Where these former MLB All-Stars, MVPs want to see baseball expand
Salt Lake City is among several cities looking to attract a Major League Baseball team.
Some have organized potential ownership groups, put together financial proposals and drawn up stadium plans. And they have enlisted former major leaguers and other sports stars to back their efforts to land a team.
Here’s a look at some of the athletes and the home teams they’re root, root, rooting for:
Dale Murphy — two-time National League MVP, seven-time All-Star during 18-year career.
Jeremy Guthrie — won World Series with the Kansas City Royals during 14-year career.
Steve Young — Hall of Fame quarterback, three-time Super Bowl winner.
Related
Dave Stewart — pitcher with five major league teams, three-time World Series champion.
Tony La Russa — Hall of Fame manager, four-time World Series champion.
Don Mattingly — 1985 American League MVP, six-time All-Star with the New York Yankees.
Eddie George — Heisman Trophy winner, running back for the Tennessee Titans.
Russell Wilson — Denver Broncos quarterback, Super Bowl winner with the Seattle Seahawks.
Warren Cromartie — 10-year major league career, nine with the Montreal Expos.
Other cities reportedly interested in an MLB team include Charlotte, North Carolina and Austin, Texas.
Earlier this year, The Athletic surveyed 100 active players on 22 teams about where they would prefer to see baseball expand.
Nashville at 69% was the overwhelming favorite, with Montreal at distant second with 10%. Charlotte and Austin came in at 5%, followed by Portland with 4% and Salt Lake City and Vancouver with 2%. Orlando, Raleigh-Durham and San Juan, Puerto Rico, also received votes in the poll.
Related
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to expand baseball to 32 teams, but has said the league won’t consider adding two new franchises until the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland A’s resolve ongoing stadium issues. The A’s appear headed to Las Vegas after Nevada lawmakers agreed last month to put $380 million in taxpayer money toward a $1.5 billion stadium.
