you could put a stadium for a major league team at the old Budd Site or rebuild Connie Mack. as for minor league, I woudl think their target audience is less wealthy (who can afford the big leagues) and more moderate income fans.

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"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Are you REALLY SERIOUS that the whole of the suburban population is so wealthy? REALLY?


I haven't said it in a few weeks, but you really are an idiot.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xCiKCxfYqE

"If we can't learn from our mistakes, what's the point of making them!" ...my friend Richard.

"You are protected by the enormity of your stupidity." Mother to son Victor, in "Notorious"

Yes REALLY!

Sunshine oh but how the times have changed. Who do you think is supporting professional sports in this metro? Trust me if this metro ever gets a second professional franchise it will undoubtedly, without question,unequivocally be located in one of the suburban areas. The money + power base has shifted enormously towards the suburbs.When the NFL,MLB,NBA even the NHL originated 80% of the metro population and wealth lived in Philadlephia, thats down to about 25% and that 25% of the population remaining in the city is for the most part dirt poor.

You wont see another duplicate professional franchise in Philadelphia. Book it. If it happens, which I tend to doubt, it will happen in the suburbs.As the suburbs possess Twice as many people , making twice as much money.

Lets break it down and to be kind to you I'll leave out South Jersey,New Castle,Berks,Lehigh Counties which add another 2.5 million people economically doing much better than Philly. The city is losing stature by the day, growth is happening all around it in case you've been living in a cave for the past 40 years.

2000 census

Philadlephia

Population -1.5 M
Per capita household income- $30,746

Chester County

Population-450,000
Per capita income- $65,295

Montgomery County

Population- 750,000
Per capita income- $60,829

Bucks

Population-600,000
Per Capita income- $59,727

Delaware County

Population-550,000
Per Capita income- $50,092

4 Suburban Pa counties

Population-2,350,000
Per Capita Income- $61,940

If you believe that then why didn't the first team build their stadium in the suburbs?

The people with money live in the suburbs. Who cares. The question is, where will they go to a game? If someone has money and they live in the suburbs does that mean they will only go to games in the suburbs? If that is the case then the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers will all go out of business.

If the stadium is in Delco, will people from Bucks/Montco drive through and past he city to go to a game? Isn't the CENTER of the region, the location that will attract the most fans from the suburbs? Isn't the center of the region actually Philadelphia? Geographically the most convenient place to attend a game for MOST people in the suburbs is probably Philadelphia. The only exception would be for the people that live in the suburb where a potential new stadium would be located. What I mean by that is if you live north of the city in Bucks, it would be pretty stupid to think you targeting people in Bucks if you built a stadium that is south of the city. The people from Bucks would have to drive through the city to get to the game. People from Montco would have to drive past the city to get to a game.

The city is the hub. Mass transit goes to the city not from suburb to suburb. The roads go to and from the city.

think of some of the cities with four major sports teams like philadelphia. However, philadelphia metro is much bigger than these and yet we have the same amount of teams- Denver, Seattle, Pheonix(metro). You would think that we could support a fifth

When the Phillies originated (1883)there were probably less than 50,000 people living in the area outside the city. Today there are 4 million people living in the burbs.




The Eagles/Phillies/Sixers are established they have tradition in Philadelphia and it would be a travesty to have them play anywhere but in the city.When those teams originated Philadlephia was in its heydey and rightfully deserved to represent the 4 professional franchises. That being said its logical that if a duplicate professional franchise was ever awarded to this area it would most likely occur out in the suburbs where the balance of power has shifted dramatically.

KOP is much more centrally located to the suburban wealth than South Philly. West Chester is also more convenient to the suburban $$$ althoug its a bit further than KOP. If you gave your average Pa. suburbanite a choice of watching a mlb in KOP,WC, or South Philly the vast majority would choose KOP or WC imo.

If you built a stadium in the western burbs the only location that gets truly shafted is South Jersey and Philadelphia. People from Bucks would jump on Turnpike(76) to 202.

Thats why I want an AL East franchise in the western suburbs where an instant rivalry is created. South Jersey/Del/Philadelphia(pop 2.7 M) and certainly many people from the western suburbs would remain loyal to the Phils. The wealthy NWestern burbs which would also draw from Berks,Lehigh Northhampton,Lancaster counties( total pop. 3.5 M) get a new toy to play with and end Philadlephias string of misery once and for all.

The Nwestern suburbs are the new face of the region, step back hospitalitywench and watch success unfold.

I know the NFL does, but does the MLB have any rules about new franchises/old franchises relocating to areas within a certain distance of an existing team?

Also, keep in mind, there is a difference between "can support it" and "should support it". In all honesty, I don't think we need to spend any more tax dollars on stadiums.

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Yes the Phillies ownership would have to agree to allow a second franchise in the area and thats why it will most likely never happen. It would take a bigtime investor to blind the Phillies ownership with greenbacks to allow another mlb in its territorial rights. Eventhough in the grand scheme of things an AL East franchise in the Philadephia area could be a boon for mlb and the Phillies. Instant rivalry with the Phillies and having Philadlephia be part of the Yanks/Sox madness would absolutely raise baseball up several notches in this area.

Yes but in this specific circumstance, this truly would spur economic activity in the region. Why is West Chester mickey mousing around with an A ball team? Give me a break.

If West Chester found investors to buy and move the Tampa franchise to WC, before they even hired 1 sales person you'd have 30 guaranteed sell outs. 9(Yanks) 9(Red Sox) 9(O's) 3(Phils) Thats 40% of your season guaranteed yearly sell outs.

West Chester is already surrounded by wealth imagine the filthy rich Yanks,Red Sox fans driving around beautiful Birmingham and East Brandywine seeing 5 Br 5,000 Sq. foot homes going for less than their 2 BR Apartments in Long Island and Boston. The Manhattan exec drives by Great Valley corporate park and sees that he can rent office space in gorgeous Great Valley for 1/4 of what he can in cramped Lower Manhattan.

This would be an economic windfall for the suburbs. New ballpark,new hotels,new retail. Forget about A ball if you are going to do it then do it right.

oh, you mean like the Yankees-Mets rivalry? much better than the Phils-Mets rivalry.

WC is a small town, that's why. and it's no more convenient than Philly for most of the region, even much of the burbs. South Philly is the location because no one could agree on an altnernate. 30th St woudl have been a much better location.
If there is a manhattan exec that doesn't realize that there are cheaper places to rent than Manhattan they shoudl be fired immediately. And you assume that the people living in East Brandywine want a bunch of manhattan execs driving around their quaint roads (which are not capable of handling much growth).


BTW, don't the yanks play in the bronx? where are the North Jersey and CT teams?

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Admittedly KOP might be the optimal location for a new regional hub.

Of course West Chester on merit is a small town but in the overall grand scheme of things its simply a part of a 3 million plus person western suburban area( bigger than 70% of the metroes in mlb) The Phillies continue to draw from Philadlephia-South Jersey-Delco,mainline etc.



Undoubtedly there are cheaper places to rent than Manhattan but that doesnt necessarily mean an Manhattan exec coming down to see the Yanks play in beautiful vibrant growing Chester/Montgomery County wont say hey this is a stupendous location for expansion.

Now whether East Brandywine, East Goshen want the fame/hassle is another story ,I agree with you there.


Again tradition. The Yanks belong in the Bronx. Now if NY got a 3rd team it would most likely not go in the Bronx but rather a fresh growing exanding part of the metro.