All Ideas Will Be Considered
This idea comes by way of a reader, Matt McMillan; you can read his complete idea in the comments section of this article.
In the piece he is reacting to, I mentioned that baseball is very likely to add two teams, both on the West Coast. That, by the way, will also help the free agent market. But that help is apparently a few years away.
What I did not mention was that MLB is also desirous of moving a team back to Montreal. If the Rays do not get their financing together, they will probably become the primary target.
In response, Mr. McMillan suggested locating one of the two new teams in NYC. The idea has a lot of merits, but one big drawback.
There is, however, plenty to like about this top-down approach. Logic and experience tell us that the bigger the market, the more routinely is spent on free agents, the Mets notwithstanding.
How long have the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and both teams from Los Angeles been among baseball’s biggest spenders? The White Sox and Cubs seem to take turns, but at least one of the Chicago teams almost always has money to burn.
Also, New York used to support three teams; there are more people living here now than then. Maybe it is time to give New Jersey its own New York-named MLB club. As a bonus, they already have a temporary home in MetLife Stadium.
It cannot be that hard to pave over a bit more of Jersey and add a baseball stadium to where trains and buses already go. And concession workers would finally have year-round work. There is a lot to like about this idea.