All-Star Break Boredom Poll - MLB Expansion

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

So, Major League Baseball has decided to expand to 32 teams and you're on the committee that will select which two cities will host the new teams. For the purposes of this poll, assume that all cities listed have a fiscally sound ownership group with a plans for a new or reconditioned baseball stadium. You only have to decide which two cities would be best for baseball.

[duan]

I voted Havana & Providence.
Havana cause it'd be so fucking amazing and Providence cause my american cousins have a huge summer house in Rhode Island (near Newport rather then Providence) that I'd like to go back to.

The ASB is crap.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Charlotte and Nashville.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Going all Corleone with Havana and Las Vegas.

I refuse to vote for "cities" named "______-ville."

[bmfc1]

Good question. MLB would love a temptress so they could hold up their current cities for a new stadium or renovations. MLB used to have this with Tampa and the NFL currently has this with Los Angeles. I went with Indianapolis and Central New Jersey. I don't think that the southern cities could support a team. I wonder if Portland has enough interest. San Juan is too small.

The population is there in mid-New Jersey. There are enough cable networks to attract interest. It won't happen because the Mets, MFY and MFP would object, but the market is there.

[Edgy MD]

I voted San Juan and Norfolk, but Duan has me utterly convinced that true expansion means switching to a system of promotion/relegation. That, at least in theory, would be expanding everywhere. That's the future.

[Ceetar]

Vegas and Vancouver. I think more West Coast Baseball is a good idea. Portland was a close third.

[metirish]

Is this expansion for real?

I went with Oregon


Looks like a good sports town....passionate fans

I'd like San Juan but games there in the past didn't sell out , MLB prices were too steep for the locals.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Portland's a great sports town, and pleasantly Austin-y. I'll go with the weirdos y Habana.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Portland's a great sports town, and pleasantly Austin-y. I'll go with the weirdos y Habana.

Does Portland have the population? The Portland Hop-Growers! Hoppers? Portland would have to be NL so we can force a Mariners interleague rivalry.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would want a Portland team to be called the "Beavers" but I don't think MLB has enough guts to let that happen.

[metirish]

Would Seattle have anything stupid like territorial rights over Portland....

[metsmarathon]

i voted havana and mexico city, but would like to nominate for consideration, europe.

[Ceetar]

metsmarathon wrote: i voted havana and mexico city, but would like to nominate for consideration, europe.

I don't like the travel involved in any of those. Maybe Mexico City. add it to Vegas, Houston, Arlington and.. San Diego? as AL SouthWest division?

[nymr83]

Wouldn't Mexico City make Coors field look friendly to pitchers? I think its at a much higher elevation.

San Juan can't support it, and neither can Havana or anywhere else outside the US/Canada unless you are talking about a 'playboy millionaire' owner who is willing to operate his new toy at a huge loss paying American Dollars to his players and taking in Monopoly Money.

I believe Portland is the largest market without a team and its a long way from Atlanta to Washington on a very populated East Coast so I'll take Charlotte as well. Vegas was my 3rd choice.

[soupcan]

I picked Portland and Charlotte because I guess those two are probably the most realistic locations.

I would LOVE to see Havana and Mexico City though...

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I would want a Portland team to be called the "Beavers" but I don't think MLB has enough guts to let that happen.

Yup. Just like the Rockies should have been the Denver Bears and the D'Bags should have been the Phoenix Rattlers. the Portland team would probably be called the Portland Rain or the Portland Mist or some other ridiculous, dumbass name.

And let me give some overdue kudos to MLB for FINALLY getting it right and renaming the National League team in South Florida, the 'Miami' Marlins. Yes, I know that it was a condition of the city funding the stadium but still - good job acquiescing.

[MFS62]

I voted Havana and Vancouver.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

soupcan wrote: Yup. Just like the Rockies should have been the Denver Bears and the D'Bags should have been the Phoenix Rattlers.

Phoneix Rattlers? I seem to remember the AAA team being called the Phoenix Firebirds.

[Ceetar]

soupcan wrote: I picked Portland and Charlotte because I guess those two are probably the most realistic locations. I would LOVE to see Havana and Mexico City though... Benjamin Grimm wrote: I would want a Portland team to be called the "Beavers" but I don't think MLB has enough guts to let that happen. Yup. Just like the Rockies should have been the Denver Bears and the D'Bags should have been the Phoenix Rattlers. the Portland team would probably be called the Portland Rain or the Portland Mist or some other ridiculous, dumbass name.

I kinda like the Portland Mist, although it sounds more like an NBA name.

I associate Portland with amazing local cuisine and excellent beer and local hops. (I put Mt. Hood hops in my Strawberry NieuwenWeiss)

What about the others? Vegas Rollers? Vegas Neons? (Would love to see the Neons play the Rays)

(I'm tired of animals personally) How about Phoenix Phoenix?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hate singular names. Thankfully MLB hasn't had any teams with names like that... yet. I hope it continues.

And I would call a Vegas team the Las Vegas Stars.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Vancouver and San Juan, provided that Vancouver is in the AL so I don't have to stay up for more west coast games.

[Edgy MD]

In a free market, city sizes and incidence of wealth wouldn't much matter.

San Juan could flourish fine. City's not rich enough? Well, Cleveland and Detroit aren't enrichening themselves particularly these days, but they have baseball.

But there are wealthy suburbs around San Juan, and certainly tourists looking to drop money. If the team captures people's imaginations, it would capture their money.

The truth is that professional sports leagues are gravitating toward gambling towns.

[batmagadanleadoff]

One write in vote for Brooklyn. Then I'd vote for an ownership swap. Then I'd give the new team our You Know Who Rotunda with all of the accompanying 42 memorabilia, too.

[soupcan]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: soupcan wrote: Yup. Just like the Rockies should have been the Denver Bears and the D'Bags should have been the Phoenix Rattlers. Phoneix Rattlers? I seem to remember the AAA team being called the Phoenix Firebirds.

Yeah - as in 'Rattlesnakes'. I don't know that it has any historical significance but at least the name sounds cool and fits the region. And since they want to be associated with snakes, Rattlers or Rattlesnakes is waaaay better than D'Backs or Diamondbacks.

Firebirds goes with 'Phoenix' of course but I'm partial local wildlife I guess.

[Chad ochoseis]

Havana. They hate the Yanquis even more than we do.

Fidel isn't going to be around forever. No better time than the present to start engaging with Cuba.

San Juan. I'm doubling down on the Caribbean. Easy travel, natural fan base, economies that could use a boost outside the tourist season.

[Ceetar]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: San Juan. I'm doubling down on the Caribbean. Easy travel, natural fan base, economies that could use a boost outside the tourist season.

That stadium would probably be worth of a Carlos Beltran rotunda.

[metsmarathon]

phoenix rising

las vegas gold dust

havana torcedors

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Caracas Maracas
Havana Filter Kings
Las Vegas Gay White Tigers

[duan]

Edgy DC wrote: I voted San Juan and Norfolk, but Duan has me utterly convinced that true expansion means switching to a system of promotion/relegation. That, at least in theory, would be expanding everywhere. That's the future.

You're not wrong there.

[Vic Sage]

i would take 2 southeastern teams, so that divisional realignment would make geographical sense and be regionally balanced, as follows:

AL East - NYY, BOS, TOR, BLT
NL East - NYM, PHI, PIT, DC

AL Central - ChW, CLE, DET, MNN
NL Central - ChC, STL, MILW, CINN

AL South - TB, KC, TX, [NASHVILLE] (or Charlotte, San Juan, Norfolk, etc)
NL South - MIA, ATL, HOU, [sAN JUAN] (ditto)

AL West - LAA, OAK, SEA, COL (move to AL)
NL West - LA, SF, SD, AZ