probably 15 minor league teams (AA or AAA) within 250 miles.
Economics just don't make sense.
Besides, they have Indianapolis Motor Speedway, most big cities have nothing to compete with that.
I've been to games in 4 of those cities, and been to minor league games in several more.
IMHO - minor league games represent what used to be best about Baseball. Intimate venues, fair prices, fun "kitschy" promotions... Family of four can go to a game and probably get out for $100 maybe less. Try that at any professional sports venue....
That makes sense. Never realized how close Indianapolis is to Cincinnati. Although the argument could be made that if Indy can support an NFL team that close to Cincy then baseball could work too.
True - as an aside it's 215 miles from Boston to New York. The closeness of the cities you listed seem above like more of a reason to add a team to build up close rivalries.
I think it’s really difficult to make assumptions based on population. I lived in LA in mid 90s and they managed to let both their NFL teams Leave…
The cardinals are carpetbaggers, the colts are carpetbaggers.
Place like NY and Boston have rabid fan bases, deeply invested in the teams. It seems to me that newer cities or places that have a more fluid and mobile population have a harder time getting that fan buy-in. Plus college sports are huge in many areas, in many ways more passionately followed than pro. Add to that the mercenary attitudes of professional players AND management, not surprising that fans are jaded and disengaged. MLB is busying dying the “death of a thousand cuts” and it’s mostly self inflicted. Our grandparents lived in same house/neighborhood/city cradle to grave. Our parents, not so much. My generation, I’ve moved 19 times as an adult, from one side of county to other. I think it’s hard to have local brand loyalty because of that. World is smaller place in a lot of ways, but way more disconnected.
115 miles to Cincinnati
185 miles to Chicago (2 Teams)
245 miles to St. Louis
279 miles to Milwaukee
282 miles to Detroit
288 miles to Pittsburgh
325 miles to Cleveland
probably 15 minor league teams (AA or AAA) within 250 miles.
Economics just don't make sense.
Besides, they have Indianapolis Motor Speedway, most big cities have nothing to compete with that.
I've been to games in 4 of those cities, and been to minor league games in several more.
IMHO - minor league games represent what used to be best about Baseball. Intimate venues, fair prices, fun "kitschy" promotions... Family of four can go to a game and probably get out for $100 maybe less. Try that at any professional sports venue....
That makes sense. Never realized how close Indianapolis is to Cincinnati. Although the argument could be made that if Indy can support an NFL team that close to Cincy then baseball could work too.
For last 20 years, Cincinnati had an NFL team in name only… LOL.
Hopefully they can build on what they have now… pretty exciting!
True - as an aside it's 215 miles from Boston to New York. The closeness of the cities you listed seem above like more of a reason to add a team to build up close rivalries.
I think it’s really difficult to make assumptions based on population. I lived in LA in mid 90s and they managed to let both their NFL teams Leave…
The cardinals are carpetbaggers, the colts are carpetbaggers.
Place like NY and Boston have rabid fan bases, deeply invested in the teams. It seems to me that newer cities or places that have a more fluid and mobile population have a harder time getting that fan buy-in. Plus college sports are huge in many areas, in many ways more passionately followed than pro. Add to that the mercenary attitudes of professional players AND management, not surprising that fans are jaded and disengaged. MLB is busying dying the “death of a thousand cuts” and it’s mostly self inflicted. Our grandparents lived in same house/neighborhood/city cradle to grave. Our parents, not so much. My generation, I’ve moved 19 times as an adult, from one side of county to other. I think it’s hard to have local brand loyalty because of that. World is smaller place in a lot of ways, but way more disconnected.