Only Major League Cities Have Baseball
Big League Baseball Franchises Can't Survive In Small Towns
May 31, 2009
There are 30 cities/markets on the North American continent that have Major League Baseball.
The places that have it are in a special category from the ones that don’t.
Pete Franklin, the late radio talk show host who had shows in Cleveland, New York and San Francisco once made this statement.
"If a city does not have Major League Baseball, it's not major league." Franklin said.
Franklin was known for his sarcasim, but this statement rings true for a lot of reasons.
There are plenty of big cities in the United States that have major professional sports teams.
But only the markets that draw from a large area and have a big population and business base, can support a Major League Baseball team for a 162-game season.
Franklin once said. "Any medium size city can support an NFL or NBA team."
Again, Franklin is right on the mark. Just look at Green Bay, Wisconsin.
It doesn’t hurt the Packers that they have a major city like Milwaukee in their marketing area, but the point is made.
Still, there are cities that once had MLB in the past and ones were denied over the years that want it.
Some of those cities use to play home to Major League Baseball in the late 1880's, or before the modern era, which is anything after the American League was formed in 1900.
Some of those cities have baseball, but only on the minor league level.
While Major League Baseball doesn't plan to expand soon, it is always taking inquiries from cities that would be interested in having a franchise.
Here's a look at some cities that have NFL, NBA and NHL franchises, or major college sports, and their prospects for Major League Baseball.
Buffalo for Major League Baseball
Buffalo is home to the NFL Bills and NHL Sabres. The city once had a Major League franchise, the Buffalo Buffeds in the Federal League from 1913-15, and Buffalo Bisons in the National League from 1878 to 1885.
The Bisons joined the minor league International League in 1886 and have been a minor league team ever since. They are currently in the New York Mets system.
Although Buffalo was a finalist for MLB expansion in 1993, the market that includes the city of Rochester is deemed too small for its needs. But it has a modern 19,000-seat stadium in Coca-Cola Park that could be converted to major league size if it ever gets a franchise.
New Orleans for Major League Baseball
The Superdome is home to the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and major college football, but the venue was also originally designed to host an MLB team if the city ever got a franchise. While a few MLB exhibition games were played there, nobody wanted to call it home.
Still, New Orleans has the Zephyrs, a minor league team in the Pacific Coast League and in the Florida Marlins system. MLB considers this market to be too small.
Charlotte, N.C. for Major League Baseball
Charlotte is a growing market and home to the NFL Panthers and NBA Bobcats. The NHL Hurricanes are upstate in Raleigh. The city was once considered a place for either of the Florida teams, the Florida (Miami) Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays – to relocate to. But those teams are considered firmly in place.
Charlotte is home to the International League Charlotte Knights, a triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
San Antonio, Texas – San Antonio was also considered an alternative to the Florida teams. The city has not given up on MLB and will be involved in the next expansion wave. The San Antonio Missions play in the Texas League and a Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
Other cities that have minor league baseball and big league teams in other sports include Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Portland, Ore; Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Indianapolis.
