Business section from todays Inquirer is reporting a rumor that West Chester is trying to build a 4,000 seat minor league baseball stadium.

Love to see it happen. Wilmington is only 30 miles from West Chester but this area is big enough to carry 2 single A franchises.Metro Wilmington is over 500,000 people alone and the Philladelphia Pa. suburbs have a population of 2.5 million.The Phillies cureently have single A teams in Lakewood NJ and Williamsport Pa. The Williamsport team seems like a perfect franchise to relocate to West Chester.

I would have loved to have seen West Chester get in on the major league soccer franchise.The author mentions WC should try to build a small arena for the Phantoms/Kixx/Barrage etc. who will be displaced in a year or two due to the Spectrum being imploded for the Philly Live Complex in South Philly. Couldnt agree more. I want those teams to somehow stay in the region and I'd much prefer it be in Chester County then Trenton,Ac or Reading.

If Chester County builds it, will you fund?


same day a Wilmington company reiterated its plans for $500 million in development on the Chester waterfront in connection with the new Major League Soccer franchise, there came another alert in my e-mail:
Chester County wants to build a minor league baseball stadium.
I think I said out loud, “You’re kidding.”
You can argue that live professional soccer is a scarce commodity in the Philadelphia area. But more minor league baseball, likely at public expense?....fullarticle

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillyinc

Well I'm very excited about the possibility!!!

of course I live in West Chester so that might have something to do with why.

We already have enough minor league teamse. Reading, Scranton, Allentown, Trenton, Camden, AC, and Del.

I want an AL baseball team. F the Phillies. Even if the team had zero fans they would draw just because the team is in the Northeast and games vs Bos and NY would sellout. When they played the NL East those games would also do well.

Norristown is getting one too...
Or at least thats what they said a few yrs ago...

WC should pay for their own team

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

If similar sized metros like SF/Oak DC/Bal can have teams in both leagues I dont see why a great sports area like Philadlephia can't.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are languishing in the AL East with an average attendance of 17,000, those clowns, that city dont deserve to be in the same division as the Yanks/Red Sox. Market Value for the Devil Rays is a very manageable $200 M.

I'm with you, bring an AL team to Philadlephia to compete with the Phils,Yanks/Sox. Build a 35,000 seat stadium out in West Chester.Think big time not single A ball.

Of course the Phillies owners being the losers they are would never allow the infringement.

Make them share with the soccer stadium in
Chester.

__________________

I want a team but I wouldn't build a stadium in West Chester. The city has 1.5 million people. I want the stadium near the customers. I would probably try to split time at Citizens Bank. Isn't that the way the As and Phillies did it with Connie Mack Stadium? If the team was successful then I would look to build a stadium.

My ideal spot would be where the Postal Annex is just South of 30th St Station and just on the other side of the river. I think that site is in the process of demo and is going to be Cira II and several other highrises. It is walking distance of the center city. I think that are has the best view of the skyline in the city.

My second choice would be somewhere along N. Broad.

It isn't going to happen since the city isn't going to get a second team but it is wishful thinking on my part. I never had a chance to see the As and I hate the Phillies. My barber is an old timer and he has posters of the As all over his shop. As he says, "The Phillies were nothing, they were never nothing." The As are still the second winningest team in baseball behind only the Yankees.

I dont think the city itself could support a second mlb team.The only logical way this works is by appeasing the wealthy suburban populace (2.5 million people)

How many minor league teams is the city able to support? Aren't the 7 minor league teams that draw from the Philly market setting attendance records?

Your logic is illogical. People that are wealthy can go to a game anywhere. If they can get to West Chester then they sure as hell can get to Philadelphia. The people that are not wealthy can all go to Philadelphia since all the mass transit goes either to or from Philadelphia. The people that live in Philadelphia can go to Philadelphia. Just ask the Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, or Eagles. West Chester is convenient for a handful of wealthy suburanites. Philadelphia is convenient for everyone.