MLB Team in Buffalo

[SABRES 0311]

Watching some baseball and I always wondered why Buffalo doesn’t have an MLB team. I would guess lots of Buffalonians like baseball. Having a team in Toronto doesn’t hurt the Sabres so I can’t imagine negative market sharing. It would give us three different ways to bring a championship to Buffalo too. Only thing we need to make sure is the Pegulas don’t own it. Appreciate everyone’s thoughts on the why and likelihood it ever happens.

[WildCard]

I can't handle that. The only team I have now that is good is the Yankees, don't take that away from me

[Weave]

The Rich’s pursued it back when Pilot Field was first built.  They pulled their submission to MLB when they determined that the finances just weren’t there to make it work.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Weave

[Doohicksie]

Also the Knoxes tried to bring baseball to Buffalo.  They were told they would get a team but when it was announced it was the Montreal Expos.  That was shortly before they got the Sabres franchise.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Doohickie

[SABRES 0311]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

The Rich’s pursued it back when Pilot Field was first built.  They pulled their submission to MLB when they determined that the finances just weren’t there to make it work.

Finances as in estimated revenue?

[bobs0108]

I also thought that we were one of the final two candidates in the 90s. It was us and Miami and MLB went with the Marlins over us. 

[Weave]

12 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Finances as in estimated revenue?

I don’t remember the details but I think it was around the time of a new labor contract and operating expenses were going way up.

[nucci]

8 minutes ago, bobs0108 said:

I also thought that we were one of the final two candidates in the 90s. It was us and Miami and MLB went with the Marlins over us. 

Rich flashed around a blank check saying whatever it costs....then realized he had to fill it in and sign it

[Pimlach]

34 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Watching some baseball and I always wondered why Buffalo doesn’t have an MLB team. I would guess lots of Buffalonians like baseball. Having a team in Toronto doesn’t hurt the Sabres so I can’t imagine negative market sharing. It would give us three different ways to bring a championship to Buffalo too. Only thing we need to make sure is the Pegulas don’t own it. Appreciate everyone’s thoughts on the why and likelihood it ever happens.

There is no owner rich enough to make it work.  Rich tried, but backed away.

Need a big TV revenue stream to be successful and quite honestly I do not see Buffalo succeeding in MLB. 

 

[jsb]

46 minutes ago, WildCard said:

I can't handle that. The only team I have now that used to be good is the Yankees, don't take that away from me

Didn't they just get swept by the Astros?? So I fixed it for you.

Edited April 12, 2019 by jsb
trolling wildcard

[WildCard]

Just now, jsb said:

Didn't they just get swept by the Astros??

Boooo

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Won't happen now that the Bison's are the AAA team for the Jays.  

[SDS]

5 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Won't happen now that the Bison's are the AAA team for the Jays.  

That is about reason number 312.

[Zamboni]

Since WNY population is still decreasing, (although it’s slowing down) there is no way this area can support three pro teams. It barely supports two pro teams. And that’s with the help of southern Ontario.

It would be a different story also if the Bisons sold out most games and had a ton of season ticket holders. Fact is most games are half full, sometimes less. 

I don’t see the WNY area in my lifetime getting an MLB and/or pro NBA team. Just not enough population to support it.

[PromoTheRobot]

Did you know that MLB offered the Expos to the Rich family and they said no?

Fact is WNY can't possibly support a third major franchise, much less one in a sport with no salary cap dominated by a handful of huge revenue teams. Never winning big and always losing your best players to the money teams would get old real fast.

[MattPie]

Buffalo is #50 on the census metropolitan area list in terms of population. Combined with few large corporate headquarters in town, it looks like a great bet for an MLB franchise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_statistical_areas

 

[jsb]

2 hours ago, bobs0108 said:

I also thought that we were one of the final two candidates in the 90s. It was us and Miami and MLB went with the Marlins over us. 

 

2 hours ago, Weave said:

I don’t remember the details but I think it was around the time of a new labor contract and operating expenses were going way up.

If I remember right the Yankees and Blue Jays were against this happening also because they both thought we'd be infringing on their territory.

[gris]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Since WNY population is still decreasing, (although it’s slowing down) there is no way this area can support three pro teams. It barely supports two pro teams. And that’s with the help of southern Ontario.

It would be a different story also if the Bisons sold out most games and had a ton of season ticket holders. Fact is most games are half full, sometimes less. 

I don’t see the WNY area in my lifetime getting an MLB and/or pro NBA team. Just not enough population to support it.

Zamboni said it. So I don't have to.

I know it's hard for some homies to understand.. but we're a really small city in the big national picture. We're lucky to have the Bills and Sabres. The Bisons are icing on the cake.

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Did you know that MLB offered the Expos to the Rich family and they said no?

Fact is WNY can't possibly support a third major franchise, much less one in a sport with no salary cap dominated by a handful of huge revenue teams. Never winning big and always losing your best players to the money teams would get old real fast.

This has always been one of the most under reported stories of Buffalo’s sporting past. Paul Snyder takes a ton of heat for the demise of the Braves but Bob and Mindy Rich are a big part of why there is no MLB in Buffalo.

Major league sports has become less and less about its home city and more about a global market, do never say never.

The Jacob brothers have repeatedly stated their desire to own a sports team no, you never know.

On the other hand, put the right people in charge at UB and you might have a third sports “franchise.”

Edited April 12, 2019 by tom webster

[msw2112]

As I recall it, when the Marlins and Rockies joined MLB, the Buffalo franchise was a finalist and was very close to getting the team.  The main factor in Buffalo not getting the team was the size of the market, both from a population and corporate HQ standpoint.  I don't think the Rich family backed out at that time.  I believe that they LATER said that it was probably best that they didn't get the team due to the financial picture.  I'm a little fuzzy on the whole Expos situation, but I was no longer living in Buffalo at the time.  Perhaps it was THEN that Rich declined due to the finances?  I'd guess that other markets would have been in play at the time and I am sure that MLB preferred Washington, D.C. (where the franchise ended up - the Nationals).  The truth is that the Buffalo market is probably not large enough to support a MLB franchise.  80+ home games is a lot of tickets to sell and without a really deep pockets owner or a huge local TV contract, it is hard to field a competitive team, which means it's that much harder to sell tickets.  There are some exceptions, as occasionally Milwaukee, Minnesota or Pittsburgh will be good (Milwaukee right now), but 1) those markets are larger than Buffalo; and 2) those teams are not able to sustain that level over a long period of time.

Edited April 12, 2019 by msw2112

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

This has always been one of the most under reported stories of Buffalo’s sporting past. Paul Snyder takes a ton of heat for the demise of the Braves but Bob and Mindy Rich are a big part of why there is no MLB in Buffalo.

Major league sports has become less and less about its home city and more about a global market, do never say never.

The Jacob brothers have repeatedly stated their desire to own a sports team no, you never know.

On the other hand, put the right people in charge at UB and you might have a third sports “franchise.”

The mountain UB would have to climb is taller than supporting an MLB team. As long as you are outside the Power conferences, you will be a minor league program feeding the big guys. Not to mention convincing WNY fans to support college sports, which depends on donations. 

UB's greatest season went up in a puff of smoke the moment Alabama poached our coach and recruiting class. Local fans only just woke up to this team and it's been cut off at the knees, having to regroup and rebuild. We have enough heartburn with the Bills and Sabres. I don't think fans could deal with a cycle of one good season and 3 years of rebuilding.

[Indabuff]

2 hours ago, gris said:

Zamboni said it. So I don't have to.

I know it's hard for some homies to understand.. but we're a really small city in the big national picture. We're lucky to have the Bills and Sabres. The Bisons are icing on the cake.

Small city, diehard fanbase.  Bills/Sabres fans are rabid sumbitches.  I remember the massive crowd standing outside the arena the last time the Sabres were in the playoffs.  Fans went to the airport in freezing conditions in the middle of the goddam night to show their gratitude to the Bills for making the playoffs.  Not sure if that happens in other cities.      

[Kruppstahl]

Why doesn't Buffalo have a MLB team?

Money, or lack thereof. 

WNY is in no way large enough to support a MLB team, especially in the 21st century.

Buffalo wouldn't have any major league sports teams if they had to acquire them in the modern era.

 

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Indabuff said:

Small city, diehard fanbase.  Bills/Sabres fans are rabid sumbitches.  I remember the massive crowd standing outside the arena the last time the Sabres were in the playoffs.  Fans went to the airport in freezing conditions in the middle of the goddam night to show their gratitude to the Bills for making the playoffs.  Not sure if that happens in other cities.      

Yes but we scoff at ticket prices that other markets typically pay. That's the rub.

[SDS]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Yes but we scoff at ticket prices that other markets typically pay. That's the rub.

People from Buffalo don’t understand this. They pay rock bottom prices for their teams and squeal like hell when the price goes up a few bucks. Lol. There’s no realization of just how little they pay.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/193595/average-ticket-price-in-the-nfl-by-team/