MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

I’d be sad. I love Kauffman Stadium.

 

Don't get too attached. Atlanta has had three stadiums in the time Kauffman's been around. Arizona wants a new stadium, and Baltimore is eyeing upgrades. There's a plan on the table in Oakland. Progressive Field is also old by new stadium standards and we know the Guardians have been sniffing around. To say nothing of the Rays. MLB stadia are only good for 20 years now, anyway.

I also saw a chart that showed revenue bumps from a new stadium last two years, then crater.

Separately, the Chiefs are talking about a new home, too. Fun fact: There was a proposal to build a roof that could move on tracks between Kauffman and Arrowhead.

 

"MLB stadia are only good for 20 years now, anyway." .... You're not wrong, but it's absolutely insane. Chase Field is a nice park out there in Arizona. With the way these stadiums are built nowadays, they should be standing for 200 years

 

Chase Field I think is the only MLB stadium with gambling cashiers.

Buffalo News with a story that the Pegulas would turn a $90 million profit before the new stadium even opens, while season ticketholders get PSLs and taxpayers a bill for $1 billion.

EAT THE RICH

 

There's only one thing that they're good for
Eat the rich, take one bite now, come back for more.

 

We need a federal law that any professional sports franchise that accepts any amount of public money (in direct payment, infrastructure improvements, real estate giveaways, attendance guarantees) for the construction of a playing facility, can never threaten to move the franchise, under threat of liquidation and seizure by the governing body.

Unfortunately we needed this law about 80 years ago.

 

Progressive Field will be getting renovated, and the Guardians will sign a long-term lease. They're not going anywhere.

Cleveland Guardians select design partner for stadium renovations | wkyc.com

Camden Yards is more than 30 years old. I'd expect it would need some upgrading, they did some work on the left-field corner this past year.

 

Boston has been pretty lucky as far as this goes. First thing current Red Sox ownership figured out 20 years ago was that Fenway Park is the franchise's biggest gate attraction, making far more money than would a new place. The replacement of old Garden with new Garden was private dough since the whole area was already undergoing major state/federal funded reconstruction, especially the tearing down of the Central Artery. And while once upon a time Bob Kraft threatened to move the Pats to Hartford, exactly no one believed him in either state. Since he is also a smart businessman, Kraft came to see that the land surrounding the old Foxboro Stadium was primo redevelopment area in itself. So now he's got a new stadium AND a wholly owned commercial development, Patriot Place.

 

Really the real estate development deals in the surrounding neighborhoods are the keys to the stadium packages now.

 

I don't agree. The Sox spending has always been handcuffed by the tiny footprint of Fenway (though Wrigley's is smaller), they had to make do. It doesn't even seat 40,000. NESN or no NESN they couldn't make Mookie a pre-emptive offer, and not having a veteran hammer in the lineup is showing. It's not just Sale that's hurt them. The Story deal, my God.

But Forbes has them worth $3.9B so what do I know.

Wasn't there a threat once to build a larger Fenway elsewhere?

 

The Red Sox problem is that they have no place to relocate that isn't miles and miles away from Boston. Any land there slated for development is going to host projects far more lucrative to the project financiers, city and state than some ballpark.
As for your main point, the Sox are perfectly capable of spending whatever sums they desire. They didn't have to let Betts go for lack of cash. They just didn't want to meet his price.

 

From where I've read, the Camden Yards modifications this year are mainly elective cosmetic stuff: moving the outfield walls out to protect the power-poor Orioles.
Had those outfield seats been consistently sold, I'd guess the franchise would be much less enthusiastic about ripping them out, and probably more enthusiastic about finding a more conventional solution to the supposed problem, like getting some players of their own who could hit home runs over those LF fences.