Do you think that the Buffalo area could financially support a Major League Baseball

[Billsman]

Do you think that the Buffalo area could financially support a Major League Baseball team?

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/poll/

[HURLS]

Nope, not with today's salaries and new Stadiums. I like DTP, but add as many levels you want, it is no Jake, Great America Park, Comerica, or whatever it is the Pirates play in(PNC?)

[Soviet_Canuckastani]

Nope

[sukie]

Not a friggin chance. The Stadium would be ridiculously expensive and the payroll would be small so you'd have the Buffalo Marlins..... Hey waait a minute... BM, you putting together an offer for Luria?

[mark3274]

no buffalo is way to small. and shrinking fast!!!!!!!!!!

[Buffal0B1LLs_fan]

Not according to this:

Major Metros ability to support new teams (http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/2006/0213/major_metros_chart.html?hbx=slide_sport_article)

If you click on the spreadsheet you'll see that the TPI (total personal income) for the area is $41.4 Billion, which is $27.3 Billion short of being able to support a MLB team.

[smashingt2312]

No because of the indians and blue jays being so close.

[BillyT92679]

No, not with the way that MLB is set up. DTP is not anywhere big or extravagant enough.

The NBA could work again here though if the Bills, God forbid, left. The modern arena already in place.

[ChesapeakeBills]

No, not with the way that MLB is set up. DTP is not anywhere big or extravagant enough.

The NBA could work again here though if the Bills, God forbid, left. The modern arena already in place.

I agree with this poster.

[Soviet_Canuckastani]

The Albany Bills?

[M76]

what is wrong with having a team like the marlins?? they have won 2 championships in the past 11 years, if we had the right ownership with creative smart baseball minds it still wouldnt work but would be close. We need to add another 100,000 people in the area. I completely disagree with the notion that the population is quickly declining. That was the 90's Buffalos population is if anything slowly declinging if not staying the same. There are thousands of baseball fans though and i would kill for a pro team. I thoroughly enjoy the bisons too though

[THATHURMANATOR]

No way we could do it.

Lets focus on keeping the Bills and Sabres.

[The REAL Sabres]

In 1969 or 1993 but alas our teams are now in Washington and Miami. Foul lines to close to the stands my ass!

[CoachC.]

Do you think that the Buffalo area could financially support a Major League Baseball team?

Yes, the area could.

If the Bills left it could survive.
If the Bills and Sabres left it could even be competitive.
But no chance with both organizations still in town.

Let's hope we never have to see either of those first two things happen.

[JLB]

Yes, the area could.

If the Bills left it could survive.
If the Bills and Sabres left it could even be competitive.
But no chance with both organizations still in town.

Let's hope we never have to see either of those first two things happen.

Right on the money good post!!

[Billsman]

I'd love to see it happen but it won't. I'd buy tickets just to support the team. Nothing better than summer baseball!

[BillyT92679]

Yes, the area could.

If the Bills left it could survive.
If the Bills and Sabres left it could even be competitive.
But no chance with both organizations still in town.

Let's hope we never have to see either of those first two things happen.
You know even if those things happened, I don't think the team would be any good. Baseball is the most reliant on a large and wealthy population and and extremely wealthy owner. KC is far bigger than Buffalo, and they don't have anything but the Chiefs and Royals, and the Royals haven't been good in twenty years. Same with Tampa... growing area, successful football and hockey teams... D-Rays still mediocre to bad.

Teams like Sacramento, Utah, Milwaukee (sometimes), Portland in times past, these are good examples of small markets that had very successful NBA franchises. No Paul Snyder around anymore either for Buffalo.

[LVBillsfan]

Could the city support the team? People buy tickets to the Bills and Sabres, could they afford another ticket for a pro team? I know that the Bills and Sabres' ticket prices are some of the lowest in their leagues, but they are still pricey.

[Snarf]

If there was a winning Major League team in Buffalo people would support it. We would do a heck of a lot better then the fans in Miami are doing for the Marlins. But Buffalo will never get that chance.

[Rockstar]

Bob Rich tried to make it happen back in the early nineties. I was genuinely optimistic back then. Unfortunately Rich realized he couldn’t pull it off. Buffalo’s economy hasn’t gotten better in the last decade, only worse.
On a positive note I love the Bison’s! Really. Not being a hardcore baseball fan probably leads to my opinion, but I would rather go see two dozen triple AAA games than get gouged financially at a handful of major league games.

[BillyT92679]

I read that Buffalo was the only Continental League city (a league that was devised in the late 1950's as a third Major League that never played a game) that never got a Major League team.

[Snarf]

Buffalo was also supposed to be in the National League when it started, but someone got left out. The Bisons say that guy that owned the Bisons was "mislead" so I don't know what that means.

[ricogarion]

If this area were given a chance their is no doubt it could support a team as this area is loaded with real sports minded fans and when the games are available the fans will follow especially pro sports. WNY has the most rabid sports fans in the nation bar none! Don't tell me about population or income per capita those are just excuses to keep the little man down. I am a Buffalo fan and a Baseball fan the two go together so easy its a no brainer!

BUFFALO, NEW YORK
BUFFALO BISONS (I)
League: NL 1879-1885
Franchise: Charter franchise. Merged with Detroit Wolverines 1886
BUFFALO BISONS (II)
League: PL 1890
Franchise: Charter franchise. Merged with Cleveland Infants and Cleveland Spiders 1891
BUFFALO BISONS (III)
League: WA 1892-1900
Franchise: Became Boston Red Sox AL 1901

**WooHooo!!!! I need to celebrate for the Sox!!**
>BUFFALO SPORTS FAN<

[35Pete]

Do you think that the Buffalo area could financially support a Major League Baseball team?

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/poll/
Ticket prices at the Ralph are an act of mass charity. If the prices were at NFL standards then Buffalo would not be able to even support the Bills.

So the answer is a blatent NO.

[voicekiller]

not right now...if we were to bring some bigger companies here and make buffalo a bigger landmark and vacation area maybe...look at cleveland and pittsburgh...put more money into the city and build it for a vacation area...clean up and remodel our side of the falls and build something major in the downtown buffalo area...it can be done but it will take time

[Wing Eater]

First there is no way the area would support a MLB team, there's just not enough money. Secondly the Bisons are probably better than some MLB teams like the Pirates.

[ricogarion]

First there is no way the area would support a MLB team, there's just not enough money. Secondly the Bisons are probably better than some MLB teams like the Pirates.

yeah ok

[two4trippn]

Well after the Pirates sell off of talent this weekend, Wing Eater might be correct.

[ricogarion]

I would gladly see the Pirates play any day of the week cause I love baseball now maybe that view isn't shared by many but I am sure if you brought a Pirates game to the Bisons field it would have no problem drawing a wildy energetic crowd that would impress even the major domo's of MLB.

[sukie]

Impress them to do what?

[Yellow Dog]

call me crazy, but i'd almost swap the Bills for a MLB team...