Brian in Boston Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Tracy Ringolsby - columnist for MLB.com and Baseball America, as well as a contributor on MLB Network - claims "that there is a growing effort to bring a (Major League Baseball) franchise" to Portland, Oregon.On MLB.com, Ringolsby writes:"Portland's backers of baseball have the blueprint for a state-of-the-art baseball-only stadium, which would have a retractable roof and seat 35,000. They have community support, including that of the current city administration. A site, endorsed by mayor Charlie Hales, has been chosen, next to Memorial Coliseum and the new Rose Garden, home of the NBA's Trailblazers."'We have the land and the infrastructure,' said architect Barry Smith."The supporters believe they can find an ownership group, possibly a major Japanese firm, along the lines of Nintendo, which owns the Seattle Mariners."http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140122&content_id=66946688&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlbMake of it what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burkell007 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 id say give them a expansion team along with Omaha/Richmond/Indy/Nashville i mean they almost got the nats correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 id say give them a expansion team along with Omaha/Richmond/Indy/Nashville i mean they almost got the nats correct?..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burmy Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 If MLB does decide to expand, I think Montreal's getting the second expansion team (they seem to have the most momentum right about now-keep in mind I decided to keep rivalries in mind when making this)AL NORTHChicago White SoxCleveland IndiansDetroit TigersMinnesota Twins AL SOUTHHouston AstrosKansas City RoyalsTampa Bay RaysTexas Rangers AL EASTBaltimore OriolesBoston Red SoxNew York YankeesToronto Blue Jays AL WESTLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimOakland AthleticsPortland TBDSeattle Mariners NL NORTHChicago CubsMilwaukee BrewersPittsburgh PiratesSt. Louis Cardinals NL SOUTHAtlanta BravesCincinnati RedsColorado RockiesMiami Marlins NL EASTMontreal TBDNew York MetsPhiladelphia PhilliesWashington Nationals NL WESTArizona DiamondbacksLos Angeles DodgersSan Diego PadresSan Francisco Giants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illwauk Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think it's much more likely that another team moves to Portland... probably the Rays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubsFanBudMan Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Good for Portland. I found this forum 10+ years ago thanks to the old Oregon Stadium Campaign site. Maury Brown pops up here every once in a while, maybe he can shed some light.And until Oakland and Tampa Bay get their futures figured out, expansion is likely off the table. But 32 MLB teams intrigues me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcgd Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 id say give them a expansion team along with Omaha/Richmond/Indy/Nashville i mean they almost got the nats correct?Indy will never happen. Not big enough for a 3rd Major League team. Plus, this is RedsCubsCards territory. Everyone is a fan of one of those teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think it's much more likely that another team moves to Portland... probably the Rays.Them, or the A's. If you presume that San Jose is a non-starter (as I do).As someone who used to go to Beaver games in the early 1990s, I'd love to see this happen. I was also a regular on the OSC site so long ago. But I'm very skeptical. This is the city that chose Major League Soccer over AAA baseball, and hasn't had any baseball at all above short-season single-A in three years, with none on the horizon.Would need to see these ballpark plans before we could begin to gauge their seriousness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burkell007 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 id say give them a expansion team along with Omaha/Richmond/Indy/Nashville i mean they almost got the nats correct?.....Your point? Cause Richmond was a finalist for Montreal like Portland was, and ohama was talked about as a baseball expansion city. Indy and Nashville might be long shots as well as Charlotte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think his point was those are always the names trotted out (although he missed Vegas), and they're all extremely unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Laughably unlikely in most of those cases. There isn't the untapped population base to support a baseball team in those markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninersdd Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think his point was those are always the names trotted out (although he missed Vegas), and they're all extremely unlikely.If I'm not mistaken, the NHL has seemed very interested in Vegas recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Possibly. But their needs in a market are not baseball's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 rams80, on 31 Jan 2014 - 12:10, said:lilben777, on 31 Jan 2014 - 12:08, said:id say give them a expansion team along with Omaha/Richmond/Indy/Nashville i mean they almost got the nats correct?..... Your point? Cause Richmond was a finalist for Montreal like Portland was, and ohama was talked about as a baseball expansion city. Indy and Nashville might be long shots as well as Charlotte.Richmond was not a finalist for the Expos/Nats. Northern Virginia and Norfolk were, in addition to Portland and Vegas, and were only really finalists in theory. Nashville doesn't seem to have any interest in baseball as shown by their lack of desire to build a new stadium for the Sounds or any baseball team. Omaha is minor league and college baseball only, no real shot for MLB. Indy looks intriguing due to two big four teams, but still doesn't seem likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCap Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think his point was those are always the names trotted out (although he missed Vegas), and they're all extremely unlikely.If I'm not mistaken, the NHL has seemed very interested in Vegas recently.Possibly. But their needs in a market are not baseball's.Also, the NHL is run by idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Also, the NHL is run by idiots.Really? First I've heard of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCap Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Check out the hockey threads some time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian in Boston Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Nashville doesn't seem to have any interest in baseball as shown by their lack of desire to build a new stadium for the Sounds or any baseball team.Not to derail the thread, but, in December of last year, the Nashville Metro Council approved a $65 million financing plan for a new ballpark to play host to the Triple A Nashville Sounds.The plan calls for Nashville Metro government to spend $38 million on stadium construction, $22 million on land acquisition, and $5 million in capitalization interest. The Sounds will not put any money directly into construction of the ballpark, but team owner Frank Ward has pledged to spend $60 million on a residential and commercial development near the facility. An estimated $750,000 in annual property tax payments would pay down ballpark debt.Nashville Metro government will own the ballpark, to be located in the city's Sulpur Dell neighborhood, and lease the facility to the Sounds for 30 years. Metro government will be responsible for capital expenses necessary to keep the ballpark in good condition, such as roof and seat repairs/replacement. The Sounds will operate and manage the ballpark and be responsible for all other maintenance costs.Ground was broken for the new ballpark this past Monday.http://www.tennessea...ground-ballpark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hmm. Guess it's been awhile since I checked in on them. Oh well. Still not really a legit shot at an MLB team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian in Boston Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 No, not at all "a legit shot at an MLB team". Still, it's certainly an indication that Nashville is interested in maintaining the minor-league baseball franchise that it has played host to for 36 years.As for Portland, it will interesting to see if anything comes of the efforts of the city's "backers of baseball". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.