Expand MLB? Who Decides?

Question

Why did the MLB decide to expand the leagues from 10 teams to 30 teams? who made this decision and how do they decide what city gets to have a team, especially if they already have a baseball team in that area or state? serious replys only please. thank you

sorry folks i thought it was 10 teams, it was 16 my bad lol:)

Answer 1

A potential owner goes to MLB stating they want to start a new team. The exiting owners, of all the MLB teams, vote on whether they will allow the new team or not or not. If they decide to allow the new team, the potential own states where he wants to place that team, then the owners that are directly affected by that location decide if they want to allow it, in that location.

Once all that is done, it's either $200 or $300 million the new owner has to pay to MLB, for the franchise, and that money is divided equally between all the existing teams.

For existing teams that want to move, it works basicaly the same way, the team will decide on a new location, then any existing teams, directly affected by the move, will decide if they want to allow that team to move there. Ex. If the say the Tampa Bay Ray want to move to the NY metro area, The Yanks & Mets can say no, and then the Rays can not move there, which has been tried several times over the last 40 years to put a 3rd team in NY again, not by Tampa but the last team I know of was the Okland A's and both the Yanks & Mets said no. I'm not sure what happens if one team says yes and the other says no, since it's never happened both always say no.

Prior to expansion there were 16 teams, 8 in each league, never 10 teams.

Answer 2

MLB has had as few as 6 teams (1877-78) but never 10. They've had 9 or 11 though. (-:

MLB expands when it feels it has to. In the early '60s it was to open the west. In '69 it was because the expansion made the leagues too big and wanted to split into two divisions to accomodate this. In 1977 it was to help fulfill a promise to Seattle and they needed an even number of teams. Giving a team to Toronto prevented the Giants from moving there. The 90's were fueled by having to pay ball players over collusion

Answer 3

Major League Baseball has *never* had 10 teams. Until 1961, there were 8 teams in each league for a total of 16. The A.L. expanded to 10 teams that year, and the N.L. followed suit in 1962.

Until the leagues merged into one organization in the mid-1990s, expansion was done by a vote of the teams in each league. After that merger, a vote of all MLB team was required before expanding.

In the last expansion, which was approved in 1995 and took effect in 1998, MLB took bids from many cities that wanted teams. After a review process, which took into account the abilities of the cities to support a team, franchises were awarded to Tampa Bay (Devil Rays) and Phoenix (Arizona Diamondbacks). They are unlikely to place a new team in a metropolitan area that already has a team, because that would anger the existing team and, with lawsuits and whining, be more trouble than it's worth.

Answer 4

First of all, it was never ten teams. At first, both the American and National League had eight teams, for sixteen total original teams. Expansion first occurred in 1961, and it didn't go to 30 teams then. Some of the teams (Diamondbacks, Rockies, Marlins, Devil Rays) didn't come into existence until about a decade ago. Other teams simply moved or changed their names (like the Browns to the Orioles).

Answer 5

For the most part, it's about business. If they think that there's a market that can support a professional team... then they'll place on there. However, they haven't been very successful lately. Only 2 of the past 4 expansion teams (Arizona and Colorado) have been very profitable.

Answer 6

Very good questions. You are looking in the wrong place if you want the real answer to that question. I suggest reading extensively on the history of baseball.

Answer 7

Seriously, I hate expansion in all sports because it waters down the talent level in every sport.