Orlando Dreamers MLB Stadium Proposal

[mccgavin]

I'm guessing the only way Orlando gets a MLB team is if a buyer moves Tampa's team there. Two of the three lowest MLB attendance teams are in Florida. Tampa, even with its winning records, doesn't draw. Miami, with its huge market, doesn't draw either. No way MLB gives Orlando an expansion team.

It really comes down to the circumstances. MLB have stated they want an expansion team in the East and in the West by the end of the decade. While places like Nashville or a city in North Carolina seem like a better option on paper for the East, there hasn't been much of a push from any of them yet. The Mayor of Nashville has outright said he will not grant public funding for baseball stadium due to current Predators stadium renovations.

As of now, the Dreamers are among the most active groups that have a good amount of funding and resources to back them, only behind Salt Lake City and Portland (which are West). If the Dreamers are able to receive their funding request, and no other East city is able to match their proposal, I think they have a pretty good shot of being granted a team. It is also quite a different market than Miami or St. Petersburg, and I think an Orlando team could potentially have the potential to find success, especially with a boost from visiting tourists.

 

[Mad Dog]

Having a successful MLB team is tougher than most sports. There's not only twice as many home dates to fill than the next nearest sports game wise, they also play in larger venues than basketball or hockey. That's a lot of seats to fill and there's only so much money to go arourrea TV rights/penetration. They're kind of squeezed in there with Miami to the south, Tampa very close to the west, and Atlanta to the north. Chances are that one, or both of the Florida teams will object to a team that close to their markets. I would guess getting an expansion franchise is very improbable. Best bet is to steal the Tampa team.