Charlotte MLB Team Speculation

[Hushpuppy321]

15 minutes ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

I know I seem like a negative Nancy and a wet blanket, but by the time Raleigh could support an MLB team MLB may be very well be irrelevant.  

I may be a broken record, but lemme say it again: baseball doesn't want to be in half a dozen markets it's already in; it's not going to trade metro areas that don't support baseball for even smaller metro areas....

Good answer.  

[CTiger]

15 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

Anyone think the Raleigh may have a shot in the future of obtaining an MLB Team?  Would it thrive there or better here and why?  Only asking because I just read a TBJ Article where Developers & Steve Malik (soccer) are still requesting public money from Raleigh/Wake County for some type of Downtown Stadium (Soccer I guess).  But - With their MLS hopes gone I wonder if MLB could have an opening in Raleigh in the distant future.

East or West?  North or South of current BB&T?  That’d be weird having two (2) baseball stadiums so close.  I wonder if BB&T could be retrofitted with 15K bringing it to 25K Capacity, a nice ‘intimate’ ballpark.

I actually think BB&T would be a good site to retrofit for a soccer stadium.  That block is too small for MLB, but it is about right for MLS I think.

[SydneyCarton]

On 11/27/2019 at 8:22 AM, CTiger said:

I think it is kind of weird to think Charlotte can't handle any more pro sports teams.  Can't people be fans of multiple teams at the same time?  Me being a Panthers fan hasn't made me any less of a Hornets fan, so why couldn't I also be a fan of whatever MLB team we would theoretically get?  I struggle with that point.

Also, I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseam somewhere on this board, but what are the odds that the Hurricanes would ever relocate to Charlotte?  Its impossible to deny the synergies of having an NBA and NHL team in the same city and same arena.  Also, PNC arena is getting old, its disconnected from the heart of Raleigh, and the Hurricanes are consistently in the bottom 3-5 in attendance.

They may eventually move to Charlotte, but I think that they signed a ten year lease for PNC, so it won't happen soon.  Charlotte is a more reasonable location for professional teams than Raleigh is since it's a bigger market and more centrally located to the region as a whole (e.g., Columbia, Greenville, Ashville, W-S, etc).  Hockey, in particular, would make more sense in Charlotte since there are a lot more people from the NYC metro, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh (i.e., big hockey markets) there than in the Triangle.

I'd be happy if the Canes moved to the QC.  I'd make more trips back than the six or so that I currently take each year.

Edited March 21, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[eastsider]

On 3/20/2020 at 9:30 PM, SydneyCarton said:

 Hockey, in particular, would make more sense in Charlotte since there are a lot more people from the NYC metro, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh (i.e., big hockey markets) there than in the Triangle.

Same could have been said about Atlanta, how did the Thrashers work out there? To take it back to baseball, Miami tried to bank on the latin market to support their team yet they play in a nearly empty stadium nightly.

Trying to fill your stadium with other teams fans is a losing strategy.

[kermit]

In theory someone could purchase the Marlins (or any of 5-6 other teams) for a bit less than 2x what the City-Tepper partnership purchased our soon-to-be-named MLS team and bring it to Charlotte (stadium costs aside). On a per game basis, MLB would be cheaper. Because of the larger number of games it would have a higher economic impact than MLS as well.

Shrug... Knights are fine with me.

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

This is the list:

[#1Son]

Tampa Bay and Oakland  seem  to be the most viable candidates based on stadium age, attendance, etc.  I think closing Mint from MLK to 4th to expand BB&T to Poplar Street may be enough to put a 30 or 35k stadium.  Losing 1/3 to half of Romare Park will not be popular .

[Hushpuppy321]

I don’t know really anything about MLB when it comes to the business / expansion side of the Market but the Nashville UPers are saying any distant hope for Charlotte is now dead.  Check out the screenshot and ‘Hot’ thread topic in Nashville.

 

 

[HopHead]

49 minutes ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

I don’t know really anything about MLB when it comes to the business / expansion side of the Market but the Nashville UPers are saying any distant hope for Charlotte is now dead.  Check out the screenshot and ‘Hot’ thread topic in Nashville.

 

 

I'd take that poster's comment with a grain of salt. Especially if you look at his/her history. Plus, you want locals to support your team. Not dependent on an influx of out towners that only come to see their team play. Eventually, good players would never want to sign there. How many players are dying to play for the Marlins in South Beach? Not many. 

To the point the USA Today columnist, if you have a group with a viable plan for a stadium and team in place, then that would certainly move you to the top of the list  in any expansion/relocation conversation. Last I checked, Charlotte doesn't have that yet we still get put into this MLB expansion conversation every time. 

[Blue_Devil]

59 minutes ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

I don’t know really anything about MLB when it comes to the business / expansion side of the Market but the Nashville UPers are saying any distant hope for Charlotte is now dead.  Check out the screenshot and ‘Hot’ thread topic in Nashville.

 

 

Aren’t they having trouble getting a mls team?

[cltheel.sdl]

Yeah, I don't see how Nashville would be a superior market to Charlotte in any way.  Very few people actually travel to away baseball games...opposing team fans are usually expats who have relocated to the home market.  At any rate, Charlotte is a bigger market with, presumably, higher demand for the product.

[KJHburg]

8 hours ago, cltheel.sdl said:

Yeah, I don't see how Nashville would be a superior market to Charlotte in any way.  Very few people actually travel to away baseball games...opposing team fans are usually expats who have relocated to the home market.  At any rate, Charlotte is a bigger market with, presumably, higher demand for the product.

Larger and more affluent Charlotte is.   Nashville is bankrupt for all intensive purposes.  They have proposed a 25% property tax hike how can they contribute to a baseball stadium when they have cut back on incentives for companies already.    So unless the stadium is privately built 100% I don't see it happening anytime soon. 

[SydneyCarton]

54 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Larger and more affluent Charlotte is.   Nashville is bankrupt for all intensive purposes.  They have proposed a 25% property tax hike how can they contribute to a baseball stadium when they have cut back on incentives for companies already.    So unless the stadium is privately built 100% I don't see it happening anytime soon. 

Charlotte is also more centrally located than Nashville.   It's basically in the middle of NC, and is, therefore, accessible to all metros in the state.  It's also accessible to Columbia and Charleston.   Thus, a team could attract a much wider crowd than a team in N'Ville could.  

[Nick2]

48 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Charlotte is also more centrally located than Nashville.   It's basically in the middle of NC, and is, therefore, accessible to all metros in the state.  It's also accessible to Columbia and Charleston.   Thus, a team could attract a much wider crowd than a team in N'Ville could.  

The Carolinas are by far the biggest media market not served by an MLB team. Have to keep in mind it's not just about butts in seats either. Merchandise and ad sales for TV are some serious money makers.

No one in the Carolinas really pulls for the braves or the nationals as "their" home team.

[SydneyCarton]

Atlanta and DC are far from Charlotte, so it makes sense that no one would route for those teams.  DC is a lot closer to NY than it is to Charlotte or Raleigh.

[Nick2]

It's also weird how the divisions are set up with three divisions of 5. They could add two teams easily and change it to east/west. Or make it four divisions of north/east/south/and west. Or even better expand the league by six teams and add one to each of the current six main subdivisions. Montreal, Portland, Nashville, Charlotte, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and a Mexican team.

[Boricua]

7 hours ago, Nick2 said:

The Carolinas are by far the biggest media market not served by an MLB team. Have to keep in mind it's not just about butts in seats either. Merchandise and ad sales for TV are some serious money makers.

No one in the Carolinas really pulls for the braves or the nationals as "their" home team.

Charlotte is a  perfect spot for an American League Team.  Oakland ,Tampa Bay HELLO

[cltbwimob]

On 7/7/2020 at 11:50 PM, cltheel.sdl said:

Yeah, I don't see how Nashville would be a superior market to Charlotte in any way.  Very few people actually travel to away baseball games...opposing team fans are usually expats who have relocated to the home market.  At any rate, Charlotte is a bigger market with, presumably, higher demand for the product.

Nashville MSA population: 1.934 mil 

Charlotte MSA population: 2.636 mil

Advantage Charlotte 

Nashville MSA Growth: 17.5% since 2010
Charlotte MSA Growth: 17.51% since 2010

Advantage Charlotte ( Growth rates are similar, but numerically Charlotte is growing faster than Nashville.  So not only is Charlotte bigger than Nashville; it’s growing larger at a faster clip, adding about 10k more residents per year than Nashville)

Nashville MSA GDP: $132 bil

Charlotte MSA GDP: $169 bil 

Advantage Charlotte

Nashville F1000 Companies: 10 

Charlotte F1000 Companies: 16

Advantage Charlotte (Side note, many of ours are systemically important companies such as BofA, Truist, Duke, Honeywell, and Nucor)

Nashville DMA: 983k households
Charlotte DMA: 1.125 mil households

 Advantage Charlotte

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by cltbwimob

[Hushpuppy321]

3 hours ago, cltbwimob said:

Nashville MSA population: 1.934 mil 

Charlotte MSA population: 2.636 mil

Advantage Charlotte 

Nashville MSA Growth: 17.5% since 2010
Charlotte MSA Growth: 17.51% since 2010

Advantage Charlotte ( Growth rates are similar, but numerically Charlotte is growing faster than Nashville.  So not only is Charlotte bigger than Nashville; it’s growing larger at a faster clip, adding about 10k more residents per year than Nashville)

Nashville MSA GDP: $132 bil

Charlotte MSA GDP: $169 bil 

Advantage Charlotte

Nashville F1000 Companies: 10 

Charlotte F1000 Companies: 16

Advantage Charlotte (Side note, many of ours are systemically important companies such as BofA, Truist, Duke, Honeywell, and Nucor)

Nashville DMA: 983k households
Charlotte DMA: 1.125 mil households

 Advantage Charlotte

 

 

 

 

I totally understand your illustration but Nashville has a very organized push.  Charlotte doesn’t so the organized wheel gets the proverbial expansion franchise no?!  We don’t have an MLB heavyweight (Tepper like) pushing for things here.  

[cltbwimob]

4 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

I totally understand your illustration but Nashville has a very organized push.  Charlotte doesn’t so the organized wheel gets the proverbial expansion franchise no?!  We don’t have an MLB heavyweight (Tepper like) pushing for things here.  

True-we don’t have an organized push.   About 20-25 years ago, there was a conversation about MLB here, but we were told and continue to be told by those who know better (sarcasm) that we as a city are just unable to support a team so a lot of the momentum we had in the late nineties and early 00’s that may have budded into an organized effort has retreated to the underground.  

Nashville, on the other hand sees itself as a town that is 100% capable of supporting MLB (in addition to NFL, NHL, MLS).  So Nashville in this case is the pawn that sees itself as a king whereas we are probably a rook, but we see ourselves as pawns.  And as Henry Ford once said “whether you think you can or think you can’t-you’re right”.

One thing that is worth noting is that while Nashville does have organization, including some well known names like Tony La Russa, they have no one that is as gigantic as David Tepper to bank roll them.  And the mayor, unless he has changed his tune, told them that they are on their own when it comes to a stadium.   So the reality is right now, unless I am mistaken, that they have some level of organization but really no viable funding plan.

Side note-if Tepoer wants a new stadium partly paid for by the taxpayers, then the city should demand he organize an effort to bring MLB here in the same way he did MLS.

[Richhamleigh, DC]

On 4/10/2020 at 10:07 AM, kermit said:

In theory someone could purchase the Marlins (or any of 5-6 other teams) for a bit less than 2x what the City-Tepper partnership purchased our soon-to-be-named MLS team and bring it to Charlotte (stadium costs aside). On a per game basis, MLB would be cheaper. Because of the larger number of games it would have a higher economic impact than MLS as well.

Shrug... Knights are fine with me.

Any wonder that the Nats and Georgia's team have risen?  They cover the biggest TV markets without MLB in the biggest state without MLB in the county.  
 

 

12 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

I totally understand your illustration but Nashville has a very organized push.  Charlotte doesn’t so the organized wheel gets the proverbial expansion franchise no?!  We don’t have an MLB heavyweight (Tepper like) pushing for things here.  

The question is TV markets.  The CLT/GSO/RDU markets in North Carolina would be the 4th or 5th largest in the country if it was a single market.  The CLT market alone is the biggest in any state without MLB.  Nashville's TV market is smaller than Raleigh's.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_television_markets

[Richhamleigh, DC]

23 hours ago, Boricua said:

Charlotte is a  perfect spot for an American League Team.  Oakland ,Tampa Bay HELLO

I totally agree with you.  We are the biggest market in the US without MLB.  I have never met a Georgia Braves fan in North Carolina in 30 years.   Maybe there are some alive, but not many.  Most are Red Sox or Yankees fans.

On 7/8/2020 at 10:47 AM, SydneyCarton said:

Atlanta and DC are far from Charlotte, so it makes sense that no one would route for those teams.  DC is a lot closer to NY than it is to Charlotte or Raleigh.

Technically, DC is about half way between Durham and NYC (216 vs 222 miles, as the crow flies).

Edited July 9, 2020 by Phillydog

[SydneyCarton]

12 minutes ago, Phillydog said:

I totally agree with you.  We are the biggest market in the US without MLB.  I have never met a Georgia Braves fan in North Carolina in 30 years.   Maybe there are some alive, but not many.  Most are Red Sox or Yankees fans.

Technically, DC is about half way between Durham and NYC (216 vs 222 miles, as the crow flies).

DC is 280 miles from Chapel Hill.  I've driven it many times.

[Richhamleigh, DC]

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

DC is 280 miles from Chapel Hill.  I've driven it many times.

 I'm from DC and grew up in NYC and for some reason it only takes me 254 miles from my house in Northgate Park to 14th and R (Dad's) and 237 miles from there to E. 48th Street (Mom's).

As I said, "as the crow flies"

[eastsider]

13 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

I totally understand your illustration but Nashville has a very organized push.  Charlotte doesn’t so the organized wheel gets the proverbial expansion franchise no?!  We don’t have an MLB heavyweight (Tepper like) pushing for things here.  

Important note: MLB has no plans to expand anytime soon.