Will the fans show?

[badmamajama]

A hearty laugh by Bud and Rob and Jeff and Lerners. Conspiracies have their privileges.

I don't know about Bud but I definitely believe the others have it in for PA.

[weams]

I don't know about Bud but I definitely believe the others have it in for PA.

Bud most of all. Peter broke the ownership replacement player season.

[badmamajama]

Bud most of all. Peter broke the ownership replacement player season.

I guess. It just that with Rob and The Lerners with the whole MASN thing and not getting the AS game. Bud might have been mad, but Rob seems more vindictive.

[weams]

I guess. It just that with Rob and The Lerners with the whole MASN thing and not getting the AS game. Bud might have been mad, but Rob seems more vindictive.

Bud...

[NashLumber]

Just can't see it. I mean if someone were to move their team to Charlotte when the only thing that draws there are the Panthers, it just seems like a bad idea. The Hornets are in the bottom half of NBA attendance. The Hurricanes were last in the NHL. If football really is king, then it would be just as true there as anywhere else (except St. Louis). I'd say NASCAR would still be ahead of MLB in Charlotte.

I know so many people in central NC who drive to Atlanta, NY, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Cincy and Cleveland on baseball trips regularly. Bring a team to Charlotte and you draw those people. And these are folks 2 and half hours north of Charlotte. I think it would work, in my opinion. Baseball is strong in the minors and colleges all throughout NC, not just the Charlotte / SC border area.

[badmamajama]

I know so many people in central NC who drive to Atlanta, NY, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Cincy and Cleveland on baseball trips regularly. Bring a team to Charlotte and you draw those people. And these are folks 2 and half hours north of Charlotte. I think it would work, in my opinion. Baseball is strong in the minors and colleges all throughout NC, not just the Charlotte / SC border area.

I mean, you live in the area, so I'll go on your opinion. But I also feel the area is a basketball hot bed and outside of college, they lost one NBA team and they're not exactly drawing them in now either. I guess my 2 points are there's a few teams in front of the O's who would be more likely to relocate. And 2, they're not as many viable places to relocate as some may think.

[NashLumber]

I mean, you live in the area, so I'll go on your opinion. But I also feel the area is a basketball hot bed and outside of college, they lost one NBA team and they're not exactly drawing them in now either. I guess my 2 points are there's a few teams in front of the O's who would be more likely to relocate. And 2, they're not as many viable places to relocate as some may think.

I've heard arguments both ways. But there's a big void after the ACC Tourney / Final Four that baseball would fill. Folks are far more into the college game here than the Hornets. I also grew up here and baseball was just "the thing" in summer in all the small towns. I know it's many decades later, but the minors are doing really well around here. After the success of the Durham Bulls and their new ballpark in '95 (and upgrade to AAA in '98), places like Greensboro and Winston-Salem built brand new (HOK designed, I think - or at least inspired - mini Camden Yard styled) ball parks. And Charlotte's new park opened last year, right?

I saw Dylan Bundy pitch twice in '12 in Winston-Salem.

[eddie83]

You

I've heard arguments both ways. But there's a big void after the ACC Tourney / Final Four that baseball would fill. Folks are far more into the college game here than the Hornets. I also grew up here and baseball was just "the thing" in summer in all the small towns. I know it's many decades later, but the minors are doing really well around here. After the success of the Durham Bulls and their new ballpark in '95 (and upgrade to AAA in '98), places like Greensboro and Winston-Salem built brand new (HOK designed, I think - or at least inspired - mini Camden Yard styled) ball parks.

I saw Dylan Bundy pitch twice in '12 in Winston-Salem.

What about corporate dollars for Club boxes and sponsorships?

[badmamajama]

I've heard arguments both ways. But there's a big void after the ACC Tourney / Final Four that baseball would fill. Folks are far more into the college game here than the Hornets. I also grew up here and baseball was just "the thing" in summer in all the small towns. I know it's many decades later, but the minors are doing really well around here. After the success of the Durham Bulls and their new ballpark in '95 (and upgrade to AAA in '98), places like Greensboro and Winston-Salem built brand new (HOK designed, I think - or at least inspired - mini Camden Yard styled) ball parks.

I saw Dylan Bundy pitch twice in '12 in Winston-Salem.

Funny thing is about 15 years ago, flew into Charlotte and was talking with a few guys from the area. We started talking about baseball and why MLB didn't consider Charlotte the last time it expanded. They told me it was because of the rich history with MiLB and that those who influence such things in the area didn't want it there. So before talking them, I was thinking the Charlotte was as good a place as any.

[NashLumber]

Funny thing is about 15 years ago, flew into Charlotte and was talking with a few guys from the area. We started talking about baseball and why MLB didn't consider Charlotte the last time it expanded. They told me it was because of the rich history with MiLB and that those who influence such things in the area didn't want it there. So before talking them, I was thinking the Charlotte was as good a place as any.

I've heard similar "don't do it" talk from die hard Durham Bulls fans as well when people daydream about expanding that park to an MLB one if the time was right. Folks are really nuts about their minor league baseball down here. I'd even go to smaller places like Burlington when they had the Indians rookie league team, probably 25 miles away. That was back when that long line of great Indians pitchers would start there. The current Red Sox pitching coach is from just up the road in a small community called Bahama (baHAYma). Carl Willis.

[badmamajama]

I've heard similar "don't do it" talk from die hard Durham Bulls fans as well when people daydream about expanding that park to an MLB one if the time was right. Folks are really nuts about their minor league baseball down here. I'd even go to smaller places like Burlington when they had the Indians rookie league team, probably 25 miles away. That was back when that long line of great Indians pitchers would start there. The current Red Sox pitching coach is from just up the road in a small community called Bahama (baHAYma). Carl Willis.

I'm originally from Frederick and since the Keys came to town in the late 80's, they've been a part of the Carolina League. A lot has changed though. No team from the Northern Division is even from Carolina. Durham moved up. Kinston went away.

[Moose Milligan]

I remember someone on here a long time ago telling me that Baltimore has always been a football town first, and that Memorial Stadium was often empty back in the good old days.

I didn't believe that when the Browns were stolen to Baltimore because the attendance never really took a hit...that time period overlapped with the bad streak of Orioles baseball so a low attendance wasn't out of the imagination. The fans have certainly come back in recent years but this season is a bit perplexing.

Coming from NoVA, I've been to only one game this summer where I usually go to three or four but I'll admit my lack of interest in getting up there is sheer laziness. I usually go to about 3 or 4 Nats games a season too because the stadium is less than 5 miles from my door and I haven't been to ANY.

I think we're living in a time where people would rather just watch on a TV. You can get a kick ass screen for not a lot of money and have all your own food and drinks for a fraction of the ballpark costs. I don't even go to football games anymore, it's too much of a pain in the ass. It's practically an all day event. At least with the TV I can go about my day after.

Camden Yards is an amazing place but, IMO, not much beats sitting inside with the AC and a 65 inch screen with high definition and Thorne and Palmer on the mic. Subtract a drive up to the stadium, a hassle of parking and it's a no brainer for me.

[NashLumber]

I'm originally from Frederick and since the Keys came to town in the late 80's, they've been a part of the Carolina League. A lot has changed though. No team from the Northern Division is even from Carolina. Durham moved up. Kinston went away.

Kinston is getting a Rangers team next year.

[NashLumber]

I remember someone on here a long time ago telling me that Baltimore has always been a football town first, and that Memorial Stadium was often empty back in the good old days.

I didn't believe that when the Browns were stolen to Baltimore because the attendance never really took a hit...that time period overlapped with the bad streak of Orioles baseball so a low attendance wasn't out of the imagination. The fans have certainly come back in recent years but this season is a bit perplexing.

Coming from NoVA, I've been to only one game this summer where I usually go to three or four but I'll admit my lack of interest in getting up there is sheer laziness. I usually go to about 3 or 4 Nats games a season too because the stadium is less than 5 miles from my door and I haven't been to ANY.

I think we're living in a time where people would rather just watch on a TV. You can get a kick ass screen for not a lot of money and have all your own food and drinks for a fraction of the ballpark costs. I don't even go to football games anymore, it's too much of a pain in the ass. It's practically an all day event. At least with the TV I can go about my day after.

Camden Yards is an amazing place but, IMO, not much beats sitting inside with the AC and a 65 inch screen with high definition and Thorne and Palmer on the mic. Subtract a drive up to the stadium, a hassle of parking and it's a no brainer for me.

You make a good point about HDTV. I joined the digital club 7 years ago and I got MASN immediately, but had to go satellite route as TWC still has its differences with MASN. I think maybe with the cost of HDTVs coming down and them also getting larger, it may be that regional TV networks are taking up the slack and folks are much more into that comfort on weeknights. We spent our honeymoon at The Yard last year, the first six home games, but when we usually come up from central NC, it's a weekend. I go twice a year with the family, usually midsummer and late Septemer. I am always up for a weekend with the guys, but the guys are all settled down it seems and don't really go up there as much.

[Going Underground]

No 24,000 something. At least tomorrow might go ver 30,000.Sunday probably not.They put the prices for Yankee fans and they really are not into this team. Oriole fans don't want to pay double to watch a young Yankee team.They used to get an extra 200,000 in Yankee and Red Sox fans a year but does not seem any more.Sort of catered to those fans when they were bad.