MLB Stadium Saga: Oakland/Tampa Bay/Southside

[OnWis97]

I think the Rays still have a lease through 2027 at the Trop...It's the reason the Twins were nearly contracted instead of them. But maybe it'll be easier to get out of with just a few years  left?

[McCall]

35 minutes ago, OnWis97 said:

I think the Rays still have a lease through 2027 at the Trop...It's the reason the Twins were nearly contracted instead of them. But maybe it'll be easier to get out of with just a few years  left?

At this point, they really don't need to. Any new stadium anywhere probably isn't going to be complete until 2027/2028 at the earliest. They can very well just finish out the lease then move. Whether it's St. Pete, Tampa or elsewhere.

[GDAWG]

So umm...what exactly is a "loose agreement?"

 

 

 

[Burmy]

3 hours ago, GDAWG said:

So umm...what exactly is a "loose agreement?"

 

 

 

In the A's dictionary, it means it's set in stone, unlike the "binding agreements" which seem to change every week.

[GDAWG]

 

[McCall]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

 

I mean, Nashville Brewers could make sense...

 

... But, no. I just... I mean... no. Why? The stadium is only 21-years-old. Where are they needing $448M in repairs that could trigger a relocation?

[Ridleylash]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

 

Where would the Brewers even go for potential relocation with the league still looking into expansion?

[McCall]

30 minutes ago, Ridleylash said:

Where would the Brewers even go for potential relocation with the league still looking into expansion?

Relocation comes first, THEN expansion.

[Sykotyk]

5 hours ago, Ridleylash said:

Where would the Brewers even go for potential relocation with the league still looking into expansion?

There's no value for expansion fees IF there's a team on the market for relocation.

 

As for where Milwaukee could go: Nashville, Las Vegas (haha), Charlotte/Raleigh, San Antonio, Salt Lake City... not really many other options at this point. Portland will never happen now after they went all in with soccer. Every other major market has a team and probably won't let another squeeze in. Other big markets (Memphis, Birmingham, OKC, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sacramento, Norfolk area, Columbus, Buffalo, Indianapolis, etc)  probably don't have the excess fan dollar to support an MLB team for 81 home games a year. They're saturated with what they do have already. MLB is a huge commitment financially. 20k-30k at today's prices for 81 games? There's a reason MLB is the one league without the 'fringe cities'.

 

NBA has teams like Orlando, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis. NHL has American markets such as Raleigh, Columbus, Northern NJ (by identity, if not by playing location) and San Jose. NFL has Jacksonville, Buffalo, and you can kind of say Green Bay even though that's Milwaukee in absentia. Meanwhile, MLB's only market to themselves among Big 4 teams is San Diego. And that's only because the NFL left. MLB is so bad, that they have, currently, four markets with two teams (soon to be 3) because they need a ton of people with a ton of money to remain solvent.

 

And of those options I listed, i don't think any of them can really afford to support MLB today. MLB is hanging on to the aging/dying fanbase they have with the pockets to support them. The boomer class is their bread and butter. Younger sports fans were priced out of MLB years ago, and many young sports fans missed World Series games in their youth due to the late starts on the East coast to the point that MLB is an afterthought for fan support. It's why MLB is struggling to try to adjust the game to what they think will attract young fans (i.e., 18-35) range.

 

*(are the Sabres really a professional team?)*

[Digby]

“whispers of relocation could reportedly hit” is Brian Windhorst language. Not worth putting many brain cells toward.

[Dilbert]

Relocate to where? Unless MLB or an owner privately finances the building of a stadium and the infrastructure, they arent going anywhere. Nowadays, its extremely difficult to find a city that is willing to pony up taxpayer money to help fund the building of a stadium for a sports team run by wealthy owners. Plus AmFam is 22 years old and is still very usable. Oakland/Las Vegas needs to be the first priority for Manfred. The sooner they can get out of the possum dump the better. Tropicana, while not ideal is in better shape than Oakland. Id then place Angel Stadium after that. Milwaukee is far down on the list of stadium needs. If the Brewers dont get the funding, they can survive a little while longer without the upgrades. Not a big deal.

[GDAWG]

Angel Stadium could be interesting.  It's either stay there and build around the stadium or go elsewhere in the Greater Los Angeles Area, maybe to Long Beach.  

[VampyrRabbit]

3 hours ago, Sykotyk said:

NBA has teams like Orlando, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis. NHL has American markets such as Raleigh, Columbus, Northern NJ (by identity, if not by playing location) and San Jose. NFL has Jacksonville, Buffalo, and you can kind of say Green Bay even though that's Milwaukee in absentia. Meanwhile, MLB's only market to themselves among Big 4 teams is San Diego. And that's only because the NFL left. MLB is so bad, that they have, currently, four markets with two teams (soon to be 3) because they need a ton of people with a ton of money to remain solvent.

 

Buffalo has two teams in the big four (Bills and Sabres), so NFL and MLB have the same number of markets to themselves (Jacksonville for the NFL and SD for MLB).

Also pretty sure that Newark is in Northern NJ.

 

[Sykotyk]

6 minutes ago, VampyrRabbit said:

Buffalo has two teams in the big four (Bills and Sabres), so NFL and MLB have the same number of markets to themselves (Jacksonville for the NFL and SD for MLB).

Also pretty sure that Newark is in Northern NJ.

 

Can't believe I forgot about the Sabres. So, knock that one out.

 

I know where Newark is, but as I said, in name they claim that area. For markets, yes, they share it with the NYC teams. But just transportation issues alone, northern NJ cities might as well be their own market. Giants and Jets just play there because they have nowhere else in NYC capable. And very different getting fans to travel for 8 games a year than 41 or 81. Same way Green Bay survives with a huge number of Milwaukee-based fans. And when you consider tolls and traffic, the LI and NJ based teams might as well be in separate markets.

 

(29 miles from Devils to Islanders home arenas while Ravens to Commanders home stadiums are 32.8 miles). But many here would consider DC and Baltimore separate markets.

[Sec19Row53]

21 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

This article is being laughed at locally.

[bosrs1]

So this dropped today…

 

 

https://ballparkdigest.com/2023/05/26/draft-of-as-ballpark-funding-bill-released/

[WestCoastBias]

Looks like a Wembley knockoff. They kept the massive foul territory from the Coliseum though lol

[TBGKon]

16 minutes ago, WestCoastBias said:

Looks like a Wembley knockoff. They kept the massive foul territory from the Coliseum though lol

Its clearly just a first draft for a rendering, we're a long way from a true rendering.

[VampyrRabbit]

1 hour ago, WestCoastBias said:

Looks like a Wembley knockoff. They kept the massive foul territory from the Coliseum though lol

Well, New Wembley did replace an absolute s***hole that was ill designed for the primary sport that was played there and had long passed its expiration date.

[Sykotyk]

1 hour ago, TBGKon said:

Its clearly just a first draft for a rendering, we're a long way from a true rendering.

Precisely. Once they start figuring out how many suites/club seats/levels, etc, they'll start having to decide how/where everything will fit. I'm guessing they'll squeeze that foul territory down a bit. But would be neat to keep the curved wall instead of a bunch of angled walls.

 

Funny thing about that mock-up is... how much do you think the A's would demand from MGM for advertising to face it that direction?