sawchuk1971
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2011
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- 509
Get the Mayflower moving vans ready, Baltimore isn’t a Major League town anymore
It’s just a matter of time before the Orioles ship out as the Colts did decades ago
deadspin.com
Coming into this season, the O’s were valued at $1.3 billion and had operating income of $83 million.
The reason the O’s survive is because of national TV money. Starting this season, each team gets roughly $100 million before selling a single ticket.
Still, it’s not the cure-all, because most of the bottom-feeding franchises pocket the loot and don’t spend it on talent. So, really, what’s the point?
Here is why it truly is a possibility that Baltimore could wind up MLB team-less. The O’s lease with Maryland Stadium Authority for the state-owned ballpark (aka Camden Yards) expires at the end of next year. There have been negotiations, but no extensions. Hence why the rumors about an O’s exit have persisted.
The O’s rank dead last in payroll in MLB. Coming into the 2022 season, the payroll was about $24 million. By comparison, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the biggest payroll at $234 million.
That’s an incredible achievement. Baseball has had unreal stability.
Camden Yards is a beautiful ballpark. In fact, my favorite of the current 30 MLB stadiums. There isn’t a bad seat in the place. It’s small and intimate.
But nobody goes anymore because the team isn’t any good. In 2021, they averaged just 10,000 fans and a total of 793,000 attended games there. It ranked 26th.
If MLB were really honest with itself, it would lop off at least four teams or maybe even six and get back to 24 teams, not 30.
Easily, the league could get rid of Miami, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and, yes, Baltimore.