Will the Marlins remain in Florida?

[NickHammy]

Originally posted by MedicTJ
The latest "meat" on this subject is that now Major League Baseball is considering consolidating the Expos, Twins, Devil Rays, and Marlins and creating 2 teams in two different cities.

Bad idea. I really hope that doesn't happen.

Well if the Twins continue this great start they will definetly stayin Minnesota.

[Wedge231]

That's for sure! My Mets lost 12-1 today I think

[MedicTJ]

If baseball needs to contract, then I can accept that. But the fans of the teams that get axed are really the ones that lose out.

Let's face it. The owners put themselves into this catch 22. They're the ones that agreed to escalate salaries. And the only time they tried to scale salaries down they got busted for it by the MLBPA and it made things TWICE as worse because it violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

They also pay out HUGE sums of money for these "state of the art" ballparks only to make the ticket prices so high that they can't fill the seats.

Note to owners: Take a lesson from the Cubs and MOST Cubs fans. If they ever took down the hand-worked old style scoreboard, Cub fans would riot. You don't need a 50 foot screen. Just let me get a hot dog, a cold frosty one, and the guy behind the scoreboard changing the numbers in the Cubs scoring box and I'm a happy guy.

[Nate]

I don't think that contraction is the answer. There shouldn't be any more expansion, except maybe an Indiana team

[Wedge231]

I agree. I have been to Indiana and the only baseball I saw was the Colt World Series.

[Nate]

Well, we have a stupid AAA minor leage team, the Indianapolis Indians. No one cares, I mean, cummon...they are a Brewers farm team...

[Wedge231]

Here I got Mets, Yankees, and the Long Island Ducks.

[ryanpaige]

Actually, the owners rarely pay huge money for these ballparks. It's the taxpayers that have paid the bulk of the cost of these stadiums in nearly every city.

There was an article in the Dallas Business Journal this week talking about Tom Hicks wanting to buy a AAA team and put it in a stadium in Frisco, Texas (a suburb of Dallas on the north side of the Metroplex). If he manages to get it done, in a few years we'll have the option of Major League Baseball or Minor League ball (affiliated minor league ball, that is. There is an independent league team in Fort Worth starting this year).

I know it doesn't really have anything to do with the subject at hand, but I thought it was kind of a unique situation.

As for contraction, it won't happen. The costs will be too high. Aside from buying up the franchises, they've got to buyout the leases of the individual teams and potentially deal with lawsuits filed by fans and municipalities trying to prevent the contraction. And, in the end, what has it solved? There will still be massive disparities in revenues among the teams. The better solution is revenue-sharing, but that's not exactly easy to get done, either.

[iFroggy]

There are no professional teams around here at all. Actually there are no minor league teams either.

[Wile E Coyote]

So....if the Marlins are moving, where to?

There is no other market that they could move that would put them in a better situation then they are in right now.

Washington DC/Northern Virginia? There is no way Orioles' owner Peter Angelos is going to let someone in on his turf. And in case you don't know it, Angelos made his bucks by being one of the best litigators in the country, and no one wants to face him in court.

Charlotte? This is turning out to be a dud of a sports city. Even the Hornets are talking about moving out.

No other market is big enough.

As far as contraction (MLB folding a couple of teams), that may happen but it won't be the Marlins or D-Rays. There is no way MLB is going to shut down a baseball team in a state where the president's brother is governor. Sorry.

[Marc]

Originally posted by iFroggy
There are no professional teams around here at all. Actually there are no minor league teams either.

Yeah, that's because there are no people there either, right? Honestly, there isn't a single large enough city to attract a team.

Some good points have been made. There aren't really any more good markets and contraction can be costly. What do you folks think now?

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by M. James
Yeah, that's because there are no people there either, right? Honestly, there isn't a single large enough city to attract a team.

..well, does Patrick live in Philly or Mississippi (confused by his "Location" on the left sidebar)... because both major cities in Pensilvania (I know I screwed up the spelling of that state! ), Pittsburgh & Philly & excuse me if there are more, because they BOTH have baseball teams!!

[Wedge231]

He's in Mississippe I think. Well, it's nice there I'm sure....

Disclaimer: Wedge likes having fun with all the new smiles


I think Florida is fine. They just need to get a good team. Why did they only keep Piazza for a week that time?

[iFroggy]

Wedge, you are correct.

Marc and Lee... you guys are nuts! lol

Marc,

Nate had said he had a minor team in his area, so I was just responding saying that there are no teams here. There is obviously no market here. (rolleyes @ Marc).

Lee,

My left side says "From: Philadelphia, Mississippi" - so yes, I live in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

[Wedge231]

Well what's the major city there? I know Jackson is the capital right? Any other "big" cities?