Comments on: San Jose is no panacea for the Athletics … how about New York?

By: jarathen

jarathen — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:34:06 +0000

I imagine a future without territorial rights and blackout rules that take two states without any Major League franchises but blocks them from watching 20% of the teams on MLB.tv.

It is so bright that I must wear shades.

A’s should go to San Jose.

By: acerob2002

acerob2002 — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:20:15 +0000

that’s only because its not a major league team. it has nothing to do with how big of a draw baseball is. I drive all over the west coast every year to see mlb games and would love a SLC based MLB team.

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:11:43 +0000

Say, have any teams ever left New York City? Because if they had, that could make a really interesting book. I mean, imagine if the Dodgers ever left Los Angeles — if you can imagine!

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:08:29 +0000

No, no — I’m devastated. The Braves drew more fans in their first 8 games in Milwaukee than they had in their last season in Boston. It hurts me to this day, knowing it occurred decades before I was born. The hypothetical pain haunts me, still. And don’t get me started about losing an NFL team at the height of the Great Depression, when no one cared about professional football.

You win, Bozos. You win.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:47:22 +0000

No, just bring back the Elephant.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:46:25 +0000

This just in Proper Nouns can be used metaphorically.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:40:48 +0000

Hey, bozo, do us all a favor and shut the hell up.

By: bozosforall

bozosforall — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:56:57 +0000

That crybaby Red Sox fan has no room to talk, given that loservile Boston couldn’t even keep the Braves around. And also lost the Redskins to Washington.

By: The Wizard

The Wizard — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:42:58 +0000

can anything be done to destroy this territorial rights contraption?

if MLB loses its anti-trust exemption would the territorial rights thing become illegal?

By: leftywildcat

leftywildcat — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:02:11 +0000

A’s back to Philly as sooon as possible!

Put them in the far Northeast, next to the Amtrak station along I-95. They’d be 20 miles from where the Phils play. They’d draw the South Jersey and Central Jersey crowds easily, and maybe some of the North Jersey crowd. Probable sell-outs when the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, and Angels come to town. Phils sell out all the time anyway.

By: nflinla

nflinla — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:18:51 +0000

A’s to Brooklyn

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:11:27 +0000

Pardon me, I misunderstood your point. With your clarification, I agree.

By: snowbirdgothic

snowbirdgothic — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:00:48 +0000

I’m not willing to trade the Bulls and Mudcats for the A’s.

By: crisisofinfinitephils

crisisofinfinitephils — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:00:19 +0000

That was Phunny. Phillie phans are phrauds. They prepher Phootball and hockey. Which sadly doesn’t have an f.

By: blabidibla

blabidibla — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:48:59 +0000

Yes, and? Neil deMause himself says the team is never going to New York. Craig says the same. This whole piece is fantasy. He also says San Jose is a better option financially than Portland, Las Vegas, San Antonio, etc… due to the fact it’s a larger market. The only point I disagree with deMause is his idea that East Bay fans wouldn’t make the commute.

By: footballisking

footballisking — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:46:38 +0000

@ the post about a minor league team in salt lake not getting people in the seats…

I am clueless if salt lake could or couldnt support a major league team because I have never been anywhere near salt lake city….but tons of people will go to major league games in any market as opposed to hardly any people attending a minor league games in that same market..comparing a minor league to a professional league is apples to oranges

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:43:29 +0000

I’m not sure if there’s enough room to do it, but my preference would be downtown Newark, right next to the Prudential Center. Right next to Penn Station Newark, which is 22 minutes away from WTC, 20 minutes away from mid-town, directly connected by rail to the Jersey shore, Trenton and the Raritan Valley, and has a whole mess of other rail lines that would just have to transfer at Secaucus. Of course, I have that area marked out for the Rays once they get out of their lease, so the As have to go somewhere else.

By: scatterbrian

scatterbrian — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:34:30 +0000

Great point about the naming and merch. Like I said, it wouldn’t be an instantaneous fix, but it would put them on the path to compete and to remain competitive.

I welcome the day when the A’s are required to share revenue.

By: yankeesfanlen

yankeesfanlen — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:28:55 +0000

And during the time frame you mention, the Yankees won 17 pennants.
There’s no edge to lose here.

By: pantherpro

pantherpro — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:25:03 +0000

Any jersey with Oakland on it is trash! Raider fan are you listening. Both teams finish last in attendance and first in killings!

By: DJ MC

DJ MC — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:11:55 +0000

Just to make a slight revision to your history, in the 58 years of the modern NL where both teams were in New York, one of the two won the pennant 23 times. So referring to them as “NL afterthoughts” makes you sound like a bit of a Yankee fan who fears losing an edge.

By: jerseydevi1

jerseydevi1 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:09:15 +0000

I know there would be some who wouldn’t like it in those areas, but I know I would love to see the Yankees playing the Brooklyn Bridegrooms? Grays? Superbas? Robins?

With some support, they could be the NY team to challenge Philly for the NL East, and set up a long gone Bronx – Brooklyn World Series. THAT would make the city rock and roll.

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:29:12 +0000

There’s not enough people in Connecticut to make a difference. And you’d be inaccessible to Long Island AND northern New Jersey.

The Meadowlands (or somewhere nearby, preferably with a city) is probably the right place for a team. Is somewhere like Hackensack or Patterson an option? An anchor to a new entertainment district.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:28:43 +0000

Hi Brian-nice work. The only thing I’d be careful about is believing Beane’s assertion that “they” have never taken profit and put it in their pockets. As I’ve pointed out before there is significant unaccounted for revenue versus expenses. Normally that’s considered profit. The A’s have some crazy euphemism for it but it’s really the same thing. in truth, the amounts in question would not build a competitive outfield, though.

Another point is that the A’s have been terrible with naming rights and merchandising. A move to a new venue is an automatic boost to both of those and will help close the gap from their current $ 160M to closer to $200M, though it may then precipitate an offset in revenue sharing. Still, it should be a net plus. The biggest boost to income will be attendance, however.

By: catamount1

catamount1 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:24:20 +0000

Raleigh, NC. Nearest teams…. Both National League…. Nationals (4.5 hours) and Braves (6 hours). Nearest American League team….probably the Baltimore Orioles (do they still count?) at 6 hours.

We could put the stadium on the southwest side of the city (think Pittsboro) and draw from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and even Charlotte. Better weather than Austin, TX. Better weather than NY, NY. As one of the most desirable places to live in America today we continue to offer a growing economy.

Bring my A’s to Raleigh. PLEASE Lew!!!!!!! Please?

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:17:29 +0000

While Neil deMause is in Brooklyn, he’s been writing about sports stadium and relocation issues for years. He seems to know what he is talking about. Here’s his A’s archive
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/mlb/oakland_as/

By: bisonaudit

bisonaudit — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:16:19 +0000

1) The territorial rights thing is only as big a deal as people want to make out of it. The Expos moved to DC and they worked out a deal with the O’s over their rights.

2) In any given year there are somewhere between 5 and 7 Premeirship teams in the greater London area. NYC can clearly support at least a third MLB franchise.

By: schlom

schlom — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:14:12 +0000

I never knew that neanderthals had views on gun controllessness (whatever the hell that is). Considering that neanderthals disappeared from the fossil record about 25,000 years ago, firearms were invented about 1000 years ago, and gun control in the US is ultimately over 400 years old I find it absolutely amazing that they had views on gun control.

By: schlom

schlom — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:52:00 +0000

I think the 3rd team would be placed in Connecticut so it could also draw fans from the Red Sox area as well.

By: marinersnate

marinersnate — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:50:26 +0000

With every other team owning territorial rights to the rest of the country there seems to be only one real option: The Fairbanks’ Athletics! (Lew better be thinking non-retractable Dome).

Now that I think about it, Alaska may well be within the Mariners territorial rights. Hmmm. The Hong Kong Athletics?