What would have happened if the Washington Senators didn't move to Minnesota?

[illwauk]

Newark might work, but it would have to cater to current Mets/Yankees fans in North & Central Jersey, and current Phillies fans in South Jersey. Basically, it'd have to be the 1st team in the Jersey market, not the 4th in the NYC market.

That's the thing. There is no "Jersey market".

New Jersey has been a conduit linking Philadelphia and New York City since the Revolutionary War. The quote by Ben Franklin about New Jersey being a barrel tapped at both ends was as true then as it is now.

Northward from Trenton is within NYC's sphere of influence, and south of Trenton is Philadelphia's. I live in South Jersey, and all of our TV stations (save the New Jersey Network) are out of Philadelphia. My wife grew up in North Jersey, and all of their stations are New York stations (WOR being in Seacaucus is still part of the NYC market.) New Jersey has a handful of its own radio stations, and Atlantic City has its own NBC affiliate... even though Philadelphia's NBC-10 comes in crystal clear over the air and through cable.

New Jersey doesn't need an MLB team - we've already got 3.

I'm gonna assume you didn't know you were talking to someone who was born in Trenton.

I'm well aware that there's no such thing as a New Jersey media market. I'm saying that one would have to be created out of what is currently considered Yankees, Mets and Phils territory.

[Gothamite]

Yeah, but you can't do that. You can't just re-order reality.

The simple reality is that most of New Jersey is either suburban Philly or suburban NYC. Carving up the "territory" will not change that.