I think Mexico City is probably very high on MLB's preferred list of expansion cities. I don't see them placing regular season games in any of those other locations. I'm sure they're worried about the altitude and the balls just flying out of the stadium, but they've dealt with a version of that issue in Coors Fields and I suspect they don't see it as a deal breaker.
I’m curious that Indianapolis doesn’t seem to be considered for baseball expansion? I grew up there, have been gone for decades, but it seems like they are on the same level with the other candidates. A long time ago they were mentioned as candidates, if I remember correctly. Is it because they are to close to the Reds and Chicago?
I live just outside of Portland. But it doesn’t strike me as a good baseball town. Joe, perhaps when your book tour stops at Powell’s in Portland, you can do some research on the subject?
Finally, about your football book. This is quite a turn around for you. It wasn’t that many years ago that you were writing that you were turning off from the NFL because of the violence in the game. Then you had your issue with the Browns. I’m guessing that Mahomes is mostly responsible for your reversal. Perhaps you should dedicate your book to him.
And thanks for your continuing awesome level of content on this site.
Personally, I’m biased (don’t really like football), but I always thought that Joe’s move away from football was principled, and I respected him for it. I wish he had stuck with it, but on the other hand, I don’t like holding people to a higher standard once they do one thing in the direction you support. I wouldn’t be critical of Joe writing a book about football if he hadn’t said he was moving away from the sport, so I won’t be critical now. Still the best sportswriter around, regardless of his choice of topic.
Love you Joe but for the love of god please refrain from any further mention of Tony LaRussa. I'm begging you regardless of how poorly my team is playing.
I check the standings every day, and the first thing I look for is whether the Yankees lost. If they lost, I read the game recap. If they won, I don't like to talk about what I do. I do not breath easy until they are mathematically eliminated. This is my baseball fandom. I am technically an Atlanta fan, but I am mostly just a fan of whoever is playing the Yankees. My goal is to see them finish in last place, under .500. We will see.
The series beginning tonight between the Royals and A's features two teams with a combined .219 winning percentage. I wonder if this is the worst between 2 teams 30+ games into a season?
I think blaming the Rays' attendance woes on their stadium is far too simplistic. I once took the day off to drive to Tampa for a playoff game, and if The Trop ain't no Camden Yards, watching the game there was definitely better than--I don't know--being at work. Or for that matter, being at the movies. Or being at a bar having to listen to 110db techno. Or getting sunburned on a boat somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.
I'm not sure what the problem is but the Marlins have it too. . . . and their stadium can compare well to the good ones.
When the Rays--off to a historically good start--got less than 10,000 people for their home games against the World Champions a few weeks back, there was no word for it but travesty.
And it ain't the park. They used to sell out Shea, right?
We know Orlando is a perfectly fine AA town. . . . just like Miami and Tampa.
Neat. I expanded my OOTP leagues over time to 36 teams, and six of your seven cities host major league clubs (sorry San Jose; nobody knew the way). I also moved a team to Vancouver to keep the Seattle and Portland company.
Had I known about the A’s I’d look like a soothsayer, I suppose, but I moved the Rockies because I got sick of Coors Field. Sorry Denver. FWIW you still have the Avs.
The fact that Joe likes football is a fault I struggle to overlook.
Also, the fact you live in Charlotte and think it might work is kind of a weak argument. Charlotte and Nashville are both too close to Atlanta in a region that is not baseball mad. The Braves have to win to draw and they have a 400 mile radius of fans. \
What makes you think Portland (Oregon) is a great baseball town? I've lived here the 15 years and I don't think it is. I also know I have no clue what makes a good baseball town (let alone a great one).
But I will throw a few things out for consideration.
1 - The city didn't support the AAA team at the end. At all. The stadium has since been converted to soccer.
2 - The city is broke. Public funds are at a premium and unlikely to be there for a stadium.
3 - There aren't a bunch of large corporate sponsors with HQs in Oregon. There's Nike. And then..... Lithia Motors? Franz Bakery? lol.
4 - It rains a lot. A LOT. Particularly March - June and Sept - Nov. So that stadium might need a roof....
5 - Public infrastructure is a mess and there are no plans for interstate expansion.
I know I keep seeing Portland on the list of expansion cities, but I just don't get why.
As someone who feels much the same as Joe does about that Yankees, I hate to rain on anyone’s parade but the last place Yankees are still 2 games over .500 and a game and a half out of third place. So this feels a bit like deciding my lawn’s dandelion problem is gone because I don’t see anything yellow a week after the snow’s melted.
I wonder with a more balanced schedule if we might see a division where everyone ends up with a winning (or losing) record.
We aren't the self-appointed BFIB. That moniker was bestowed upon us by God. It was actually chiseled on the the third tablet that Moses brought down from the mountaintop, the one that he accidently dropped and broke.
In fairness, when ownership sets the expectations before the season that this Cardinal team will contend for the World Series, then delivers a team contending for the No. 1 draft pick, what do you expect? No one expected Oakland or Kansas City or Colorado to be good. Everyone thought this would be a St. Louis team that would, at least, vie for a wild card spot. And it’s not like Goldschmidt, Arenado and two other players are hurt. They’ve just been awful. The whole team.
The Cardinals are an older version of the Rays, but with no pitching. On the batting side both teams platoon like crazy. What is killing the Cardinals is their lineups have not been productive and their pitching is awful. Maybe Yadier Molina was the glue that made the Cardinals a good team.
Joe - I grew up as half an Expos fan (I'm a Canadian who lived on the US border - it gets complicated with Detroit). I miss the Expos so much, as do many others. Montreal always gets mentioned wrt expansion - and I appreciate you listing them as a #2 option. That said, in your heart of hearts do you believe MLB actually considers Montreal a viable option? It feels like MLB mentions MTL out of guilt - it doesn't really feel genuine (or is that just my Canadian self consciousness coming out?)
For folks who have never been there - there is really no other North American city like it. Montreal in the summer is absolutely incredible to visit - and those folks are diehard baseball fans (when they aren't getting screwed around).
I think Mexico City is probably very high on MLB's preferred list of expansion cities. I don't see them placing regular season games in any of those other locations. I'm sure they're worried about the altitude and the balls just flying out of the stadium, but they've dealt with a version of that issue in Coors Fields and I suspect they don't see it as a deal breaker.
I’m curious that Indianapolis doesn’t seem to be considered for baseball expansion? I grew up there, have been gone for decades, but it seems like they are on the same level with the other candidates. A long time ago they were mentioned as candidates, if I remember correctly. Is it because they are to close to the Reds and Chicago?
I live just outside of Portland. But it doesn’t strike me as a good baseball town. Joe, perhaps when your book tour stops at Powell’s in Portland, you can do some research on the subject?
Finally, about your football book. This is quite a turn around for you. It wasn’t that many years ago that you were writing that you were turning off from the NFL because of the violence in the game. Then you had your issue with the Browns. I’m guessing that Mahomes is mostly responsible for your reversal. Perhaps you should dedicate your book to him.
And thanks for your continuing awesome level of content on this site.
I had a similar thought.
Personally, I’m biased (don’t really like football), but I always thought that Joe’s move away from football was principled, and I respected him for it. I wish he had stuck with it, but on the other hand, I don’t like holding people to a higher standard once they do one thing in the direction you support. I wouldn’t be critical of Joe writing a book about football if he hadn’t said he was moving away from the sport, so I won’t be critical now. Still the best sportswriter around, regardless of his choice of topic.
Love you Joe but for the love of god please refrain from any further mention of Tony LaRussa. I'm begging you regardless of how poorly my team is playing.
I check the standings every day, and the first thing I look for is whether the Yankees lost. If they lost, I read the game recap. If they won, I don't like to talk about what I do. I do not breath easy until they are mathematically eliminated. This is my baseball fandom. I am technically an Atlanta fan, but I am mostly just a fan of whoever is playing the Yankees. My goal is to see them finish in last place, under .500. We will see.
The series beginning tonight between the Royals and A's features two teams with a combined .219 winning percentage. I wonder if this is the worst between 2 teams 30+ games into a season?
Wow, the writer from Cleveland ripping on Orlando?
Marmol and the Cardinals demonstrate how important a manager’s people skills are. Best example I can think of is Joe Torre
I think blaming the Rays' attendance woes on their stadium is far too simplistic. I once took the day off to drive to Tampa for a playoff game, and if The Trop ain't no Camden Yards, watching the game there was definitely better than--I don't know--being at work. Or for that matter, being at the movies. Or being at a bar having to listen to 110db techno. Or getting sunburned on a boat somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.
I'm not sure what the problem is but the Marlins have it too. . . . and their stadium can compare well to the good ones.
When the Rays--off to a historically good start--got less than 10,000 people for their home games against the World Champions a few weeks back, there was no word for it but travesty.
And it ain't the park. They used to sell out Shea, right?
We know Orlando is a perfectly fine AA town. . . . just like Miami and Tampa.
Neat. I expanded my OOTP leagues over time to 36 teams, and six of your seven cities host major league clubs (sorry San Jose; nobody knew the way). I also moved a team to Vancouver to keep the Seattle and Portland company.
Had I known about the A’s I’d look like a soothsayer, I suppose, but I moved the Rockies because I got sick of Coors Field. Sorry Denver. FWIW you still have the Avs.
The fact that Joe likes football is a fault I struggle to overlook.
Also, the fact you live in Charlotte and think it might work is kind of a weak argument. Charlotte and Nashville are both too close to Atlanta in a region that is not baseball mad. The Braves have to win to draw and they have a 400 mile radius of fans. \
What makes you think Portland (Oregon) is a great baseball town? I've lived here the 15 years and I don't think it is. I also know I have no clue what makes a good baseball town (let alone a great one).
But I will throw a few things out for consideration.
1 - The city didn't support the AAA team at the end. At all. The stadium has since been converted to soccer.
2 - The city is broke. Public funds are at a premium and unlikely to be there for a stadium.
3 - There aren't a bunch of large corporate sponsors with HQs in Oregon. There's Nike. And then..... Lithia Motors? Franz Bakery? lol.
4 - It rains a lot. A LOT. Particularly March - June and Sept - Nov. So that stadium might need a roof....
5 - Public infrastructure is a mess and there are no plans for interstate expansion.
I know I keep seeing Portland on the list of expansion cities, but I just don't get why.
Feels like the Mariners may fight it too?
Because Rob Neyer lives there and HE says Portland would be a great major league town?
As a down in the dumps (way down) Royals fan this article about the Yankees & Cardinals made my day.
As someone who feels much the same as Joe does about that Yankees, I hate to rain on anyone’s parade but the last place Yankees are still 2 games over .500 and a game and a half out of third place. So this feels a bit like deciding my lawn’s dandelion problem is gone because I don’t see anything yellow a week after the snow’s melted.
I wonder with a more balanced schedule if we might see a division where everyone ends up with a winning (or losing) record.
I'm too lazy to look into the mathematical feasibility, but it sure feels like the AL East could deliver four playoff teams this year.
Yes - especially with the balanced schedule which as a Rays fan I love.
One important factor- all of the AL East teams are, you know, trying to win…
What's even more odd, is that not only are the Cardinals in last place, but also the self-appointed BFIB booed the home team off the field this week.
We aren't the self-appointed BFIB. That moniker was bestowed upon us by God. It was actually chiseled on the the third tablet that Moses brought down from the mountaintop, the one that he accidently dropped and broke.
You could look it up.
This might be the most typical Cardinal fan comment ever. What high school did you go to?
In fairness, when ownership sets the expectations before the season that this Cardinal team will contend for the World Series, then delivers a team contending for the No. 1 draft pick, what do you expect? No one expected Oakland or Kansas City or Colorado to be good. Everyone thought this would be a St. Louis team that would, at least, vie for a wild card spot. And it’s not like Goldschmidt, Arenado and two other players are hurt. They’ve just been awful. The whole team.
The Cardinals are an older version of the Rays, but with no pitching. On the batting side both teams platoon like crazy. What is killing the Cardinals is their lineups have not been productive and their pitching is awful. Maybe Yadier Molina was the glue that made the Cardinals a good team.
Re: Expos
Joe - I grew up as half an Expos fan (I'm a Canadian who lived on the US border - it gets complicated with Detroit). I miss the Expos so much, as do many others. Montreal always gets mentioned wrt expansion - and I appreciate you listing them as a #2 option. That said, in your heart of hearts do you believe MLB actually considers Montreal a viable option? It feels like MLB mentions MTL out of guilt - it doesn't really feel genuine (or is that just my Canadian self consciousness coming out?)
For folks who have never been there - there is really no other North American city like it. Montreal in the summer is absolutely incredible to visit - and those folks are diehard baseball fans (when they aren't getting screwed around).
Cheers
Question: Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine?