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re: Did New Orleans ever come close to landing an MLB team in the past?
Posted on 11/15/13 at 4:13 pm to lsutigers1992
Posted on 11/15/13 at 4:13 pm to lsutigers1992
A few musings of a middle aged man, if y'all don't mind? Well of course y'all mind, I'm old.
New Orleans lost the original Pelicans in the early 1960s, they were fairly well-supported if you hear old-timers talk about it, but that may just be nostalgia. They tore down Pelican Stadium in the late 1950s and played in Tad Gormley, if you can believe it.
The new Pels were a one season phenomenon, in the Cardinals' organization. They had a number of future major leaguers on the roster: Benny Ayala (Orioles), Tommy Sandt, John Tamargo (future Z's manager) Ken Oberkfell, Tommy Herr (I think), and Tony LaRussa. But AAA baseball in the Superdome? Bad idea, but the Dome was only two years old, and it was still a novelty to go.
The lines were 318 feet and 421 to straight-away center.
Zephyrs returned baseball to the area in 1993. So we'd been without baseball for almost 30 years, that's plenty long-enough for a fan base to wither up and die. Which it has.
Zephyr Field opened in 1997, and was packed every night for three seasons. Gave up the season tickets after the 1999 season, but went to work as an usher in 2001 or 2002. Even that soon, the crowds had stopped coming. Part of that is due to the Astros changing their AAA affiliation.
Zephyr Field is designed to be expanded, believe it or not. It wouldn't be difficult to extend the park, as it is now, down to the ends of the outfield wall, all three decks(suites.) They'd take out the "home run porch" the stage, and the levee for bleachers, I would suspect.
There are about 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, and another million or so within 2 hours (B.R. and Gulf Coast) but I don't think the interest is there. Besides the corporate sponsorship of ticket purchases, you need a T.V. market that will watch 162 games on tv, and that, IMO, ain't happening.
New Orleans lost the original Pelicans in the early 1960s, they were fairly well-supported if you hear old-timers talk about it, but that may just be nostalgia. They tore down Pelican Stadium in the late 1950s and played in Tad Gormley, if you can believe it.
The new Pels were a one season phenomenon, in the Cardinals' organization. They had a number of future major leaguers on the roster: Benny Ayala (Orioles), Tommy Sandt, John Tamargo (future Z's manager) Ken Oberkfell, Tommy Herr (I think), and Tony LaRussa. But AAA baseball in the Superdome? Bad idea, but the Dome was only two years old, and it was still a novelty to go.
The lines were 318 feet and 421 to straight-away center.
Zephyrs returned baseball to the area in 1993. So we'd been without baseball for almost 30 years, that's plenty long-enough for a fan base to wither up and die. Which it has.
Zephyr Field opened in 1997, and was packed every night for three seasons. Gave up the season tickets after the 1999 season, but went to work as an usher in 2001 or 2002. Even that soon, the crowds had stopped coming. Part of that is due to the Astros changing their AAA affiliation.
Zephyr Field is designed to be expanded, believe it or not. It wouldn't be difficult to extend the park, as it is now, down to the ends of the outfield wall, all three decks(suites.) They'd take out the "home run porch" the stage, and the levee for bleachers, I would suspect.
There are about 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, and another million or so within 2 hours (B.R. and Gulf Coast) but I don't think the interest is there. Besides the corporate sponsorship of ticket purchases, you need a T.V. market that will watch 162 games on tv, and that, IMO, ain't happening.
1
Posted on 11/15/13 at 4:18 pm to RedPop4
NHL would be easier IMO
Posted on 11/15/13 at 6:30 pm to mattz1122
History has been cited in answer to your question. Corporate support is less than iffy in Nawlins and the interest level isn't there to support the schedule.
Posted on 11/15/13 at 8:20 pm to weptiger
New Orleans just isn't big enough for a MLB team. At 1.5 million in the market it won't work. Plus Baton Rouge is not a short jaunt to New Orleans. Anything more than an hour especially with games lasting until 10 pm means not a lot of people form BTR and the River Parishes will go to enough games. The saints work because it's only 8 home games a year and it's an event. Not a big deal to drive over from S. LA and the Gulf Coast.
I wonder how long the basketball team will last in New Orleans in all honesty.
I wonder how long the basketball team will last in New Orleans in all honesty.
Posted on 11/15/13 at 8:50 pm to Ralph_Wiggum
quote:with Benson, it will be a long time. The only thing is they need to become a good team, not the team where you go on stubhub and ask your son if he wants to go the game and buy $5 tickets. If you looke in 07-08 and 08-09 it was sold out. When the Lakers played here in the playoffs it was sold out. NOLA can definitely support the team it is just a matter of them being good. As for baseball i think it would draw large numbers considering the amount of people that like baseball.
I wonder how long the basketball team will last in New Orleans in all honesty.
Posted on 11/15/13 at 8:58 pm to lsutigers1992
quote:
Lafayette drew 5-10 K a night with the Ice Gators for many years.
One of life's great mysteries.
1) A lot of hockey players have French names
2) Fans like the fights
Posted on 11/15/13 at 8:59 pm to fightingtigers98
if there was a team moved here i think they would make ZF look like this sort of
the red blocks down the line is the awning, black dots would be suites and the red columns would be sections. Right field would look what left field does, it was a little hard to do the dimensions. SR means standing room, which be between the outfield upper decks and the end of the section down the line to allow the breeze into the stadium.
you would extend the awning down the line, to keep the the sun off of people and because of the heat. You would build an upper deck like you have behind the plate down with some suites on top of it right under the awning. than just create a triple decker in both left and right and have a gap where the score board is. The left shows what it would look like obviously right field doesn't have the 3rd deck because of the dimensions. Extending down the lines would give you about 10k more seats and the outfield would give 12k-15k leaving the stadium around 35k which would be perfect.
the red blocks down the line is the awning, black dots would be suites and the red columns would be sections. Right field would look what left field does, it was a little hard to do the dimensions. SR means standing room, which be between the outfield upper decks and the end of the section down the line to allow the breeze into the stadium.
you would extend the awning down the line, to keep the the sun off of people and because of the heat. You would build an upper deck like you have behind the plate down with some suites on top of it right under the awning. than just create a triple decker in both left and right and have a gap where the score board is. The left shows what it would look like obviously right field doesn't have the 3rd deck because of the dimensions. Extending down the lines would give you about 10k more seats and the outfield would give 12k-15k leaving the stadium around 35k which would be perfect.
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