Could Charlotte Field an MLB Team?

[jwmann2]

This question I am sure has been asked before, I know it's a little off topic, but it's still sports. I love Charlotte when I visit, beautiful and booming city. The Panthers came to Charlotte not too long ago and have done well. I know NC is a basketball state. I don't think the attendance of Knights games are a good indicator, it's minor league!

Thoughts? I hear San Antonio is really pushing for a team as is Indianapolis.

[ammofan]

Yes we most definitely could. Charlotte has some old baseball history, plus baseball in uptown period(minor or major) will draw people in. The tickets are cheap and there is nothing else going on downtown during the summer.
And the Knights current attendance means NOTHING because they play in Fort Mill and that's a good 30 minutes drive for most to go to a 7:15 game every night....

[ohara831]

I think that until this economy gets back on track, people just dont have the disposable income to afford another sports franchise in the Charlotte area. 10 years ago, they could have. It may be another 10 before things are well off enough for another franchise in the area. But there is a rich history of baseball in the Carolinas, so if the economy is allowing it, I think that a MLB team could do well.

[Dcarnys]

I've worked for the Charlotte Knights for 4 years now and at the current moment my answer is No. Knights Stadium is outdated and although only 21 years old now has fallen behind in upkeep and is now obsolete. The layout is identical to the Charlotte Coliseum and was built by George Shinn who was notorious for taking the cheap way out. The original plan for Knights Stadium was to eventually hold a MLB and NFL team but was built during a time when Stadium designs changed drastically. Knights Stadium has suffered the same fate as the Coliseum in quickly becoming obsolete.

Other problems I see are where the Knights are looking to build the new Uptown stadium. If you have driven by it it’s not a big plot of land and personally if the stadium was built to AAA specs (About 10,000), I doubt it would be expandable due to the way stadiums are constructed today. Any stadium built on that spot would have to fit at least 35,000 to 40,000. Right now there are only two spots I can think of that are ether in or near uptown and have a view of the skyline. That site is a mostly empty plot of land around Clarkson St, and American Legion Memorial Stadium. The main problem I see with the Clarkson St spot is little parking and Clarkson St would have to be re-routed or completely torn apart. American Legion Memorial Stadium would have to be torn down (along with the nearby Grady Cole Center.) This would leave many events not big enough for the TWC Arena or Independence Coliseum without a suitable venue as well as leave the Charlotte MLL (Major League Lacrosse) Team without a venue.

The other major obstacles are on weather Charlotte can back a MLB team. The best time for the MLB to come to Charlotte was in 2002-2003 right after the Hornets move. It was either MLB or NBA at the time and the NBA won. I can see Charlotte losing out to the smaller but less competitive Triad market for MLB expansion into the Carolinas.

MLB in Charlotte would only work with these reservations

1. Charlotte’s team MUST be an American League team (No competition with the Braves).
2. Must be in a new stadium built to MLB specs.
3. Charlotte has to rally behind all of its current teams, Knights included.

Only with that I can see MLB in Charlotte, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Only two teams are in danger of relocation (Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics) and I don’t see Baseball expanding for another 10-15 years. I would love to be wrong about this but I just don’t see it happening anytime soon.

Stadium Location map (http://s1023.photobucket.com/albums/af357/Dcarnys/?action=view&current=CHARLOTTEMLB.png)
Knights Stadium Original Plan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9241236@N07/2628628033/in/photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/9241236@N07/2628626659/in/photostream/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/9241236@N07/2629444316/in/photostream/)
Debate on the original plans (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?100479-Charlotte-Knights-Stadium-as-a-MLB-NFL-Venue)

[CaptainJack1]

I echo what ohara said. MLB is the most expensive of the major league sports for a city to operate because of the # of games, so unless we get a consistently winning team, or get like 30,000 season ticket holders, it'll be a tough sell, especially in this economy.

If we do get a team though and it's not expansion, it will almost certainly be the Rays, it would make sense too because the Rays are a part of the AL East and they wouldn't have to change divisions.

Would the Braves be allowed to say no? we're pretty much in Braves territory with their games being televised here so I bet if they could they would fight it.


I can see Charlotte losing out to the smaller but less competitive Triad market for MLB expansion into the Carolinas

Speaking of this, does anyone remember when the Twins came within like a handshake of moving to Forsyth county back in the late 90's? I think it was Kernersville the guy who would have moved them to NC was looking at building a stadium. I sometimes wonder how that would have worked out because the Twins usually have a good team every year.

[Dcarnys]

Would the Braves be allowed to say no? we're pretty much in Braves territory with their games being televised here so I bet if they could they would fight it.

The Braves can fight it and probably will. As long as the other owners agree though its all good. That happened when the Expos moved to Washington. The Orioles fought them moving into the market but all the other owners approved it.

[teej]

The Braves thing would only really be a stopping point if it was an NL team.

The Rays are a perfect target, because they have a smart and frugal front office that's able to win even when the fan support isn't there. However, the new stadium would likely have to be taxpayer-funded, which would be a big problem for the nutcases in Mecklenburg county. I think the best spot for a stadium would be somewhere just north of the city, not directly in Uptown. Maybe between I-85 and I-485 near I-77 (close to the Metrolina Expo area), where there are multiple ways to get to the stadium. There isn't much there right now, so it'd be easy to build.

No way GSO/Winston-Salem/High Point can support a team. At all.

[Dunk]

I think it's possible but it's going to require investment by the city and the owner. The current slot for the Knights is too small. Dcarnys ideas for spots are alright because it's still walkable from uptown. Also, what might be interest is just east of the city. Extend the existing light rail line a 1/4 mile. That would help with some renewal in that area as well.

I think the city likes sports. And we could use the jobs and revenue from 81 more games.

[Dcarnys]

No way GSO/Winston-Salem/High Point can support a team. At all.

It came very close to happening before in the late 90's. The public voted down the stadium (sound familiar :p)
http://onnidan1.com/forum/index.php?topic=49763.10;wap2

[teej]

It came very close to happening before in the late 90's. The public voted down the stadium (sound familiar :p)
http://onnidan1.com/forum/index.php?topic=49763.10;wap2

I'm well aware it came close. I have a baseball text-based sim that's very accurate with markets, so I edited in the "Greensboro Twins" and it was awful. And from firsthand experience living and playing and going to school in the area, it won't support a baseball team.

[Dcarnys]

Could you do something with the Charlotte market and Raleigh/Durham markets and see how it turns out?? That seems to be a rather intresting program.

[teej]

Could you do something with the Charlotte market and Raleigh/Durham markets and see how it turns out?? That seems to be a rather intresting program.

I always do it with a Charlotte team. I usually change the "Marlins" in 1993 (expansion team) to the Charlotte Monarchs, and play around with the leagues so that they're in the AL. Once you input the right population and income numbers, it works fairly well, similar to the Minnesota Twins or the Houston Astros as far as revenue/payroll.

The game is called Baseball Mogul which I really enjoy, there's also a football version but I'm not a fan of that.

Never done a Raleigh one, I'll do that next time.