Pick cities for MLB expansion?

[oriole^]

The poll is right here...

Yes, I think expanding at this point would be a silly thing to do...the main idea was to test out the voting method on Demochoice. (Which you folks really should check out; it would be so much better than the usual method of deciding elections in the U.S.) Right now, though, Portland and Charlotte are winning - borrrrring!

[dps]

My 1st choice isn't even in the poll.

[boomboom]

my 4th choice was portland....and that is where my vote went too...bullcrap...this poll is ****..... My 1st choice was buffalo NY, i want to see 3 MLB NY TEAMS..

[SFSteveG]

This is much too confusing for most people. Imagine voter apathy after they were told about this. It would all work backwards.

[robinhoodnik]

I want a New England regional N.L. team. We deserve a team with a stadium that is convenient, affordable, and large enough to hold more than 35,000 comfortably (Not that Fenway holds that many comfortably). Hartford would host the stadium I'm sure. I heard on the radio today that a group is trying to put together backing for a new arena to attract another NHL franchise so why not? I know I'm dreaming here with the whole baseball thing, but so what.

[Clay Dreslough]

I love how when I google 'MLB Expansion', I get a thread on the SportsMogul forums. I say Hartford needs an NL team!

[HoustonGM]

I love how when I google 'MLB Expansion', I get a thread on the SportsMogul forums.

...I'm missing it.

[Clay Dreslough]

...I'm missing it.

You mean you don't see it in Google?

I actually Googled 'mlb expansion hartford' and it was #5.

[HoustonGM]

Ah, WITH hartford. thought you meant just "mlb expansion." lol

[beerchaser]

Y'all need to remember that Hartford's NHL team is now in Raleigh. I want a MLB team in Raleigh too, doggone it. Charlotte sux.

[CatKnight]

Being originally from Hartford, I'd say they'd bend over backwards to get a NL team ... but it'd never work. Hartford's population is declining, the economy is sputtering along, and everyone there likes the Sox or Yanks. A new team would have an awful lot of trouble getting enough support to survive.

Incidentally, regarding the confusion back in 2005 about how this works....it's confusing because it's not how Americans do it. I think Australia and some European countries do.

You rank your votes 1st-4th (5th, 20th, whatever) because, after round one, if no option has a 50%+ majority the one receiving the least votes is eliminated. Anyone who voted for the now eliminated choice, rather than being disenfranchised, moves on to their second pick. This continues until someone has a majority.

It's not really needed in a two-party system like the US, but with multiple parties it helps guarantee that if my guy can't be elected, then I should be able to live with who does since he's my 2nd or 3rd choice.

[beerchaser]

I just googled "MLB expansion Charlotte" and saw my post on this thread, lol. I think it's time for MLB to look at expanding, or else do something with the Marlins or some other team like the Royals. It sucks that we don't have a home team here in North Carolina, which is the 10th most populous state in the US and growing. ****, we can't even watch the Orioles and Nats in NC because of the ongoing pissing contest between Time Warner and MASN, and the Braves aren't even on TBS anymore.

MLB added 4 teams in the 90's but none in this decade, and even if two new teams were announced today, they wouldn't start playing before 2011 at the absolute earliest. That'd be what, 14 years since the Rays and Dbacks? I'm sure the same old tired arguments about "dilution of pitching" would be brought up against it, but I think the way pitchers are handled these days probably has more to do with that than any drop in the talent pool. Pitch counts, complete games are going the way of the horse and buggy, LH relief pitchers are brought in to face one batter and gone, and most closers pitch one inning, max. Teams routinely carry 12, maybe 13 pitchers on their 25 man roster now. Is this really necessary?

[Arctic Blast]

More expansion is a BAD idea. You water down your talent base, and in fact weaken your talent in the short to mid term, simply because rosters need to be filled out, and typically are by guys who would normally not be in the Majors. Just look at the NHL...they added 9 teams in 9 years, and are just NOW pulling out of it on a talent basis.

[Alloutwar]

I don't really want more expansion. But, I agree with BeerChaser - i think one of the Florida teams should move here to Charlotte. Charlotte is a great city, steadily growing - and the downtown is practically empty on weekends! The football stadium is an absolute waste of space when one of the 10 games a season isn't being played there...can't they make it into dual-use or anything?

Heck, the Knights play in SC! The Charlotte knights play in SC! Not that I'm complaining - it's easier to get in and out of, and 5 mins from my house!

[dannymac910]

They need another team in the AL west.