Relocation

From BR Bullpen

Relocation is the most extreme of actions performed by the owners of a franchise, and one of the most distasteful to its fans. It entails moving one franchise from a city in which it is allegedly receiving poor fan support to one where it is hoped it will do better. It has happened 13 times to currently existing Major League Baseball franchises.

The Athletics have had four home cities (with a fifth on the way), while the Braves and Orioles have had three different ones. Milwaukee and Washington, DC have each been involved in three of the moves.

The only cities to not presently have a team returned to them are Montreal and Oakland.

Following the 2005 season, the Florida Marlins announced they would explore the possibility of relocation if the team did not get a new stadium in the Miami area. This speculation was ended with the promise of a new stadium being built. Speculation then moved to the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics, both due to ballpark issues, with Oakland eventually making the move a reality following the 2024 season while the Rays' future remains up in the air.

In addition to the occasions listed below, some sources mention the Baltimore Orioles who participated in the first two seasons of the American League, as having relocated to New York, NY to become the franchise that is now the New York Yankees. However, this is not correct, as the Orioles were dissolved after the 1902 season and a new franchise was created in New York to take the spot they had vacated in the AL.

List of franchises who have relocated in their history[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Frank P. Jozsa, Jr.: Major League Baseball Expansions and Relocations: A History, 1876-2008, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2010.
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