MLB in Vancouver?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by phesto

Average MLB attendance is 2,400,000 or 30,000 per home game over an 81 home game schedule. Even in the most wildly optimistic scenario I can't see Vancouver getting there. For reference, the Vancouver Canadians attendance last year was 277,000.

The only thing I can see coming from this is an actual stadium proposal. Maybe over the railyards at Canada Place?

A combo Whitecaps/baseball stadium would be a cool concept, but I don't think that would fly for an MLB expansion bid.

Until there's a solution to the tracks being used to store dangerous cargo, there's unlikely to be anything built over the tracks at waterfront. And the Whitecaps stadium ran into problems with requirements for an adequate safe emergency evacuation area, which also doesn't have an obvious solution.

[chowhou]

Given that signs seem to be pointing towards a new stadium at Hastings Park in the future, there's plenty of room there for both a soccer field and a baseball stadium if so desired.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Some people can't fathom that Ken Sim might actually do mayoral stuff sometimes.

Like what, budget prudently while promising to hold tax increases to 0% for a second year? While blowing a wad on stuff like a one night fireworks extravaganza?

Glad we'll risk residents drowning at our popular beaches so Ken can try to court millionaire baseball players.

[logan5]

• Video Link

[logan5]

Originally Posted by phesto

Average MLB attendance is 2,400,000 or 30,000 per home game over an 81 home game schedule. Even in the most wildly optimistic scenario I can't see Vancouver getting there. For reference, the Vancouver Canadians attendance last year was 277,000.

The only thing I can see coming from this is an actual stadium proposal. Maybe over the railyards at Canada Place?

A combo Whitecaps/baseball stadium would be a cool concept, but I don't think that would fly for an MLB expansion bid.

Vancouver Canadians average attendance is in the 6300 range, in a 6500 capacity stadium. The Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) lead all 120 Minor League Baseball teams with the highest average attendance, averaging 8,235 fans per game. If Nat Baily was bigger, Vancouver would certainly have the highest attendance in minor league baseball.

There's a strong baseball culture in Vancouver, and it's proven every time Toronto plays in Seattle, where 25 000 Blue Jay fans fans take over T-Mobile Park. I can't think of a better way of demonstrating just how much of a baseball city Vancouver is.

The cost is enormous though. Maybe Ken Sim knows something about potential owners that we don't. MLB would be a hit in Vancouver.

[SeymourDrake]

Building another venue for a sport/team that will likely Fail is a waste of Tax payers money.

It doesn't help that Vancouver would be a B or C market for Broadcast rights.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by logan5

• Video Link

Yeah people drowning is a real laugh. Why worry about pulling lifeguards from our beaches when there's bread & circuses to throw at voters who fall for that stuff.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Yeah people drowning is a real laugh. Why worry about pulling lifeguards from our beaches when there's bread & circuses to throw at voters who fall for that stuff.

Did you have the same rage when the Vancouver mayor, at the time, Kennedy Stewart promoted Vancouver for a MLB expansion team in 2021?
https://theprovince.com/sports/baseball/...OTQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzYyNzcwMzEkajIzJGwwJGgw

[griswold]

The MLB has apparently been floating the idea of a Vancouver expansion for a while now. Aside from Hastings racetrack where would they put the stadium? Maybe where the abandoned Molson brewery is? Both of those locations lack Skytrain access though. If Hastings was the choice I could see that motivating them to build a skytrain line to at least there.

I know this is pure fantasy but Vancouver needs to think big and make it happen. This town claims it wants to be a "world class city" but puts almost no effort into creating cultural amenities and attractions that great cities have.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Did you have the same rage when the Vancouver mayor, at the time, Kennedy Stewart promoted Vancouver for a MLB expansion team in 2021?
https://theprovince.com/sports/baseball/...OTQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzYyNzcwMzEkajIzJGwwJGgw

Yes, it was just as stupid when he proposed it.

I'm no fan of Stewart but Sim is worse. Why can't we have a mayor who sticks to governance, you know dealing with crime, paving roads and fixing sidewalks etc

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logan5

Vancouver Canadians average attendance is in the 6300 range, in a 6500 capacity stadium. The Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) lead all 120 Minor League Baseball teams with the highest average attendance, averaging 8,235 fans per game. If Nat Baily was bigger, Vancouver would certainly have the highest attendance in minor league baseball.

Nat Bailey is getting bigger by about 750 seats and some other improvements. Although it's debatable they could fill many more seats. They have fallen down the ranks of MLB leagues in recent history.

If they got back into AAA level they'd need a stadium with about twice the capacity.

I go to 8-10 C's games a year, it's great. There are a ton of casual fans there looking for a fun day out, not 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 baseball types. MLB I would probably see 1-2 games or not bother.

Originally Posted by logan5

The cost is enormous though. Maybe Ken Sim knows something about potential owners that we don't. MLB would be a hit in Vancouver.

Ken doesn't know anything, he's just trying to distract with big ideas that go nowhere.

The bottom line is anything other than the Canucks are a tough sell here. We had the NBA, we are on the verge of losing the MLS. The CFL seems like it's always in jeopardy. I like live sports, but look at the reality.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Nat Bailey is getting bigger by about 750 seats and some other improvements. Although it's debatable they could fill many more seats. They have fallen down the ranks of MLB leagues in recent history.

If they got back into AAA level they'd need a stadium with about twice the capacity.

I go to 8-10 C's games a year, it's great. There are a ton of casual fans there looking for a fun day out, not 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 baseball types. MLB I would probably see 1-2 games or not bother.



Ken doesn't know anything, he's just trying to distract with big ideas that go nowhere.

The bottom line is anything other than the Canucks are a tough sell here. We had the NBA, we are on the verge of losing the MLS. The CFL seems like it's always in jeopardy. I like live sports, but look at the reality.

And compared to when the Grizzlies were here, your average Vancouverite is now much more squeezed by housing costs and hence discretionary income is lower.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Did you have the same rage when the Vancouver mayor, at the time, Kennedy Stewart promoted Vancouver for a MLB expansion team in 2021?

Not rage, but it was a weird take then and it's a weird take now... and only ever seems to come around right before an election.

Originally Posted by griswold

I know this is pure fantasy but Vancouver needs to think big and make it happen. This town claims it wants to be a "world class city" but puts almost no effort into creating cultural amenities and attractions that great cities have.

Some fantasies are less likely to happen than others. Vancouver's more of a basketball city than a baseball one (remember the Grizzlies, and the party downtown during the Raptors final?), and already has a stadium for it, but the NBA's not interested, nor is there a billionaire willing to fund a brand new team.

Originally Posted by logan5

There's a strong baseball culture in Vancouver, and it's proven every time Toronto plays in Seattle, where 25 000 Blue Jay fans fans take over T-Mobile Park. I can't think of a better way of demonstrating just how much of a baseball city Vancouver is.

Bit of a reach when the Canadians can't even sell out Nat Bailey. What that tells me is that there's 20k+ Jays fans willing to fly in from Ontario.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Bit of a reach when the Canadians can't even sell out Nat Bailey. What that tells me is that there's 20k+ Jays fans willing to fly in from Ontario.

Oh my god.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by logan5

Oh my god.

He’s been a Seahawks season ticket holder since 2001. The team has over 4,000 season-tickets holders from Canada, according to a Seahawks director, Isabelle Van Coevorden, with the majority from B.C.

Link

Our local football team gets ~27k fans per game, but only ~4k make it down to Seattle... so if our local baseball team only gets 6.3k out of a possible 6.4k, IDK where 26k is coming from, but it's not from BC.

[logan5]

Oh my god.

[Ozabald]

Some more background/insight on the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OwE69Phz1k

[Migrant_Coconut]

5:34 - "... Baseball doesn't have the bandwidth, right now, for expansion..."

6:35 - "... mayor nor staff have yet to meet with any MLB officials, so there's no behind the scenes collaboration and this is the announcement. The mayor of Vancouver's literally saying this on his own, and representing Vancouver on their own, they're not actually in the process of this..."

[Tysonbrown]

Foolishness for an election year.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Tysonbrown

Foolishness for an election year.

Yep. You have to wonder how much money L'il Ken is planning on dropping on this:

Vancouver mayor explains the need for a City-led bid process to pursue an Major League Baseball expansion team
Kenneth Chan
Apr 16 2026

Vancouver could be stepping up to the plate in the pursuit of a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, after Mayor Ken Sim announced Tuesday he will introduce a member motion next week seeking Vancouver City Council approval to launch a bidding process led by the municipal government aimed at formally gauging interest from prospective ownership groups.

When asked by Daily Hive Urbanized on Wednesday why the City of Vancouver would initiate a formal bidding process, Sim emphasized both the urgency and opportunity...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mayor-ken-sim-vancouver-mlb-bidding-process-rationale