhat competitive product, and people will flock to the games.

pearljam0000

Stelly wrote:

Pittsburgh is definitely a baseball town! I've only lived here for about 5 years now, but the people here love baseball. Give them a somewhat competitive product, and people will flock to the games.

Amen, I love going to Pirates games regardless of the product on the field. I know going to the games even though they suck is part of the problem but it's still an enjoyable time.

EvilMerlin

However, a big problem with the Florida teams are the stadiums. The Marlins play in a football stadium in a horrible location.

Tampa's stadium is just a horrible place to go watch a game as well.

If both teams build a place of interest that's easilly accessible, you'll start to see the people turn around. Florida has tons of baseball interest with lower divisions there. It's one of the best baseball states next to Texas and California.

The Rays have great young talent, and the Marlins know how to build a championship team already, so with the right busniess decisions on their new stadiums, both clubs could start to turn things around.

rearviewmiror

btb002 wrote:

I think baseball is really stupid to continue their inhabitants of Florida and other nonbaseball cities. Kansas City, Miami, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburg, why are teams even there? I know Miami and Pittsburg just financed new stadiums so they're locked in there for a while. But what about the Rays and the Royals (I assume they still play in Kauffman stadium)? Let one of them relocate to the New York, New Jersey area. Obviously if New York is home to two of the three largest payrolls, they can easily afford another. We're talking 20 million people! Let the other move out west where all but the Athletics are doing great. Vegas possibly. Rays would easier to locate since they really don't have tradition in Tampa. Royals would be harder. And I would feel for KC if the Royals left, but just can't compete. I remember one year when they had Damon and Dye with Pena as the manager where they were remotely competitive. Every other year, not so much. So for the best interest of baseball, and actually pursuing a way to level the play field that doesn't restrict the salaries of the highly overpayed ball player, why not just relocate a bunch of floundering teams to more prominant areas... and stop the Steinbrenner's hold on the Bronx area?

Look, Florida is a bad place for baseball for a million reasons, but they are stuck in Miami with that new stadium. Maybe the Rays could move, but the question is where? Plus, as many have pointed out these terrible teams have terrible ownership groups.

Although it is true that baseball feels that the best place that could sustain a new team is New York/New Jersey. Hank and co. probably do not feel that way.

Kansas City outside of having a douche for an owner, is a great baseball and sports town. As soon as they get a better situation they will be supported. Punishing fans for reacting to a poor product is not a good idea for relocation.

Pittsburgh? Are you kidding me. Only one of the most historic franchises around. No way does that team need to move, and again the product on the field is directly related to the management of that team. That is what keeps people away. The twins and others have proven that you can be competitive with a smart front office and little money.

I would support a third NY team, or better yet a Jersey team, but only the Rays are a real candidate to move imo.

Fighting Hellfish

yeah, it has nothing do with the market they're in. It's that these owners know that they will collect $70 million in baseball welfare via the TV deal and revenue sharing. Rather than using some of that money on the team, they just pocket it and are content with having a perennial celler dweller. They should change the system: if you don't spend your baseball welfare money on your team, you don't get it next year. It's sickening that a team like the Marlins, or Royals, will collect $70 million from baseball (mostly from television deals and the Yankees) and have payrolls of less than $15 million

markymark550

The Rays aren't going anywhere if they can manage to build this...

ledvedderman

I'm really looking forward to see how the Rays do in the next couple of seasons. I really like the namechange and colors change to a more traditional look. They proposed a new ball park which looks amazing, and should be a very competitive team in the years to come.

markymark550

adam42381 wrote:

The Carolinas would be a great fit for a team but I don't see them contracting a team anytime soon. The Twins were almost contracted in the late 90's and moved to this area but the taxpayers voted down public funding for a stadium. I think this area makes a lot of sense for MLB but only time will tell.

Came in second for the Expos as well....

The Carolinas have a rich history with the minor leagues, but don't have a city/area that can effectively support a major league team.

rearviewmiror

markymark550 wrote:

Came in second for the Expos as well....

The Carolinas have a rich history with the minor leagues, but don't have a city/area that can effectively support a major league team.

Bingo. Carolina is more spread out as far as population. You need an area that can sustain selling tickets 81 nights a year. Not to mention Carolina is basketball and Football land.

Motown322

Stelly wrote:

Pittsburgh is definitely a baseball town! I've only lived here for about 5 years now, but the people here love baseball. Give them a somewhat competitive product, and people will flock to the games.

Exactly. Pittsburgh is a fantastic sports town. It all comes down to having a competitive team, and right now the Pirates are not.

Look at Detroit. Up until 3 years ago, they were the laughingstock of the majors. Ownership started pumping some money into free agents and they started winning games. Last year they drew 3 million people to the park in a city whose economy is crumbling. If you put a good product on the field, people will flock... regardless if that team is in Pittsburgh or KC (to even suggest they'd move these teams is ludicrous).

Drop The Leash 10

Stelly wrote:

Pittsburgh is definitely a baseball town! I've only lived here for about 5 years now, but the people here love baseball. Give them a somewhat competitive product, and people will flock to the games.

those are true fans

Drop The Leash 10

btb002 wrote:

I'm an idiot? You suggested something I said in my original post! And the New York area, back before the western expansion, was more than able to support three teams.

I just want what's best for baseball. How can baseball be the only single entity in the world that's better off away from normal profit? Rich tradition aside, Pittsburg isn't a baseball town. And Florida? No one cares about baseball in Florida. Even when they have winners, no one shows. Remember the '96 Marlins? They put money into bringing players in (Brown, Alou, Leiter, and ect), and still they couldn't gather remote interest. Tampa has a good thing going, but lack the capital to stack seasoned vets around their young talent to compete against Boston and New York. And I wasn't being negative. Just bringing up conversation.

my bad kinda overreacted.

rhinomagic

Fighting Hellfish wrote:

yeah, it has nothing do with the market they're in. It's that these owners know that they will collect $70 million in baseball welfare via the TV deal and revenue sharing. Rather than using some of that money on the team, they just pocket it and are content with having a perennial celler dweller. They should change the system: if you don't spend your baseball welfare money on your team, you don't get it next year. It's sickening that a team like the Marlins, or Royals, will collect $70 million from baseball (mostly from television deals and the Yankees) and have payrolls of less than $15 million

Anyone ever read Bob Costas' book Fair Ball?

It's a few years old, but Bob suggests a salary cap for both the ceiling and the floor. He would mandate a minimum club salary in order to force cheap owners to put competitive teams on the field. It's an idea that really should be implemented to keep franchises from profiting off the overall popularity of the league without investing in their own local product.

I think the Rays will succeed in their bid for a new stadium. The Buccaneers and the Lightning both got their stadiums with help from the people of Hillsborough County. I don't think Pinellas County will be any different in the Rays' case.

.

carbon436

THe rays are assembling a stellar minor league system, so are the royals....it's just keepiing the players once they develop

brain of c

go elmira.