Who Else Should Join the MLB?

Now the 2013 baseball season is going to be an interesting one because we have the Houston Astros moving to the AL West to even out the divisions amongst the 6 in the entire league. One little catch in all this: since both leagues will now carry 15 teams Interleague play will have to occur year-round as opposed to just a few weeks of the year. It turns what was supposed to be a low-key exclusive event into an all-season affair. While I am a fan of Interleague, doing it all year long will diminish its appeal and fun. The solution to all this? We need two more baseball teams and turn it into the NFL—4 divisions, 4 teams each.


What this does to the Wild Card will remain a mystery, but odds are the weakest Division Winner will take on the lone Wild Card—rather glitching the procedure that Major League Baseball had just approved of. But we will cross that bridge when we reach it. In the meantime we are focused and committed on finding two more teams to enter the baseball spotlight. There are plenty of areas still left unexplored by the sport that could benefit greatly from finally having their professional team.

I am handing down a list of potential baseball franchises I can see rising from the ashes and joining the ranks. They range from forgotten teams to forgotten cities to even cities that could benefit from a second ballclub. Here are potential suitors for being the next great franchise in baseball:

Not in any order


1) Indiana Cosmics
Division: NL Central
They have the Colts (Still mad at them) and have their basketball (of course) but they are missing that baseball team. While Indiana will always be Basketball Country I am sure with all their space they can construct a really nice baseball field to complement their beautiful summers. Their rival will of course be the Chicago Cubs and potentially the Cincinnati Reds, making it essential that we pit them in the NL Central.



2) Portland Lumberjacks
Division: AL West

Portland is an oddity because it’s a great big city but has very little professional sports representation. I think a baseball team there to rival the Mariners to the north would be perfect. And post-note: I picked the team name to be Lumberjacks before even realizing that they used to have lacrosse team with the same name.


3) Albuquerque Roadrunners
Division: NL West

New Mexico has the Isotopes, arguably the most popular minor league team on the planet thanks to the Simpsons. Their baseball presence has been well-met over the years, so why not give them a pro team to fight the Diamondbacks in the same division? The Arizona/New Mexico showdowns would be potentially epic. This area is notoriously drawing more teams for Spring Training, so its not like the fans won’t show up.



4) San Juan Pajaros
Division: NL East

What better way to stir up a rivalry pot than creating a second Hispanic-heavy baseball team in the NL East? Puerto Rico was prime location for the Expos when that team was desperately looking for a home, and its shocking that MLB has not looked further into expanding the baseball scene there. The flight is only three hours from most of the east coast, and with baseball being arguably the most popular sport in the island the fans will definitely show up. And trust me, judging by the rapid-fire success of Miami Marlins gear before the season even started—you want the Hispanic fanbase on your side.



5) Las Vegas Jokers
Division: NL West

Las Vegas had been looking for a pro team for quite some time as well. Now, I know baseball would be especially skeptical of Vegas, Birthplace of Gambling, getting a ballclub, but this Joker squad would represent the neglected Nevada area, which houses a crazy atmosphere, plenty of financial wealth, and a legion of locals thirsty for a team to support. Throwing a baseball team into their nightlife would result in plenty of fun, insanity, and success.



6) Brooklyn Boroughs
Division: NL Northeast

The Dodgers were one of the most-loved baseball teams in history, as the fans in the New York area were enthralled and embedded in their beloved ballclub. This area still hasn’t fully emotionally recovered from the Dodgers being moved all the way west. How about giving New York a third team to spice things up even more? It stirred up plenty of fun when the Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers played at the same time. Imagine the Mets of Queens, the Yankees of the Bronx, and the Boroughs of Brooklyn starting a baseball season. The northeast would go crazy.



7) Boston Clovers
Division: NL Northeast

New York has two teams. Chicago has two teams. Technically, Los Angeles has two teams. So why not give Boston another team? They can be the antithesis of the suddenly-pampered Red Sox, whom have dropped their old-school street ways in favor of being a Yankee-like organization with major bucks flowing. They can be the New England equivalent of the Brooklyn Dodgers and raise some bad blood in the northeast.



8) Louisville Sluggers
Division: NL Central

They already make bats, they already have a strong baseball presence, and can pretty much represent the entire Appalachian area. So why not give this city a chance and allow them to mingle with the likes of the Reds, Cubs, and Cardinals?



9) Orlando Stormtroopers
Division: AL Southeast

While I have repeatedly said that the Rays should move to Orlando, a third baseball team in the Florida area wouldn’t be a half-bad idea. Countering the glamour of the Marlins and the loveless Rays, Disney should sponsor a team down here and then use the Star Wars license that they have been using for decades and create a ballclub that centers itself around the Star Wars universe. Can you imagine the baseball stadium looking like the Death Star from the outside? The potential here would be amazing. Even if they suck they would sell more merchandise than any baseball team not named the Yankees.

10) San Antonio Bullseye
Division: AL West

This city has done an amazing job supporting the Spurs (and their boring play) but should also have a baseball team to counter those pesky Rangers and the hapless Houston Astros. Three teams in Texas? Sure why not? Although, Texas might wind up with its own division in baseball at this rate.



11) Alabama Tide
Division: NL Southeast

Florida has teams, Georgia has one, so why not Alabama? Alabama can run with the SEC-pride vibe and occupy Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana in its thirst for a heavy fanbase. They can rival the Braves and rival the Marlins as a carryover from college football season. Attracting the college crowd in the True Blue South would mean nothing but success in a financial standpoint.



12) Carolina Peak
Division: AL Southeast

The Carolinas get no representation either, as they probably have to pick between the quite far Orioles or the not-quite-them Braves. So, we can solve this by giving them a baseball team that would represent the Carolinas and everything east of the Appalachians leading into the White House territory. If the Carolinas combined they would be the fifth most populous state in the nation. Imagine getting THAT type of fanbase.












Special Mention: Montreal Expos
Division: AL Northeast


It was a tragedy that we lost this team, but with the stadium still intact, with baseball being just as strong as ever, and with low-budget baseball finding a newfound success, isn’t it time to bring this team back? Imagine pitting them in the same division as the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Yankees, that is just Rivalry Heaven right there. I think now is the time to revive this glorious franchise. If the Winnipeg Jets came back, why not the Expos?