If you had control of 2 expansion clubs?

Question

What city would you put them in, and why?

Any names you can think of (serious ones, that would actually be used for a Major League team)?

Answer 1

Las Vegas and Charlotte

Team names: Aces and Panthers

Logos:

LV:http://www.travisjmorgan.com/blog/wp-con...

CHAR:http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=ht...

Answer 2

I would put one in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Why?  Because we have NO pro sports out here, and it sucks!  Maybe the Hawaii Sharks?  

For the other team, I'd put it in Vegas.  They would probably have more tourists at their game than home fans.  The name: Las Vegas Gamblers.

Answer 3

I would put one in Portland and one in Charlotte

I can't think of any names

Answer 4

Tin Cup, Indiana name Wheels

Casper Wyoming name Ghosts

Answer 5

Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Comets)

Portland, Oregon (Portland Blue Sox)

Answer 6

Honalulu can't support a Major League Team, they couldn't even support a AAA team when they had one. Portand is the biggest market in the US that does not have an MLB team, that would be the next logical choice.

From there, I don't know if there is a spot that can support one. Vegas certainly has shownt they can't. Every game, expansion or otherwise, has drawn poorly. San Antonio and Charlotte may be too small for a MLB team. Sacramento too, but you never know.

An MLB team has to support 162 games, unlike the 82 basketball has (and with a smaller team to pay for - which is why a place like OKC can have a team). The next choices may be out of the country, like Mexico City.

Answer 7

The Charlotte Wings

The Portland Summits

Answer 8

I don't think you can really expand right now. MLB has 30 teams and the balance is OK.

But....if you forced my hand and said I had to add two teams, I'd recommend.....Charlotte, N.C., and Portland, Oregon.

The case for Charlotte: They have a decent baseball following in North Carolina (there's minor league teams in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham, plus UNC and Clemson in South Carolina have good college baseball programs) and the region already has representatives in the NBA (Bobcats), NHL (Hurricanes) and NFL (Panthers). If it's an American League team, it would make a nice rival for the Baltimore Orioles or the Tampa Bay Rays. If it's a National League team, it could compete with the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves.

Portland is more tricky, but you'd have an instant rivalry with the Seattle Mariners (We all know how the Sonics and Blazers were NBA rivals) or the Oakland A's to the south. Plus it's kind of a growing area and Oregon State has a championship-caliber NCAA team. Also, Nike is based in Oregon and that's a good sports appeal. (Added bonus: former Yankees World Series MVP Scott Brosius lives in Oregon, so he could be hired to promote the team or to be a manager, giving it solid local credibility.) My only concern would be the community's willingness to build a major sports stadium in a town that's very liberal (not that I'm against that) and not big on stadiums, especially if state tax dollars are involved.

I would not put one in Honolulu because travel costs would be far too high. Hawaii is the most isolated place on earth and I'm sure teams wouldn't like going so far to play games. (I'm sure they wouldn't mind the scenery, both wildlife and of the human variety.) I also might stay away from northern Virginia because the Nationals are trying to cultivate that area for fans. And I wouldn't do Vegas. From a public relations standpoint, it could get ugly. The last thing baseball wants to be directly associated with - other than steroids- is gambling.

Maybe someone might be daring and put a team in one of those flyover areas, like North Dakota, Utah or Nebraska.

Answer 9

Las Vegas Rose - nothing says baseball in Las Vegas more than a Pete Rose reference... ok they could be the Gamblers but I think Vegas needs a pro team

Answer 10

I would choose San Antonio and Mexico City.

San Antonio is growing by leaps and bounds and is projected to get even larger.  Thier rivals: NL Houston Astros  AL Texas Rangers  The name San Antonio Scorpions.  A scorpion grabing a baseball.  The colors. Red, White, Blue.  Matches Texas colors as well as US colors.  Only problem is where to put the stadium.  What would be AMAZING but likely impossible.  Put it so you can see the riverwalk, that would be beautiful.

Mexico City would be a huge asset.  MLB would break into Mexico which has a large baseball following, plus one of the largest cities in the world.  I think the name needs to be simple enough to use in both the US and Mexico. Mexico City Sol. Something along those lines.  Color: Green and White.  Rivals AL Texas Rangers or Angels  NL LA Dodgers or SanDiego or forementioned San Antonio