Will Vancouver ever land an MLB team?

[razor ray]

I know the NBA did not really get a fair shot in Vancouver but what about the MLB? I'm surprised an ownership group has not formed or their is no interest. Vancouver is the second biggest market (behind Montreal) in North America to not have an MLB team. They could even have a temporary home in BC Place until something is built.

With possible expansion of 2 more teams and the Rays and A's having stadium struggles....I'm surprised nobody has stepped up in Vancouver.

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[rent free]

probably not. it would be great if they did because they will have quite a bit of fan support imo and it seems like a great place to have a baseball team

 

[tony d]

Can't see it, think if Canada gets another MLB team it would be in Montreal.

 

[Mightygoose]

Provided Montreal materializes, I can't see MLB dividing up the Jays TV region twice.

Especially if Portland is in the mix, can't see them splitting up the Mariner's TV region twice either.

 

[Bjorn Le]

If they build a stadium yes, absolutely. Even if Montreal and Portland both have teams. The Mariner's already share BC with the Jays and Portland ain't going to attract any new fans from Canada.

Vancouver ticks a lot of boxes the MLB wants. International market, high income city, strong potential TV market. Now, a stadium doesn't seem likely anytime soon, but I could see it in 20-30 years. I could see it a lot sooner if someone like Gaglardi wants to try to build a ballpark.

One issue with Vancouver is you need a retractable roof stadium like Seattle due to the rain. That compounds the already difficult problem of building a stadium in one of the most expensive real estate markets in North America. I think you're looking at $1.5 bil USD for a stadium at a minimum.

 

[PG Canuck]

Don’t think so, for multiple reasons. Fan support has me skeptical. Vancouver isn’t a crazy sports town and if the team isn’t doing half decent the stadium will be very empty.

 

[PG Canuck]

probably not. it would be great if they did because they will have quite a bit of fan support imo and it seems like a great place to have a baseball team

I really don’t see Vancouver as a crazy baseball market, honestly.

 

[rent free]

I really don’t see Vancouver as a crazy baseball market, honestly.

There are a lot of blue jays fans that visit safeco when the jays play the mariners, and that's not even counting all the baseball fans there, so I assume they have fan support.

 

[Voight]

They should get one before Portland.

 

[PG Canuck]

There are a lot of blue jays fans that visit safeco when the jays play the mariners, and that's not even counting all the baseball fans there, so I assume they have fan support.

Not really a good argument IMO. It's easy to be a hardcore fan for a weekend because it's cool and fun and it's a roadtrip. There would be fan support for a team in Vancouver for sure, but what you see in Seattle for the Jays is not what you would get in Vancouver if they had their own team.

I reiterate, Vancouver is not a sports town IMO. Vancouver is only sports crazy when a team is good, so if they get an MLB team, they better be at least over .500 of good luck with fan support - people will not go watch a sub .500 team in 25 degree weather when they can go to Gastown, the Seawall, Granville Street etc.

The fan support you see in Seattle for the Jays, there are also plenty of people that are from Alberta and even Saskatchewan that go. Hell, I've even met people from Toronto in Seattle.

I just don't see Vancouver as a viable option for an MLB team, although I would love to see it. They also have nowhere to play, and I doubt talks have even been thought of for that - which is the biggest hurdle itself.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Unless you put the stadium in a massive park like Stanley Park (which would be a logistical nightmare) there is nowhere to play in Vancouver proper. Same issue with doing something near UBC. Maybe something around the PNE? Maybe something in south Marpole down by the Fraser river? Don't see either of them as likely though.

 

[SeattleSportsFan]

BC Place can easily support a MLB baseball team. If Vancouver ever gets a MLB team (which I doubt they will) They will be the Mariners newest and biggest rivalry.

 

[Cassano]

Nah it's a terrible idea at the moment. Too many fair-weather sports fans in BC. Evaluate again in another decade or two.

 

[robertmac43]

A lot of BC baseball fans are content enough to either cheer on the Jays or in many cases the Mariners. Seattle is obviously right over the boarder and the team has had some great players to watch in the past couple decades; King Felix and Ken Griffey Jr. to name a few. Baseball is not lacking in the area

 

[PG Canuck]

BC Place can easily support a MLB baseball team. If Vancouver ever gets a MLB team (which I doubt they will) They will be the Mariners newest and biggest rivalry.

BC Place is such a bad idea. It's not built for baseball, so sightlines probably would be bad or average (no idea but if it's not built for it I would assume so...), it would not even feel like a true baseball game because the tiny hole in the roof being open isn't an experience I would choose on a hot summer day over going to Stanley Park etc. It would basically be a Rogers Center with no option of BC Place having the stadium roof completely open - and people complain about RC as it is...BC Place would be worse.

Vancouver is just a bad idea. People are quite content being a hardcore fan for a weekend in Seattle or going to watch the Vancouver Canadians.

 

[Melrose Munch]

They should be targeting a team right now but their leadership is inept.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Vancouver has the best grass roots for baseball due to the weather but there is no stadium... And population is on the smaller end.

 

[Belieber]

City full of bandwagon fans, would struggle with 25,000 seats.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

They're one of probably about a dozen+ cities that would land a team if they built an MLB-capable park. They're not ahead or behind really any other market other than in that barrier, as it's a big one.

Pick a market, any market:

Vancouver
Portland
Sacramento
Las Vegas
Albuquerque
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
Oklahoma City
Louisville
Nashville or Memphis
Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham
Hampton Roads
Montreal
and probably a few more....

Any of these places builds/finances a stadium, and you're going to start hearing rumblings about expansion.

That being said, baseball is the only sport that really needs an even number of teams as every team plays almost every day, so it'll have to be a twofer.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Vancouver has the best grass roots for baseball due to the weather but there is no stadium... And population is on the smaller end.

This isnt the first time someone stated smaller population as being a reason why Vancouver won't get the MLB but I can never understand why. Cities like Milwaukee and Kansas City have an MLB team as well as another Big 4 team and they are both about half the size of Vancouver. Really dont understand why so many people think 2.5 million is too small of the MLB

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

City full of bandwagon fans, would struggle with 25,000 seats.

common misconception. Every city has it's share of bandwagon fans but really Vancouver is no different than any other city. I assume this is a lame dig at canucks fans? Go ahead and put a crap product on the ice with no star players/high draft picks to get excited about with a management team that has absolutely no vision and tell me how that would be treated in other markets. Despite the total gong show from management and high ticket prices attendance has only fallen by about 800-1000 fans from the president trophy years.

A stadium of 30,000 would easily be filled in the summer. People from Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the lower mainland would pack that thing.

 

[PG Canuck]

common misconception. Every city has it's share of bandwagon fans but really Vancouver is no different than any other city. I assume this is a lame dig at canucks fans? Go ahead and put a crap product on the ice with no star players/high draft picks to get excited about with a management team that has absolutely no vision and tell me how that would be treated in other markets. Despite the total gong show from management and high ticket prices attendance has only fallen by about 800-1000 fans from the president trophy years.

A stadium of 30,000 would easily be filled in the summer. People from Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the lower mainland would pack that thing.

It simply would not be “easily filled”. Maybe for the first while because it’s the new hype, but once the novelty and shine wears off, forget about it.

Think people are picking to sit and watch an under .500 team play baseball in 25 degree weather over going to Stanley Park, Granville etc? Yeah I highly doubt that. Especially if a proper ballpark isn’t built.

 

[Melrose Munch]

common misconception. Every city has it's share of bandwagon fans but really Vancouver is no different than any other city. I assume this is a lame dig at canucks fans? Go ahead and put a crap product on the ice with no star players/high draft picks to get excited about with a management team that has absolutely no vision and tell me how that would be treated in other markets. Despite the total gong show from management and high ticket prices attendance has only fallen by about 800-1000 fans from the president trophy years.

A stadium of 30,000 would easily be filled in the summer. People from Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the lower mainland would pack that thing.

didnt the leafs, bruins habs and rangers all sell out during their worst seasons?

This isnt the first time someone stated smaller population as being a reason why Vancouver won't get the MLB but I can never understand why. Cities like Milwaukee and Kansas City have an MLB team as well as another Big 4 team and they are both about half the size of Vancouver. Really dont understand why so many people think 2.5 million is too small of the MLB

I think Vancouver should be in but the perception of fairweather fans is legitamite. Look how many people hate on toronto yet cheer for the jays when they are good. To be honest Vancouver should have both the NBA and MLB as the Lower Mainland is big enough but that would never work in reality because of the fair weather fans.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

It simply would not be “easily filled”.

why not? you don't think people would love to enjoy baseball on a nice summer day for the fraction of the cost to go to a canucks game? People fill the nat and that's short season A ball in a park that's old as dirt. Even Victoria manages over 2,000 for summer college ball at the rap which is probably the worst "baseball" stadium I have ever seen. I played in high school stadiums in the states that were better than that thing.

What makes you think between Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the Lower Mainland that a brand new stadium would have issues with attendance? Vancouver is prime for another major sports franchise and the fact baseball would run opposite times of the canucks makes it a perfect fit.

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

didnt the leafs, bruins habs and rangers all sell out during their worst seasons?
I think Vancouver should be in but the perception of fairweather fans is legitamite. Look how many people hate on toronto yet cheer for the jays when they are good. To be honest Vancouver should have both the NBA and MLB as the Lower Mainland is big enough but that would never work in reality because of the fair weather fans.

So by your definition wouldn't that make the majority of sport teams "fairweather" or "bandwagon" ?

The small decline in attendance is completely on management/ownership. Aqua and the sales team got lazy because the team sold out for a million years in a row without breaking a sweat. Combine that with management being a total gong show and quite frankly it's impressive that attendance hasn't gone in the toilet.