It’s hard to believe that it’s been just six years since New Orleans has had a professional baseball team.
In many ways, it seems like it’s been longer since the Baby Cakes left for Wichita, Kansas.
Baseball has had a presence in the Crescent City dating back to the end of the Civil War. The club that eventually became the New Orleans Pelicans started in 1865. The team turned pro in 1887 and was a fixture in Mid-City until 1957 when it moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. The Pelicans returned in 1977, when they played in the cavernous Superdome for a lone season before leaving the city.
In 1993, Major League Baseball expanded by two teams and awarded Denver the Colorado Rockies, which forced their AAA (Triple-A) team, the Zephyrs, to blow into town.
The Zs originally played ball on the Lakefront at the University of New Orleans’ diamond before moving to Zephyr Field in Metairie, where they played through the 2019 season. Of course, those who remember the latter years of that franchise, with the horrific name change to the New Orleans Baby Cakes before the 2017 season, saw the handwriting on the wall that the team was slipping out of the region’s grasp.
At the end of the 2019 campaign, the Baby Cakes moved to Wichita, Kansas, where they continue as the Wichita Wind Surge. There was talk of trying to attract a Double-A Southern League team to the city, but with the COVID-19 outbreak and Major League Baseball (MLB)’s reorganization of Minor League Baseball (MiLB), the movement fizzled.
And so it has been for six years. Today, MLB is considering adding two expansion teams, but there is virtually no chance that the city will land one. Nashville, Tennessee.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Portland, Oregon; are the frontrunners to join the big leagues.
Nashville is currently home to the Triple-A Sounds, Salt Lake City has the Triple-A Bees, and the High-A Hillsboro Hops play in Portland. Each city has plans to build a new multimillion- to billion-dollar ballpark, should it be awarded a team. There are several other cities, many with MiLB teams, that are willing to cough up the dough needed to land a team, including:
- Austin, Texas (Round Rock Express, AAA)
- Buffalo, New York (Bisons, AAA)
- Charlotte, North Carolina (Knights, AAA)
- Orlando, Florida (no MiLB team)
- Raleigh, North Carolina (Durham Bulls, AAA)
- Sacramento, California (River Cats, AAA)
- Vancouver, British Columbia (Canadians, High-A)
However, there is hope that pro expansion could bring baseball back to NOLA by way of a new team being formed or an established team moving here. That’s because MLB restructured MiLB in the 2021 season, cutting the number of minor league teams by 120 (four per each of the 30 MLB franchises) across four full-season divisions of play: Single-A, High-A, AA (or Double-A) and AAA (or Triple-A).
In total, 43 teams lost their MLB affiliations and ceased play. In the process, the Wichita Wind Surge, formerly the Baby Cakes, dropped from Triple-A to Double-A status.
With the addition of two MLB teams, as many as eight teams could be added across the minor leagues, and two teams would be forced to find a new home. This is where New Orleans could get back into the game.
The first question is, is New Orleans an attractive place to locate a minor league team? And if so, will the city support one? With the NFL’s Saints and NBA’s Pelicans, a potential baseball ownership group may think supporting a AAA team’s 75 games, AA team’s 69 games, or High-A and Single-A’s squad’s 66 home games may be difficult. With NCAA baseball powerhouse LSU a major regional draw, as well as year-in, year-out contender Tulane, it may be tough.
The second question is, where would they play? A new Downtown facility would definitely help but would be costly. The Shrine on Airline might be better for drawing fans from the North Shore and River Parishes, but it will need upgrades. Does the state have the stomach to push for them?
If New Orleans does vie for a team, it seems a AA club in the Southern League or Texas League would be the best fit both regionally and economically.
The opportunity is coming. Will the Crescent City take a swing?
Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
