Next MLB stadium to be demolished?

[Monkeypaws]

The stadium cycle has pretty much run through MLB. There are your last old gems in Fenway and Wrigley, a couple expansion era gems in Dodger and Kauffman. Meh stadiums in Anaheim and Oakland, and ugly domes in Toronto and Tampa. The rest are The followers of the Camden Yards retro model, except one: Chicago White Sox appropriately named Guaranteed Rate Field.

 

The Braves dumped Turner, which is now the stadium for Georgia Tech.

 

Texas is building Globe Life Field to replace Globe Life Park, which, as new as it still seems to me is actually the 11th oldest park in MLB.

 

I doubt the White Sox get a new stadium anytime soon, so I'd vote Texas, seeing as the balls are rolling.

 

Still seeing that the Raiders are gone, and real-estate in Oakland has gone through the roof, I could see something happening in the East Bay pretty soon.

 

TB gets honorable mention.

 

I guess my real thought was by 2050, how many of these current parks will still be around.

 

Thoughts?

[Nine of twelve]

You won't get full agreement that Wrigley and Fenway are gems, especially Wrigley. Fenway is interesting for its quirky layout but fortunately a new stadium would never be built with such an odd configuration. I personally can't think of anything truly gem-like about Wrigley.

The two that deserve to be replaced soonest are in St. Petersburg and Oakland, but unfortunately the money doesn't flow in sufficient volume in either location for that to happen soon.

[Mike Sixel]

Ok chance Oakland is demolished and they move to Portland or Charlotte or Austin.

[TheLeviathan]

Oakland.  It's overdue.

 

(And I'd vote to leave up the ivy in Wrigley and tear everything around it down.  It's a dump)

[Vanimal46]

Ok chance Oakland is demolished and they move to Portland or Charlotte or Austin.

I'd prefer not Austin. Traffic is already terrible right now.

[Vanimal46]

Concur with Mike and Levi that Oakland will blow up that stadium. Especially so when the Raiders move to Las Vegas.

[laloesch]

Ok chance Oakland is demolished and they move to Portland or Charlotte or Austin.

A major league would do well in Charlotte. It's a booming metropolis that's growing at a phenominal rate.

[Squirrel]

A major league would do well in Charlotte. It's a booming metropolis that's growing at a phenominal rate.

Except that it already has a AAA team, and that area has a lot of minor league teams around.

 

 

(And I'd vote to leave up the ivy in Wrigley and tear everything around it down.  It's a dump)

Concur. Except that I vote to put up some padding on that brick underneath the ivy.

[TheLeviathan]

 

A major league would do well in Charlotte. It's a booming metropolis that's growing at a phenominal rate.

 

Wasn't that the impetus behind putting an NHL and NBA team there?  And neither are doing much with attendance.  Not saying it can't work for baseball, just pointing that out.

 

Also, Oakland's stadium may not need demolition.  That sucker might fall down on its own.

[Nine of twelve]

Wasn't that the impetus behind putting an NHL and NBA team there?  And neither are doing much with attendance.  Not saying it can't work for baseball, just pointing that out.

 

Also, Oakland's stadium may not need demolition.  That sucker might fall down on its own.

The Carolina Hurricanes actually play in Raleigh, but the point you make is unchanged.

[ashbury]

Except that it already has a AAA team

I imagine they could find a way to persuade that team to relocate.

 

and that area has a lot of minor league teams around.

True. I'm not sure whether that's an obstacle or an opportunity, though.

[TNTwinsFan]

Bring a team to Nashville!!

[James]

The last I heard, it sounds like Oakland wanted to tear down O.Co. and build a new stadium in the same location.  I don't know where they'd play in the mean time though.  

 

But who knows with Oakland.  It seems like their stadium plans change regularly.  

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Tampa ended up Montreal, but someone would have to probably build them a stadium there too.  

[Squirrel]

 

 

 

True. I'm not sure whether that's an obstacle or an opportunity, though.

That area is also very heavily 'Braved.' I'm not sure it's really the right area. I think a MLB team would find it difficult getting a foothold there. But who knows.

[Mike Sixel]

There is a wealthy group working hard to get a team here in Portland. There are a lot of fans here, but I think it would struggle.

 

1. Not many big companies are here, so suite sales will be hard.

2. Western suburban people are afraid of the city, which is ridicoulos.

3. Traffic would be impossible in most any location.

4. It's not a large area.

5. It rains in April, and sometimes May and October. They are taking retractable roof. Yuck.

[TheLeviathan]

Is Portland pretty solidly Mariner country too?

 

To me the only places MLB should consider are Montreal and Vegas.  But I'd prefer they just leave Oakland where it is and move Tampa to Montreal.

 

At some point I hope the leagues stop thinking they can wedge teams into Florida or other markets where fan loyalty is already largely set.  Look for markets hungry for their own identity and will support it.

[Vanimal46]

There's not many 'large cities' left that could create enough demand and support of a relocating team.

 

Austin, TX was mentioned as a potential destination but I don't see that happening. Texans are locked in to the Rangers and Astros.

 

I could see Nashville as they continue to grow and more tech companies make that their home.

 

New Orleans? They support the Saints, maybe there's enough demand for baseball too.

 

Otherwise they may have to look international... PR, Montreal, Vancouver, Mexico City.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Is Portland pretty solidly Mariner country too?

 

To me the only places MLB should consider are Montreal and Vegas.  But I'd prefer they just leave Oakland where it is and move Tampa to Montreal.

 

At some point I hope the leagues stop thinking they can wedge teams into Florida or other markets where fan loyalty is already largely set.  Look for markets hungry for their own identity and will support it.

 

No, most here feel force fed Seattle teams, and don't really like them all that much. At least the ones I talk to, or read about online.

[Sssuperdave]

I don't have any data on this, but it feel to me like almost every stadium built between approximately 1940 and 1990 was replaced between 1990 and now, including some that had pretty quick turnarounds, like the dome that lasted only 30 years.  I would expect a sports stadium to last more like 50-75 years.  What I'm wondering is when will the Camden-Yards-type stadiums start being replaced.  Are they going to last closer to 30 years or closer to 75 years?

[Vanimal46]

I don't have any data on this, but it feel to me like almost every stadium built between approximately 1940 and 1990 was replaced between 1990 and now, including some that had pretty quick turnarounds, like the dome that lasted only 30 years. I would expect a sports stadium to last more like 50-75 years. What I'm wondering is when will the Camden-Yards-type stadiums start being replaced. Are they going to last closer to 30 years or closer to 75 years?

I want to believe beautiful stadiums like Pittsburgh and SF are timeless. I think it all depends how much it costs to fix infrastructure issues.

 

Most every new sports stadium is wired to handle a large amount of data/cell phone use. That's only going to get more complicated in the future. Did they build Camden Yards to handle technology needs? If not, do they have the room to add that kind of infrastructure?

[TheLeviathan]

 

There's not many 'large cities' left that could create enough demand and support of a relocating team.

Austin, TX was mentioned as a potential destination but I don't see that happening. Texans are locked in to the Rangers and Astros.

I could see Nashville as they continue to grow and more tech companies make that their home.

New Orleans? They support the Saints, maybe there's enough demand for baseball too.

Otherwise they may have to look international... PR, Montreal, Vancouver, Mexico City.

 

Baseball could actually make international work, especially to Mexico.  Unlike football, you're there for several days.

 

The issue is that baseball already has a hard enough time wedging all those games into a normal year, I can't imagine having to schedule in the offdays required around travel to places like that.

[Monkeypaws]

I don't get the anti-Wrigley sentiment in this thread. It's gotten more corporate, and it got lights, but it is still a great slice of history to see a game there. Plus Wrigleyville is fun. 

 

Better than a stadium surrounded by acres of parking lots. Add mass transit right to the gates. 

 

I don't give a rat's ass about amenities and long bathroom waits, or food. 

 

However, I liked Comiskey better.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I don't get the anti-Wrigley sentiment in this thread. It's gotten more corporate, and it got lights, but it is still a great slice of history to see a game there. Plus Wrigleyville is fun. 

 

Better than a stadium surrounded by acres of parking lots. Add mass transit right to the gates. 

 

I don't give a rat's ass about amenities and long bathroom waits, or food. 

 

However, I liked Comiskey better.

 

I like places that aren't large, crumbling toilets with many obstructions to watching the game.

 

I get the history, it was cool the first time.  By the 3rd or 4th time the mystery was gone and reality was not so pretty.

[Mr. Brooks]

If I want history, I'll go to a museum.

[kydoty]

Oh it's definitely Oakland and Tampa. 

 

MLB knows the Tampa Bay market is dead and they're just waiting for another city to step up with a new ballpark agreement so they can move them (cough...Montreal).

 

As for Oakland, I think they'll eventually get a new one.  I would love it if they tore down Mt. Davis in the meantime once the Raiders are gone.

 

 

[Nine of twelve]

I agree that Montreal is the next place for a team. MLB treated the city terribly during the demise of the Expos. And don't forget the Expos came into existence 8 years before the Blue Jays. Montreal was considered a better baseball town than Tronno back then. In fact Montreal was Jackie Robinson's AAA team in 1946.