It was just light-hearted banter on a radio talk show. But the enthusiasm shown by mayor Karl Dean for bringing baseball to Nashville quickly morphed into tweets Monday by ESPN baseball writer Buster Olney that the Music City should be a legitimate candidate. Given baseball’s imbalanced schedule and leagues, expansion and franchise movement should be on the table. The best candidates: 1. Nashville » Only Milwaukee is smaller among MLB markets. But the No. 38 city in population grew by 21.2 percent in 10 years and is poised to become a regional franchise. Cincinnati is 275 miles northeast, Atlanta 248 miles southeast and St. Louis 309 miles northwest. There’s also a built-in identity thanks to the music industry and two other pro teams.
2. San Antonio » You want rivalries? Two built in ones with the Astros and Rangers. It is the No. 25 market (2.14 million) with a 25.2 percent increase since 2000. And it also has Austin, No. 35 market (1.7 million), 80 miles away.
Recommended Stories
3. Charlotte » There are bigger areas — Sacramento (No. 24), Orlando (No. 26) — but only San Jose (No. 31) can match Charlotte’s seven Fortune 500 companies. That eases the sting of a No. 33 population ranking. Charlotte has struggled to support an NBA team.
4. Portland » It’s the biggest market without a team at No. 23. No area likely to mount a bigger political fight against public funds for a stadium.
5. Las Vegas » Obvious gambling connection makes pro sports leagues leery and economic downturn hit Nevada hard. But it is a destination city with entertainment as its core business. It’s the No. 30 market with a bullet (41.3 percent growth rate).
– Brian McNally
