"MLB could expand to 32 teams in 'five to six years"

[robert terwilliger]

which begs the question of why montreal's baseball team is playing in washington dc.

 

[Mightygoose]

which begs the question of why montreal's baseball team is playing in washington dc.

By that account, why are Washington's teams playing in Minneapolis and Arlington, TX?

 

[Bjorn Le]

man, all of this about montreal, maybe they should have 2 teams! or 3! people have a ton of money and love sports!

Don't strawman or exaggerate our claims. We're saying Montreal is a viable MLB market.

 

[robert terwilliger]

it's hard not to exaggerate or strawman when i'm reading about how great a market is that supported a team by having dwindling attendance to the point where they had a season of average attendance under 9,000.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

which begs the question of why montreal's baseball team is playing in washington dc.

I still remember this very question being asked (replace Montreal with Winnipeg and Washington with Phoenix) by the doubters and the haters on the business of hockey forum years ago when others stated that Winnipeg would eventually see the return of the NHL.

Good times....

 

[Bjorn Le]

it's hard not to exaggerate or strawman when i'm reading about how great a market is that supported a team by having dwindling attendance to the point where they had a season of average attendance under 9,000.

You're cherry picking a very particular season with very unique factors that are not relevant at all today. You can't keep introducing arguments that have already been long debunked and expect people to agree with you.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

You're cherry picking a very particular season with very unique factors that are not relevant at all today.

If only it was one season. The last 7 seasons of the Expos.

11,295 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,547 average attendance - Last in MLB
11,435 average attendance- Last in MLB
7,935 average attendance - Last in MLB
10,025 average attendance - Last in MLB
12,662 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,369 average attendance - Last in MLB

 

[Voight]

If only it was one season. The last 7 seasons of the Expos.

11,295 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,547 average attendance - Last in MLB
11,435 average attendance- Last in MLB
7,935 average attendance - Last in MLB
10,025 average attendance - Last in MLB
12,662 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,369 average attendance - Last in MLB

Nats were 13-15th in NL attendance, bottom 10 in the league right up until they won 98 games.

Didn't help the Expos that their stadium was complete crap & their team was being ran into the ground.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Nats were 13-15th in NL attendance, bottom 10 in the league right up until they won 98 games.

Didn't help the Expos that their stadium was complete crap & their team was being ran into the ground.

The Nationals played in an awful stadium and were a bad team their first few years as well. Still drew over twice as many as the Expos did in their absolute worst years attendance wise.

 

[cutchemist42]

The Nationals played in an awful stadium and were a bad team their first few years as well. Still drew over twice as many as the Expos did in their absolute worst years attendance wise.

Any city even with a bad team could support it better than the Expos as its a new team to them. Dont see how this applies?

Anyhow, I think baseball in Montreal is better than it ever has been before, and what city is really better for a relocated or 31st/32nd team right now which is what we're debating here. The mayor and city are tossing tons of money into the sport to keep up with amateur demand, and everyone here on hfboards loves to equate grassroots support with pro support.

I personally am not convinced its necessarily a top 25 market even, and am not thinking it should be in vs any other city currently in MLB. However, as a next-in-line city, what else beats it in Canada/USA/Mexico?

I would personally trust my money in a team in MTL over the NHL in Phnx/Flor and now in LV.

 

[Bjorn Le]

If only it was one season. The last 7 seasons of the Expos.

11,295 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,547 average attendance - Last in MLB
11,435 average attendance- Last in MLB
7,935 average attendance - Last in MLB
10,025 average attendance - Last in MLB
12,662 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,369 average attendance - Last in MLB

Cherry picking after MLB handpicked Loria to run the team in the ground. The shadow of relocation or contraction was held over them all those years, and Montreal had never forgiven the league or players after 1994.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

If only it was one season. The last 7 seasons of the Expos.

11,295 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,547 average attendance - Last in MLB
11,435 average attendance- Last in MLB
7,935 average attendance - Last in MLB
10,025 average attendance - Last in MLB
12,662 average attendance - Last in MLB
9,369 average attendance - Last in MLB

As i have stated in previous posts, the Expos were essentially a lame-duck team for several seasons prior to their relocation.

 

[Voight]

The Nationals played in an awful stadium and were a bad team their first few years as well. Still drew over twice as many as the Expos did in their absolute worst years attendance wise.

... They moved into Nats Park in 2008, and I looked at figures from 2006-2012.

Expos were also an awful team the years you posted..... wow what a discovery - bad teams don't draw many fans!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The Nationals played in an awful stadium and were a bad team their first few years as well. Still drew over twice as many as the Expos did in their absolute worst years attendance wise.

To be fair there is a gigantic difference between being a lame duck franchise constantly threatening to move and being the new team in town. Obviously Washington in their first couple years would greatly outdraw Montreal their last few years. It'd be deeply concerning otherwise.

 

[BigMac1212]

With the NHL pulling the trigger on the Las Vegas expansion, will this hasten the MLB expansion to 32 teams?

 

[Vamos Rafa]

With the NHL pulling the trigger on the Las Vegas expansion, will this hasten the MLB expansion to 32 teams?

Definitely. At least I believe so. I also wonder how the playoff format would be with 32 teams.

 

[Terry Yake]

where else could MLB expand to aside from montreal?

portland maybe?

 

[Bad News Benning]

where else could MLB expand to aside from montreal?

portland maybe?

Vancouver!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

where else could MLB expand to aside from montreal?

portland maybe?

I think Portland would be a great fit, but they're not going to build a stadium and there isn't even a temporary venue.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

San Antonio but the two Texas teams would totally fight against that.

 

[BigMac1212]

MLB says Mexico City is the strong second candidate, which makes me

 

[GordonGecko]

MLB says Mexico City is the strong second candidate, which makes me

I guess MLB wants to stay in the news so when players get kidnapped on road trips they'll be on CNN and MSNBC for a while

 

[BigMac1212]

I guess MLB wants to stay in the news so when players get kidnapped on road trips they'll be on CNN and MSNBC for a while

EPIC FAIL!!!!

 

[Voight]

where else could MLB expand to aside from montreal?

portland maybe?

Charlotte was a potential option till they just built a new AAA ballpark, it sits 10K so it would really hard to expand it to 40,000

I always thought Vancouver could make a good baseball town.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Charlotte was a potential option till they just built a new AAA ballpark, it sits 10K so it would really hard to expand it to 40,000

I always thought Vancouver could make a good baseball town.

The problem you have with Vancouver is that they don't even have full-season baseball. Their MiLB team, the Canadians, is Short Season-A. While they DO lead the Northwest League in attendance, they'd need a stadium better than Nat Bailey and I'd like to see how they do at the full season level once again.