It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. There’s no cover charge and the dress code is casual. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started,
but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The Cubs are out on the West Coast. So are the Iowa Cubs It’s messing up my schedule. But the Cubs lost to the Giants, 5-2.
Last night I asked you if you thought Kyle Tucker was “back” after his big weekend in Anaheim. On a scale of 1 to 5 where five is “definitely” and 1 is “no way,” 52 percent of you gave that a “4.” Another 30 percent said it was 50-50, giving it a “3.”
On Tuesday nights/Wednesday mornings, I don’t do any movie stuff. But I always have time for jazz, so now is that time.
Tonight we have guitarist Grant Green playing the Rodgers and Hart jazz standard “My Funny Valentine.” Joining Green are Yusef Lateef on flute, Brother Jack McDuff on organ and Al Harewood on drums.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
Tonight I don’t want to talk about the Cubs, so we’re going to ask about expansion, which is coming. When? Eventually. 2031 or 2032, one would guess.
There’s been a lot of talk about possible realignment and how the schedule works. But tonight I’m going to ask you which cities do you think should get an expansion franchise?
I’m going to give you eight cities and let you vote on which ones should get an expansion franchise. I will give a quick thumbnail pros/cons of each city. I’m going to admit that I didn’t spend hours researching this, so these arguments are going to be a bit glib. But you can make your own cases in the comments and/or correct me.
I’m going to drop my campaign to put a team in Northern New Jersey, which would be the most logical place for one if the Yankees and Mets wouldn’t do everything in their powers to block it. The Phillies might too.
Nashville, TN
Pros: In an underserved area for MLB. Rapidly growing population. Good financial base. Currently have NFL, MLS and NHL team.
Cons: While rapidly growing, still about the size of Cleveland at the moment, which would make it one of the smaller markets.
Charlotte, NC
Pros: The second-biggest market without a team (Orlando is first) and still growing.
Cons: Would cut into the Braves TV market. A lot of competition from other sports, with some questioning whether Charlotte would support another.
Raleigh, NC
Pros: Would have less competition from other sports than Charlotte. Also growing. Richer than Charlotte with more disposable income. Have supported an NHL team, which wouldn’t really conflict much with MLB support.
Cons: Smaller than Charlotte. Same issue as Charlotte with the Braves TV market.
San Antonio, TX
Pros: Almost as big as Charlotte, and it has nearby Austin that almost doubles its area population. Have long supported an NBA team.
Cons: Already two teams in Texas who would try to block a move. Would definitely hurt the Rangers and Astros TV revenues. San Antonio’s average income is quite low, although Austin’s is high to even that out a bit. Doesn’t appear to have much local support at this time, although that could change.
Montreal, QB
Pros: A long tradition of baseball and baseball fans. A huge population compared to the other candidates. Would be a great rival for the Blue Jays.
Cons: Same as why they left for Washington in the first place—no stadium and no local support for taxpayer funds to build one. Would require a retractable dome, adding to the cost.
Salt Lake City, UT
Pros: Growing, relatively affluent population. In an underserved area for baseball. Has supported an NBA team for decades and has an NHL team now.
Cons: Despite its growth, it would still be the smallest market in the league. Doesn’t have any real secondary markets to draw from.
Sacramento, CA
Pros: Easily the biggest television market of all the candidates. (Although I’m not sure about Montreal.) Northern California has supported two teams for decades. Have supported an NBA team for decades.
Cons: Despite the size of the TV market, the population of Sacto itself is a little on the lighter side. No local support for a taxpayer stadium. Haven’t exactly supported the Athletics this year, but there are lots of reasons for that (the team refusing to call themselves “Sacramento” or adopt much local connection other than a sleeve patch, for example).
Portland, OR
Pros: Probably the best combination of size, TV market and disposable income of all the candidates. Have supported an NBA and MLS team. While there is some overlap with Seattle, mostly an underserved area.
Cons: Portland really supports the MLS Timbers and NWSL Thorns, which could be a problem for an MLB team to complete with over the summer. (Although MLS is rumored to be looking at moving to a Fall-to-Spring schedule.) Zero local support for taxpayer money for a stadium.
I really hate the new polling software, but in theory, the new system should allow you to vote for 2 candidates. I’m trying it out tonight. If it doesn’t work, well, that doesn’t surprise me and I’m sorry.
Thanks for stopping by tonight. I hope you had a good night. Get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.
