March 02, 2006
Marlins "focusing" on San Antonio?
MLB president Bob DuPuy declared yesterday that the Florida Marlins are focusing on San Antonio, Texas as a potential relocation site if South Florida doesn't cough up an additional $100 million or so in relocation cash. Though apparently the Fish would only relocate their worldly, material selves:
Asked [by the Miami Herald] if San Antonio has emerged as the front-runner, DuPuy said, "I would not go that far. All I would say is that right now, that seems to be the temporal focus. I think it's too early to have a front-runner.''
San Antonio would seem to be a weird fit for the Marlins, given that its top bid during the Montreal Expos relocation derby was to have the team split time between a minor-league stadium and Monterrey, Mexico for ten years. It would also be easily baseball's smallest media market, with barely half as many TV households as Miami-Fort Lauderdale. But then, if you're just trying to make headlines back home, it doesn't much matter if you're serious - as Jerry Reinsdorf has said, "a savvy negotiator creates leverage."
—Neil deMause
The San Antonio prospectus probably led with the bold headline "We're bigger than Battle Creek / Kalamzoo!!!!"
Posted by Jonathan C Judd on March 2, 2006 02:59 PM
Here we go again. Why is it per the Media that San Antonio stands alone as a market. While majories of the other cities with professional sports can include in their count those areas ~100 miles away. With the Austin/San Antonio metro area which is how local officials would like to market the Marlins, has a population of 3.2 Million.
Making it around 15-19th market.
Stop with the SA small market, and includes the surrounding areas as well.
Adding Austin to San Antonio would get it to 1.35 million TV households, good enough for 19th place, just ahead of Sacramento, and still behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale. But if you redefine "market" that way, you have to do it for the other markets, too, which means adding in West Palm Beach to Miami, Dayton to Cincinnati, etc. By any measure, San Antonio looks like it would be one of the smallest MLB TV markets.
Posted by Neil on March 3, 2006 03:13 PM
Also, when considering the SA "market", you'd also have to make an adjustment for the proximity to Houston & Dallas, where there are established MLB franchises that already have cornered their little portion of the SA "footprint. In Miami, the Marlins are the only team within 300 miles and pretty much own all of South Florida and the Caribbean uncontested.
Posted by Jonathan Judd on March 3, 2006 05:03 PM
Adding Austin to San Antonio would get it to 1.35 million TV households, good enough for 19th place, just ahead of Sacramento, and still behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale. But if you redefine "market" that way, you have to do it for the other markets, too, which means adding in West Palm Beach to Miami, Dayton to Cincinnati, etc. By any measure, San Antonio looks like it would be one of the smallest MLB TV markets.
Posted by: Neil on March 3, 2006 03:13 PM
Just wanted to make a point. I agree that 100-150 miles would would change the market size. Technically, the distance between SA/Austin is only 60 miles, or 45 minute drive. Right around the same for Maimi/FTL. Today, some of the cities for sporting events do incl areas as far as 1.5-3.0 hour drive. I lived in Palm Beach Gardens for 10 yrs, and went to a couple of Marlins/Dolphins games it was over an hour+ drive.
Also, when considering the SA "market", you'd also have to make an adjustment for the proximity to Houston & Dallas, where there are established MLB franchises that already have cornered their little portion of the SA "footprint. In Miami, the Marlins are the only team within 300 miles and pretty much own all of South Florida and the Caribbean uncontested.
Posted by: Jonathan Judd on March 3, 2006 05:03 PM
I don't know if you're from San Antonio, but there is no "footprint" in SA for MLB's Rangers, or Astros. The only "FOOTPRINT" in San Antonio is the "DALLAS COWBOYS", which would have affected the "Saints" has they stayed.
You know what? That's what they sayed about the Spurs in the 70's when they moved from Dallas "they will never make it", they said the same thing about the Saint's and they sold every home game. Not to mention San Antonio is willing to fork over the cash to build a Staidum. I go to basketball games in SA and I see people from Austin, Corpus Christi, Laredo, or should I say from all over the South Texas, and sell out constantly. And I wouldn't call the Dallas Cowboys a footprint they are just the only team to be a fan of. The only reason they are so popular there is that I don't think anyone is going to be a hard core Texans Fan for a while, and besides what is the closest football team besides the Cowboys and Texans?
Posted by Trey on March 21, 2006 09:34 AM
Just some quick facts about San Antonio's market:
The entire population of Bexar county in 2004 was 1,493,965. It's no doubt risen since then, since San Antonio is the second fastest growing city in the United States.
The population in Travis county (where Austin is located) was 869,868 in 2004. It has also risen since then.
Williamson county was 317,938 in 2004. Nueces county was 317,513 in 2004. Hays county was 119,359 in 2004. Guadalupe county was 99,620 in 2004. Comal county was 91,806 in 2004. Bastrop county was 68,608 in 2004. San Patricio county was 68,187 in 2004. Maverick county was 50,436 in 2004. Kerr county was 45,675 in 2004. Atascosa county was 42,696 in 2004. Medina county was 42,269 in 2004. Burnet county was 40,286 in 2004. Wilson county was 36,726 in 2004. Caldwell county was 36,498 in 2004. Bee county was 33,046 in 2004. Kleberg county was 31,357 in 2004. Kendall county was 27,214 in 2004. Uvalde county was 26,616 in 2004. Gillespie county was 22,502 in 2004. DeWitt county was 20,354 in 2004. Bandera county was 19,754 in 2004. Frio county was 16,386 in 2004. Karnes county was 15,458 in 2004. Zavala county was 11,700 in 2004. Blanco county was 9,101 in 2004.
All of these counties are in the San Antonio sports market. In 2004, San Antonio's sports market was at approximately 3,975,000. It should easily be above 4 million by now (assuming that all of these people are sports fans, that is).
Posted by Gary on March 21, 2006 01:28 PM
Just some quick facts about San Antonio's market:
The entire population of Bexar county in 2004 was 1,493,965. It's no doubt risen since then, since San Antonio is the second fastest growing city in the United States.
The population in Travis county (where Austin is located) was 869,868 in 2004. It has also risen since then.
Williamson county was 317,938 in 2004. Nueces county was 317,513 in 2004. Hays county was 119,359 in 2004. Guadalupe county was 99,620 in 2004. Comal county was 91,806 in 2004. Bastrop county was 68,608 in 2004. San Patricio county was 68,187 in 2004. Maverick county was 50,436 in 2004. Kerr county was 45,675 in 2004. Atascosa county was 42,696 in 2004. Medina county was 42,269 in 2004. Burnet county was 40,286 in 2004. Wilson county was 36,726 in 2004. Caldwell county was 36,498 in 2004. Bee county was 33,046 in 2004. Kleberg county was 31,357 in 2004. Kendall county was 27,214 in 2004. Uvalde county was 26,616 in 2004. Gillespie county was 22,502 in 2004. DeWitt county was 20,354 in 2004. Bandera county was 19,754 in 2004. Frio county was 16,386 in 2004. Karnes county was 15,458 in 2004. Zavala county was 11,700 in 2004. Blanco county was 9,101 in 2004.
All of these counties are in the San Antonio sports market. In 2004, San Antonio's sports market was at approximately 3,975,000. It should easily be above 4 million by now (assuming that all of these people are sports fans, that is).
I think San Antonio can support a big league baseball team.
Posted by Gary on March 21, 2006 01:28 PM
Trey hit the nail on the head...that's what they said about the Spurs. What difference does it make if Miami/FTL is a bigger market if they don't support the team? Statistics are just that, statistics. Statistically speaking, south Florida should be more able than San Antonio to support the Marlins, but they don't. It doesn't make sense to stay somewhere you are not wanted.
Posted by Rusty on April 4, 2006 01:40 PM
Trey hit the nail on the head...that's what they said about the Spurs. What difference does it make if Miami/FTL is a bigger market if they don't support the team? Statistics are just that, statistics. Statistically speaking, south Florida should be more able than San Antonio to support the Marlins, but they don't. It doesn't make sense to stay somewhere you are not wanted.
Posted by Rusty on April 4, 2006 01:41 PM