Major League Baseball to Raleigh?

[KJHburg]

I think this is going to be talked about for a long time and might result in a new MLB team in NC somewhere and very possibly in Raleigh.

So lets get it started:  these are stories from today 

Could Raleigh land MLB expansion team? Hurricanes owner wants in :: WRALSportsFan.com

The quiet effort to bring an MLB team to Raleigh, North Carolina (axios.com)

EXCLUSIVE: Canes Owner Tom Dundon Working To Bring MLB To NC – Brentwood (ncsportsnetwork.com)

group promoting it for a long time 

MLB Raleigh – A movement to bring Major League Baseball to Raleigh, NC

 

[dmccall]

I think it would be clearer if the thread title had a "?" in it or contained language that reflects a bid proposal. (It currently implies certainty.)

Edited October 4, 2023 by dmccall

[KJHburg]

On 10/4/2023 at 5:52 PM, dmccall said:

I think it would be clearer if the thread title had a "?" in it or contained language that reflects a bid proposal. (It currently implies certainty.)

trying to be very positive.  

[KJHburg]

from Ral Today e-newsletter on possible names:

""This week, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon voiced his support for major league baseball to establish itself in NC, and we have to say, Raleigh would be a home run city for the MLB.

Bigger questions like where, when, and how remain, but we wanted to talk basics: If Raleigh did secure an MLB team, what should it be named?

The folks at MLB Raleigh, a grassroots movement rooting for the great American pastime to establish home plate in Raleigh, have pitched the Greys and Tigers, a nod to former Negro league teams, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission threw out an idea for Copperheads on X, formerly Twitter.

Now, we want to hear from you. If Raleigh is potentially on deck for an MLB team, what should the team be named? ""

[RALNATIVE]

The name should be something representative of the area or the state, like the Raleigh Croppers, as in tobacco cropping. Or the Raleigh Sirs, for Sir Walter Raleigh.

 

 

[carolinaboy]

How about the Flyers or Aviators or Pilots in a nod to the Wright Brothers?

[RALNATIVE]

1 hour ago, carolinaboy said:

How about the Flyers or Aviators or Pilots in a nod to the Wright Brothers?

I also thought the Flyers, but Philadelphia has that name for their hockey team.

I think that the Raleigh Aviators has a nice ring to it.

Whatever is chosen, it should be Raleigh XXX instead of Carolina XXX.

 

 

[KJHburg]

If a team comes to Raleigh I think the absolute best place is Downtown South.  As Kane planned to have a major league soccer stadium and the mixed use district planned around it is comparable to the Battery in Atlanta.   Plus it has a planned Music Hall.  I am telling you with a baseball stadium it is just like the Battery in Atlanta which has attracted lot of corporate office jobs from other parts of Atlanta.  

Downtown South

It is on the planned Bus Rapid Transit line and blocks away from I-40.  The parking decks serving the office buildings and retail can serve the ballpark too.  As for the name of the team I do think it should include Raleigh in it and it will still draw fans from all over the state.  

Edited October 7, 2023 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

A  thing I was thinking about the interest and possible MLB team is that Raleigh is that the Triangle is  further from Atlanta.  The Braves have a huge following especially in upstate SC which is just an hour away from Charlotte and they might be much more supportive a Raleigh based team as it is further away.  As for the Nationals in DC I would say their market is mostly limited to northern VA, DC and the Maryland suburbs of DC.   But in the Carolinas if someone was going to a MLB baseball team in the Charlotte area or points south in SC  it would be to Atlanta to see the Braves.  

[Richhamleigh, DC]

North Carolina is the largest state without MLB.  Our two largest TV markets are the biggest without MLB.  If Nashville TN gets a team before NC I'd cry foul.  

[RALNATIVE]

31 minutes ago, Phillydog said:

North Carolina is the largest state without MLB.  Our two largest TV markets are the biggest without MLB.  If Nashville TN gets a team before NC I'd cry foul.  

Nashville is even closer to Atlanta than Raleigh or Charlotte. It's also only 4 hours from Cincinnati which has the Reds.

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, RALNATIVE said:

Nashville is even closer to Atlanta than Raleigh or Charlotte. It's also only 4 hours from Cincinnati which has the Reds.

and all the current team owners will want to protect their turf.  That makes NC the top choice for MLB expansion where in the state that is the question.  

[dmccall]

Raleigh RAMs. Dark green printed circuit board uniforms with jersey numbers in a large, digital font.

[nicholas]

Floating around the internet. Solid proposal imo.

[Richhamleigh, DC]

Charlotte Queens

[RALNATIVE]

On 10/14/2023 at 4:29 PM, Phillydog said:

Charlotte Queens

I like Raleigh Kings better...

On 10/12/2023 at 1:29 PM, nicholas said:

Floating around the internet. Solid proposal imo.

I always thought that spot would be perfect for a ball park. Let's hope it eventually comes to fruition.

 

[Hushpuppy321]

What if MLB Commissioner wants it in Charlotte?  What can a potential Owner/Ownership Group do about that if they want it elsewhere (Raleigh)?

[Richhamleigh, DC]

Consider this -- there seems to be expectation of the major leagues that no city in the Carolinas can support a team on their own, so we have the CAROLINA Hurricanes, and the CAROLINA Panthers.  Fine, in that case, 'The Carolinas" are the 5th biggest state in the country with a population close to 17 million.   NY, FL, TX, CA are larger than us but obviously have multiple ML teams. in every sport.  Even PA and IL and OH and GA which are smaller all have at least one team in every major league, some have more than one.  So, either the next major league team is "Charlotte" or "Raleigh" or if it's going to be "Carolina" again, then we are past due for MLB.  Grrrrrrrr....LOL.

Imagine the rivalry of Washington - Raleigh/Charlotte - Atlanta.

Carolina/Charlotte/Raleigh Croatans or Carolina/Charlotte/Raleigh Aviators (take that Ohio~!)?

Edited October 26, 2023 by Phillydog

[KJHburg]

while this article is about Nashville's efforts to get a MLB team this is interesting that Raleigh is now being mentioned regularly.   When this first discussion came out it was only Charlotte but now Raleigh is getting mentioned more and more.

Former MLB star wants Nashville expansion with 2023 Winter Meetings held there: “Means everything to me” (sportskeeda.com)

Nashville has built a new MLS soccer stadium and committed to building a new NFL stadium for thie Titans and I am not sure how they can afford to build a new baseball stadium.   The city is under a lot of financial strain and debt obligations. 

The Team – MLB Raleigh  these are good logos but what happened to the name Raleigh Aviators I think that is a great one.

[KJHburg]

Saw these online while I was up in Durham (the socials were convincing me )

I state again I am 100% supportive of a MLB team to NC and very supportive of a Raleigh effort for the Triangle.  

[carolina1792]

On 2/17/2024 at 7:44 PM, KJHburg said:

Saw these online while I was up in Durham (the socials were convincing me )

I state again I am 100% supportive of a MLB team to NC and very supportive of a Raleigh effort for the Triangle.  

Rumor is that there is multiple parties have joined up and are in the process of creating a final campaign to bring MLB to Raleigh including the City of Raleigh and part of that campaign includes finalizing the stadium location: Downtown South. Now that MLS is out for now, the old MLS stadium plans can be easily retro-fitted for MLB. 

Located next to a major highway while only being about 1 mile from downtown proper, if Raleigh wins a MLB team, it will accelerate the transformation of south Raleigh from lowly light industrial area with low population density to one of the most vibrant and densely populated areas in Raleigh. Given the lack of wealthy, old neighborhoods the resistance to density in south Raleigh has been mild so far. 

Edited February 19 by carolina1792

[KJHburg]

To me Downtown South is the only logical place for a MLB stadium.  Convenient as you said to interstates and downtown plus Kane's plans are wonderful for the area and there is room.  

[RALNATIVE]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

To me Downtown South is the only logical place for a MLB stadium.  Convenient as you said to interstates and downtown plus Kane's plans are wonderful for the area and there is room.  

This is probably the main reason why this area has not be overly developed up to this point. I'm sure that some developers would be very eager to snap up that land to put up more cheaply built apartments.

Seems that the city and some prominent local developers always had their eyes set on some sort of professional sports arena or stadium to occupy that land.

[KJHburg]

from ESPN and Raleigh has gone from not being even mentioned in stories like this to being one of the contenders.

MLB expansion: Potential cities, top locations to land teams - ESPN

[Richhamleigh, DC]

Nashville, TN will have to rely on tourists to fill the stadium.  As Kburg demonstrated, the population within 100 miles of Raleigh totally eclipses the competition and the location between GA and DC is perfect.  They would be idiots to pick Nashville, IMHO.