MLB Expansion: Raleigh Getting in the Mix

[AtlantaWhaler]

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[tony d]

Interesting, I think we will see MLB expansion within the next decade. Raleigh seems like a good city and they have as good a chance as any to get a team.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

hmm, that might be a tough one to get a foot hold with.

The Braves own the southeast, that's a lot of long time fandom to convert

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Neat, but only real question is if there's actual money behind wanting to pay expansion fees and build a stadium.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

hmm, that might be a tough one to get a foot hold with.

The Braves own the southeast, that's a lot of long time fandom to convert

A ton of transplants in the Raleigh area as part of the research triangle. Braves are the de facto home team due to proximity but I doubt a lot are die hards. Atlanta fans are kind of the opposite of that in general.

I could see it working.

 

[SSF]

Braves dont exactly own the SE either, lots of market penetration from Cardinals and Cubs in the northern part and odd teams(Yankees, Sawx, etc) due to snowbirds in the southern part.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Yeah...Braves do "own" a lot of the smaller markets in the SE (Birmingham, Knoxville, Jackson MS, Chattanooga, Greenville, etc...), but it's a big mix in the larger markets (Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh, etc) due to transplants. If the MLB is eyeing the Carolinas, I see Charlotte getting a team first just based on corporate cash. Charlotte has become a huge banking hub (BOA, Capital One, SunTrust/BB&T merger....).

 

[Dr Pepper]

Is the league honestly looking at expanding, or moreso relocation?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Yeah...Braves do "own" a lot of the smaller markets in the SE (Birmingham, Knoxville, Jackson MS, Chattanooga, Greenville, etc...), but it's a big mix in the larger markets (Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh, etc) due to transplants. If the MLB is eyeing the Carolinas, I see Charlotte getting a team first just based on corporate cash. Charlotte has become a huge banking hub (BOA, Capital One, SunTrust/BB&T merger....).

Do the white Sox have veto power over Charlotte due to having their aaa team there for mutiple decades

 

[ArchAngel55]

I don't see how they can expand when they have 99% empty stadiums in some cities. Just move a team.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Do the white Sox have veto power over Charlotte due to having their aaa team there for mutiple decades

Not even if they owned the Knights, which they don't.

 

[Voight]

Charlotte and Nashville both have bigger Metro areas, you'd think they would be higher on the list of expansion cities.

Also could see Vegas getting into the mix now that they have 2 teams.

 

[GKJ]

Remember when they wanted to contract teams like 12 years ago?

 

[Reality Check]

If we're relocating another team, fine. But hell no to expansion.

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Do the white Sox have veto power over Charlotte due to having their aaa team there for mutiple decades

The White Sox are a team to keep an eye on for relocation if Jerry Reinsdorf suddenly falls ill. He is 83 and currently fine from what I know.

However the word is that his family will only keep the Bulls and sell the White Sox.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

If we're relocating another team, fine. But hell no to expansion.

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The White Sox are a team to keep an eye on for relocation if Jerry Reinsdorf suddenly falls ill. He is 83 and currently fine from what I know.

However the word is that his family will only keep the Bulls and sell the White Sox.

It whould be a huge pr hit for the league if the white Sox relocated due to their 100 year history.they probably should have when the a’s ,braves and browns left their original city’s the league would have been better for it

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Do the white Sox have veto power over Charlotte due to having their aaa team there for mutiple decades

Not even if they owned the Knights, which they don't.

Spot on by Biggie here. The biggest obstacle to MLB in Charlotte is that they just built a nice new Triple-A park that can't be expanded to meet MLB requirements. I'm sure that Jerry Reese (the Charlotte lawyer who sued to block the land swap that led to the construction of BB&T Ballpark) feels like Cassandra now - his belief was that leaving Knights Stadium (which *was* designed to be expanded into a temporary MLB facility while a new MLB quality park was constructed) would hamstring any attempt to expand or relocate a team into Charlotte.

 

[SkalbaniasGhost]

Charlotte and Nashville both have bigger Metro areas, you'd think they would be higher on the list of expansion cities.

Also could see Vegas getting into the mix now that they have 2 teams.

The site of the Rio Casino is rumored to be the location of a potential stadium.There has been speculative buying
of sites nearby in anticipation of the conversion.Vegas will be in the mix.
Stone, Weisbach Revive Las Vegas MLB Plan

 

[BigMac1212]

If true, I know which new affiliate Durham will get. (Assuming the Bulls don't have to move.)