Mock Expansion Draft

[SouthSideRyan]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

[mul21]

The greater New Orleans metro area, which includes Hammond, Metarie, Picayune, etc. has 1.4 million people in it. That's 42nd in the United States and roughly half the number of people in the Portland and Orlando areas.

 

Miami is the 8th largest metro area in the country. Population does not equal ticket sales.

 

Large cities with crap attendance doesn't make it any more likely that there will be small cities with great attendance.

 

I know, which is why using population as a reason for starting a franchise in a city is a foolish notion. Tampa is a Top 20 population region and they've been an excellent ball club for about half a decade now and still can't draw good attendance figures. So if population doesn't matter, and a good team doesn't matter, what does to that god forsaken state? Is putting yet another team in Florida where people obviously don't care about baseball a wise move? It's hard enough enticing new fans to a team in your area when you've spent your whole life rooting for another club, and most of the people in Florida either grew up caring about the Braves or transplanted from the north and are Yankee and Red Sox fans.

 

A place like Portland is perfect cause it's smack dab between the bay area and Seattle so it's kind of a neutral zone where if they got a baseball team they'd likely support the hell out of it because they finally have something to call their own. I just happen to think New Orleans could be the same way is all.

 

It seems to me like they'd have an Atlanta like following with baseball taking such a hugs backseat to any kind of football in that part of the country. Maybe they'd get a better following since the people who live there are actually from there, unlike the transient population of Atlanta and Tampa.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

 

I want it to happen just to see that fight. I'd guess a new team would have to pay them off to the tune of $1B combined.

[Guest]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

 

Yeah I have a hard time seeing that happening. Pretty easy to draw a line from the A's being unable to leave their concrete prison because of resistance from the Giants and then seeing that several times over for an entirely new team in the NY/NJ market.

[Guest]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

 

Yeah I have a hard time seeing that happening. Pretty easy to draw a line from the A's being unable to leave their concrete prison because of resistance from the Giants and then seeing that several times over for an entirely new team in the NY/NJ market.

Are we talking what makes most sense or what is most realistic to occur?

[Guest]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

 

Yeah I have a hard time seeing that happening. Pretty easy to draw a line from the A's being unable to leave their concrete prison because of resistance from the Giants and then seeing that several times over for an entirely new team in the NY/NJ market.

Are we talking what makes most sense or what is most realistic to occur?

 

Both. If we're not bounded by the political realities there's a ton of stuff you could do with third teams. NY/NJ, LA, even Texas or Philadelphia have the population if there were interested parties. My preferences were making the best of what could likely happen

[SouthSideRyan]

I think a 3rd team in NY/NJ makes more sense than Montreal, but I can't imagine the fight that would endure with the Steinbrenners and Wilpons to fit a team in there

 

Yeah I have a hard time seeing that happening. Pretty easy to draw a line from the A's being unable to leave their concrete prison because of resistance from the Giants and then seeing that several times over for an entirely new team in the NY/NJ market.

 

Haven't the Orioles just started to refuse paying the Nats what they owe them? Or vice versa?

[Guest]

Yeah, The O's owe (puns!) like 60 million and they're refusing to pay because they claim it will bankrupt MASN. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/08/14/orioles-owe-nationals-55-million-60-million-in-fees-from-masn-mlb-panel-ruled/

[Bull]

Population does matter. Florida is a lost cause for just about anything and that is besides the point. But population absolutely matters.

 

TIL size does matter.

[champaignchris]

I think a big chunk of why there's no buzz about expansion despite the fact that the new divisional alignment practically screams for it is that there isn't a really obvious market that needs a team.

 

It isn't like 20 years ago when Phoenix and Miami didn't have teams. Or like the NFL, now, with that gaping hole in the LA market.

 

Nobody is begging to get in line to be the next Pittsburgh or Kansas City, which is exactly what a team in Portland or Charlotte would be.

 

There are external reasons why it might not be the right time to put a team in Mexico City or Montreal yet. Although, I think both will happen in my lifetime.

 

There are obvious political and legal reasons why an expansion team becoming the second or third team in an existing market probably won't happen. If something like that were to happen I'd be inclined to think it would be an existing franchise making a move without the league's approval a la the Raiders or Clippers. Again, I think a third NY and LA team will eventually happen. You already have 3 NY hockey teams and we came very close to having a third LA basketball team last year.

[SouthSideRyan]

I think a big chunk of why there's no buzz about expansion despite the fact that the new divisional alignment practically screams for it is that there isn't a really obvious market that needs a team.

 

It isn't like 20 years ago when Phoenix and Miami didn't have teams. Or like the NFL, now, with that gaping hole in the LA market.

 

Nobody is begging to get in line to be the next Pittsburgh or Kansas City, which is exactly what a team in Portland or Charlotte would be.

 

There are external reasons why it might not be the right time to put a team in Mexico City or Montreal yet. Although, I think both will happen in my lifetime.

 

There are obvious political and legal reasons why an expansion team becoming the second or third team in an existing market probably won't happen. If something like that were to happen I'd be inclined to think it would be an existing franchise making a move without the league's approval a la the Raiders or Clippers. Again, I think a third NY and LA team will eventually happen. You already have 3 NY hockey teams and we came very close to having a third LA basketball team last year.

 

The new divisional alignment is 6 divisions of 5. The resistance to interleague is dead, and MLB wants the 1 game playoff for the wild card, negating a desire to go to 4 divisions.