MLB in Nashville

[nashvylle]

Over Christmas I drove around First Tennessee Park and really liked the developments around the ballpark, similar to a junior Wrigley.

I know that MLB teams do not "add-on" to a minor league park, but assuming we break the lease with The Sounds, tear down the stadium, do you think if utilized 4th (or 5th? not sure) Ave for ballpark space, there is enough room to build a major league stadium?

I feel like Nashville is several years away from this prospect being a possibility, but is the footprint, with all the apartment buildings, large enough?

 

[memphian]

Good question. I had always hoped First Tennessee Park would be built with a possible MLB expansion in mind. It looks really small from the outside though.

[nashvillwill]

Hmmm....That's hard to say. I don't know the lot well enough to make an educated guess, but just off the cuff, I would say that it is probably not possible. I'm trying to visualize the major league parks I've been to and they all seem too large for the space. Maybe something very small like Wrigley would fit, but they don't really build them that way anymore. 

What you really should ask yourself is if you would even want one there. Consider the height of an MLB ballpark. They are tall, imposing structures. It would completely alter the look and feel of the Mall/G-town area. One of the beautiful features of the current Sounds park is that it is nearly hidden away in the middle of the area. An MLB park would tower over everything and cast huge shadows.

Besides, it would take a series of extremely unlikely events to happen in order to even worry about it  

 

edit; Perhaps someone more  skilled than I could give us a visual mock-up, just for shiggles. 

[titanhog]

PSC area would be ideal.

[UTgrad09]

The prospect of us getting an MLB team is far enough away where I think we'd be fine ditching the current stadium and building from scratch.

[Hey_Hey]

The only way I see us getting an MLB within 20 years is if the Titans were to move. I just don't see enough support for three professional sports teams. I also don't see the MLB as being in expansion mode, so it would likely be a relocation team that would come.  

It's hard to project really far in advance, but I think the environment may be such that if an MLB team were to locate here 20 years from now the Sounds stadium could be used with some additions and MAJOR upgrades. Attendance for sports has been falling for years across all categories thanks to HDTV, big screens, and attendance costs.  I have a feeling that these 65-80,000 people NFL stadiums and 40-50,000 may feel fairly empty in 20 years.  The MLB stadiums in 20 years may very well seat 25,000, and that would be possible on the current site.  The bigger problem would be how updated the stadium will be.  Priorities in stadiums change over time, and the Sounds stadium may be so antiquated at that time that a new one has to be built.

[jl1718]

Nashville has been mentioned a few times as possible spot for the Rays if they ever left Tampa. Seems more like leverage than anything. I can't see three pro franchises working here. Not to mention the lease with the Titans will have to be discussed in the next decade, right?

[SEsideguy]

Three teams in Nashvile would be a franchise killer. You'all are doing just fine with the Preds and the Titans.

[SEsideguy]

After some rethought? It may work with a retractable roof stadium. Nashville in summer drawing 15 to 25k six times a week, comfort is a major factor. Add 3 Vegas style casinos, MGM-Nashville, Music City Casino and resorts, and RiverWaters Resorts, and Nashville would become the vacation destination of the Mid-South. Going to the casinos for about three hours before any games is great. That's what we do when in Detroit. Not to mention all of the restaurants and other attractions in Music.

[MidTenn1]

The general consensus, per my observations, is that members of this board agree with me and do not think casinos would improve the Nashville experience. We are overloaded with tourists as it is and can't provide enough hotel rooms, transportation or even entertainment venues to meet the demand. Gambling and casinos add another layer of complexity to managing and serving the market we already have. No thanks. Let someone else have the headache. We're doing just fine without it.

[SEsideguy]

That's great you don't lack for tourists (after all it was Detroit I was in reference to), what kind of stadium, retractable roof, multi-purpose, outside baseball only?

[MidTenn1]

I would very much love to have a baseball team and am one of the biggest proponents on this board of it. Even then, I know it would be a fairly large risk. My feeling is an American League team would have the best chance of making it as there are no AL teams within a great distance. Visiting opposing AL teams with Fans who live in the south might draw heavily on those who want to come to Nashville and watch their favorite team play. There are many transplanted Tiger, Indians, White Sox, Red Sox and Yankee fans in the proposed Nashville AL market area who would love to make the shorter journey to watch some baseball and spend a weekend in Nashville, I am sure.

I have seen all the arguments against and they are somewhat convincing; our Metro area is too small or there are not enough Fortune 500 businesses to buy suites. Then I see how well Denver does with four major league sports teams and am told it's because they have a large 'catchment' area which includes Colorado Springs up to Boulder. Nashville's catchment area would include the Clarksville Metro (250,000+) and Bowling Green, Ky (100,000+) and maybe Huntsville, Ala. (500,000??). Then you have Kansas City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh which are barely hanging on to keep teams, only because of the long term generational attachment and loyalty and the extremely rare World Series appearance. I would argue there is some of that in Nashville as many loyal Braves fans have supported the team for several generations now and may be persuaded to support a Nashville team.

The most obvious candidates for relocation are of course the Tampa Rays who would bring the Yankees and Red Sox to town to packed stadiums twice a year each. The other, my choice and the most likely, are the Oakland A's. They have maybe the worst stadium in baseball and can't break the lease for another 8 to 10 years. They apparently will not be getting a new one. And they selected Nashville as their Triple A farm team, leaving Sacramento after many years, revealing a certain attraction to our City.They would bring instant credibility and tradition.

The stadium would have to be nice, but not domed as that would be way too costly. The open air baseball experience is survivable, even in hot Atlanta, Dallas, St. Louis or Kansas City. I can see a 35.000 seat stadium similar to the TDAmeritrade stadium ($138 million in today's dollars) in Omaha where the College World Series is played, being feasible.

I think a new enclosed stadium for the Titans, however, may be in our future, 15 or so years from now. This is Nashville, and that kind of facility would enhance our role as Music City and one of the Nations top tourist destinations.

[SEsideguy]

Texas Rangers are seeking a new enclosed roof stadium, close to a billion dollars in Arlington. I was thinking National League, since no team in the NL currently looking, AL just as good. It's all MLB anyhow with inter league play now, hope you're right about an open air facility.

[bmkTN]

I, too, think an AL team would be great, especially one in the AL East.  I do think that Nashville is still prob at least 10-15 years away from being able to support an MLB team but being in the same division with the Yanks, Sox, and O's would help make a really great draw though.. 

[SEsideguy]

Anybody been in a retractable roof baseball stadium? Watcha think? Am going to Milwaukee in 17 to watch either Cubs or St Louis, and to check out the stadium.

[MidTenn1]

I was in Seattle. It was not sealed for climate control (ie: heating, air conditioning), it was just there to keep the rain off (giant umbrella).

Here is an uninteresting picture of the roof closing during my trip there a year ago. Imagine that, raining in Seattle.

 

I did a Midwest baseball trip a couple of years ago and did Cleveland (my favorite of the trip)

,

 

Detroit (nice),

 

Milwaukee (eh),

 

Minnesota (do not sit in upper levels)

 

and Kansas City (well kept older park; saw a double perfect game go into the 5th inning).

 

And yes, I buy the best seats I can get.

[SEsideguy]

I want to check out Cleveland we see lots of Tiger games from there, seats look close to the field, unfortunately seats are farther from the action in Detroit, makes the stadium look huge. Been to KC nice. First time to game in Milwaukee in 17. Would not mind Pittsburgh either.

[SEsideguy]

Went to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers and Cardinals for 2 games. What an experience! Great venue 38k both days, game one dome closed, game two dome opened until the third inning, watching the dome close was jaw dropping. Build something like Miller Park for Nashville and watch what it attracts, it would be amazing. Do it !!!!!