2. I agree - the A's need to get out of the dump the are currently playing in. However, the idea that San Jose, which is about 45 miles from San Francisco would be more in conflict with the Giants than Oakland, which is only about 15 miles away, is rather silly. And there is NO way that MLB would put a team in Las Vegas unless sports betting is outlawed in the state. I would also bet that Vegas wouldn't want an MLB team anyway. Tourists aren't going to travel to Vegas to see a ballgame anymore than they would travel to Orlando to go to McDonald's. And my guess is that the casino owners, who give a ton of money to the state in taxes, do not want anything that will cut into their profits one bit. And the state sure as hell doesn't want to give up their cut either. Trust me, 1.5 million people going to a ballgame rather than spending money at the tables over the course of a season would put a dent in the economy. Not gonna happen.
3. The Indians aren't going anywhere. Yes, their attendance is down. But they have been through downturns in attendance before. Yet they still are in the same city they began in in 1901.
Finally, why s it that people assume that Indianapolis or Louisville would be good MLB cities? Or better yet, that you could put a team in BOTH of those cities and have them be more successful than they currently are? First off, those cties are just over 100 miles (about 106) apart. No way you put teams in both hose cities. And to be honest, my guess is tat neither one could support an MLB team. My guess is that baseball fans in those 2 cities have very close ties to other teams, including not only the Indians, but the Tigers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals and Braves as well. Keep in mind also that it would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 BILLION to build a major league stadium and the infrastructure required to support it. Do you really think anyone wants to invest that in today' economy?
The only possibility for a franchise relocating , IMHO, is the Rays. Horrible stadium, very little community support, etc. But to be honest, as bad as it is for them there, there would be no guarantee that they would fare better in any other city.
If by some chance a team would move, I would think that it would be much more likely that they would end up in San Antonio, which is the largest USA city without an MLB team, or in an area that does not have any teams all that close - Oklahoma City would come to mind.
Sorry, but I don't see any of your ideas coming to fruition.
The Indians will never be relocated. The main reason attendance dropped is because of performance and here in Cleveland, it takes more than a flash in the pan to empty our wallets. However, now that they have proven they are capable of contending two years in a row, the attendance will surely rise. If you need proof, just look back to the mid 90s. We were selling out entire seasons before the home opener.
The Blue Jays won't relocate, because they are the only Canadian MLB team and they've spent big money on players in the past few years (and are continuing to do so), which is something you don't do when you intend to move a team.
The A's were a possibility, as a matter of fact, there have been talks in the past few years. However, now that they are a contending team, I don't really see that happening.
I have to say, if there is any team that is a relocation candidate, I'd have to say it is the Miami Marlins. Their attendance is always low, not only because they are awful, but because Florida isn't really a baseball state. Mostly because Florida is home to a lot of retirees, so their loyalties are elsewhere. However, Loria is an idiot, so I don't see anything good happening to that team until he is out of the picture.
The Blue Jays have a huge market. In fact, when the Jays play the Mariners in Seattle, Blue Jay fans from British Columbia travel down to attend the game; half of the crowd at a Blue Jays @ Mariners game is Blue Jays fans. In other words, they're not going anywhere.
However, I think the Rays should move. It'd be best for the fans and the franchise. If the Rays had the payroll to retain players like Carl Crawford, James Shields, BJ Upton and even David Price, they could be scary good. They're stadium is undoubtedly the worst in the league too.
The A's could be another possibility to move, for the reasons you mentioned.
The A's and the Rays' situations need to be fixed. Montreal could get a second chance, the Mets are playing an exhibition game there in March. It will be an AL franchise, and the city will need to build a new "baseball" stadium.
Definetly the Oakland A's, because they are a playoff caliber team and they need a better stadium than that
I would love for more teams to move to Canada though, like how the game used to be
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Miami so far. The Marlins are hands down baseballs' most dysfunctional franchise. 2 WS titles yet nobody goes to a new stadium. No farm prospects.
Where to move? Thats probably whats keeping them in Fla. Maybe Nashville. That city has stepped up to major sports status in the last decade with a football team, basketball team (Memphis anyway) and a hockey team. Last thing left is MLB
I think the rays will move to montreol. There such a good team usually yet no one goes to their games
I think the Cubs might be moving if they don't get their own way.
china, noth korea, mozambique, utopia and brazil
For me its
1. Toronto Blue Jays- Baseball is not popular in Canada at all. Even though the Blue Jays have had good players in the recent years, their attendance has been quite low. If the Expos could not stay in Montreal, I dont think the Jays could stay in Toronto much longer.
Prediction: Blue Jays relocate to Indianapolis
2. Oakland Athletics: They have a horrible stadium. Their attendance is near the bottom.
Prediction: A's move to Las Vegas. Anywhere near San Jose would be in conflict with the Giants.
3. Cleveland Indians: Again, horrible attendance. The Indians used to be near the top as far as attendance but it has dropped considerably over the years.
Prediction: Indians relocate to Louisville.
