Piece a Commissioner Manfred List Together for Expansion Team Cities. But a Better Way Forward

San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Portland, Charlotte, Montreal, Las Vegas, northern New Jersey and Mexico City or Monterrey, Mexico

So what are some combos we can make out of these?

Geographically, SA and OKC neatly fit in a vision.
Mexican cities.  
Montreal, NJ and Charlotte are east.
Portland and Las Vegas are west.

Could these combinations be a four team expansion?
Or 2 relocation and 2 expansion teams?

Or, as is an unconventional drum-beat on my blog, an intermix of co-locating and rebranding a thought for saving and expanding to exponentially more MLB cities.  More places were (at least mentally) incorporated when the Marlins were named Florida and the Angels were deemed California.  The Boston-area housed Patriots for decades have laid claim from Maine to a short drive from NY by being named New England.  Golden State, a rebranded franchise around the same time as conceptualizing a broader Boston base brand in name, certainly expanded their California following of San Fran/Oakland, which also occurred in the 1970s.

A few broader naming thoughts for the combos listed above:

San Antonio-Austin (San Marcos) area spot combined with Oklahoma City sounds good as "Midland".

Portland and Sin City have "West Coast" location and justification.

Something "East Coast" sounds neat.

Sur Toros?  It's Spanish for "South Bulls".  If we call it "Mexico"  it sounds too Pan-Am competitive and nationalistic.  If Canada wrapped itself up in more baseball, having a Norde Force or North Country Lumberjack squad housed/camped for home games in Vancouver as well as Montreal....that's some big time Canadian television watching.  And it spreads the "home" game calendar out in the spirit of "absence makes the heart grow fonder" for attendees on the west or east side of Canada.

The Rays could relocate or share and relocate.  I've blogged before about even having the Tampa Bay-Monterrey Rays.  But let's say that Oakland and Tampa are preserved by sharing in a West Coast or East Coast name and expanding to the likes of Charlotte, Las Vegas and Portland; cities which teeter on business certainty, but could be slam dunks as a share.

Would the powers that be and savvy businessmen consider the next expansion or relocation as a co-location in the spirit of a booming powerbrand?

I think so.  Something "West Coast" or "Eastland" gives a more inclusive people for a whole lot of people and they'd gladly take on more viewership and apparel.  To say nothing of a few vacation road trips to one or both of their home camps to attend a game.

  
See much more actual expansion, co-location and relocation talk for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer on my blog http://prosportsexpansion.blogspot.com

SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE and Comment

See your place in the Index Key