Where Should UMEBA Expand?

User avatar
lordtoffee
BBA GM
Posts: 657
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2019 8:23 am
Has thanked: 34 times
Been thanked: 223 times

Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by lordtoffee » Sat Dec 21, 2019 9:34 pm

Where Should UMEBA Expand?

In the years since it’s founding, the UMEBA has been a successful venture that not only continues to export baseball to emerging areas of the world, but also allows players to continue to play at a high level as a second act in their careers. It also means that if this success continues, there is going to be questions about looking into expanding the league. There are plenty of Middle Eastern cities that would add to the flavor of the league and keep it unique. Let’s take a look at a couple of possible candidates.

The first candidate is Athens. The Greek capital has a lot of history, and would be a comfortable flight for the UMEBA teams. There would be plenty of space in the city to build a suitable ballpark, and would fit in as a team that would represent the whole of the country as other teams in the UMEBA seem to do. The problem is that Greece already has a popular basketball and soccer league, meaning that an Athens team would have to fight in a crowded sports marketplace to succeed. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that once the baseball novelty wears off, the team would have to be successful in order to keep attendances high. Expansion teams are well-known for taking time to build up momentum, so it is questionable how long that build up would take.

Another notable choice is Alexandria. The Egyptian port city has a beautiful harbor, and would form a natural rivalry with Cairo that would make things very spicy for the great baseball fans that live in Egypt. Cairo is far enough away that there should be less competition for fans, and could lead to an increase in UMEBA rights fees. The problem that I see is that we don’t know if Cairo would be willing to share their own market, as they would likely be lodging protests. In addition, there are other countries that would like to get their own teams first, and Alexandria would not add a new market to exploit for the UMEBA.

The most intriguing city in my eyes is Riyadh. The capital of Saudi Arabia would expand the UMEBA into a city that does not have a baseball team, and would provide useful links to the ruling royal family that can increase the amount of wealth flowing into the game. Riyadh would also raise interesting questions if the league wants to try and corner the market in areas that the BBA does not already have, and could be a cool place to work. The problem is that Saudi Arabia is a country that relies on oil, and that can be problematic considering that green energy always could take over. I don’t know what would happen, but it would be a fun thought exercise.

The UMEBA does not have to expand, and is becoming healthier every single year. Expansion might not be the way to go, but if it is the way to go then these cities should be thought about.
Chief Baseball Officer- Brooklyn Robins

The Rebuilding Will Continue Until the Robins improve.

User avatar
HoosierVic
Ex-GM
Posts: 3106
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:16 pm
Has thanked: 472 times
Been thanked: 1020 times

Re: Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by HoosierVic » Sat Dec 21, 2019 10:17 pm

Alexandria would be an excellent addition, as would Athens (so long as it fits the geographical parameters for the league). The Athens Socratics would be a fine team - not necessarily good at baseball, but expert in arguing with umpires ...

Nice feature!

FuzzyRawley
Ex-GM
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:17 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Has thanked: 73 times
Been thanked: 146 times

Re: Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by FuzzyRawley » Sun Dec 22, 2019 9:43 am

New Delhi! Natural rivalry with the Metro Stars. Team name: Rickshaw Dodgers.
:cool: They say it don't be like it is, but it do!

DugoutDesperado
Ex-GM
Posts: 808
Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2019 12:14 pm
Location: Columbus/IN/USA
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 112 times

Re: Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by DugoutDesperado » Sun Dec 22, 2019 5:58 pm

Dubai Oil Strikers?

User avatar
CTBrewCrew
GB: FL Heartland Division Director
Posts: 5110
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:20 am
Location: Milford, CT
Has thanked: 923 times
Been thanked: 1316 times

Re: Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by CTBrewCrew » Mon Dec 23, 2019 9:20 am

Quatar Sultans?
Image

bigmike13
Ex-GM
Posts: 2738
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Has thanked: 552 times
Been thanked: 150 times
Contact:

Re: Where Should UMEBA Expand?

Post by bigmike13 » Mon Dec 23, 2019 9:48 am

Palermo Hitmen
Mike Calvaruso
San Antonio Outlaws 2030 -
Birmingham Bandits 2006-2029


Image

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “GBC Features”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest