Major League Baseball Heads to the Big Easy
A home run for the Crescent City.
It’s official: Major League Baseball is expanding to New Orleans. The push for the team is gaining traction and generating excitement across the city, as officials, fans, and business leaders consider what a franchise could mean for the entire region’s future.
The league has cited its vibrant culture, tourism, and passionate sports community as reasons for this expansion. The city already supports successful professional teams like the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans. Advocates argue that baseball could thrive in a similar environment, and local leaders have pointed out the city’s strong tourism industry and central location along the Gulf Coast as advantages.
New Orleans’s first attempt at professional baseball was the New Orleans Pelicans, formed in 1887. They played off-and-on throughout the early 20th Century before folding in 1959. The Zephyrs formed in 1993 before becoming the Babycakes and eventually relocating to Wichita in 2019. The Shrine on Airline would be the obvious frontrunner for a stadium, but the city says it is open to a new location, potentially downtown.
Local enthusiasm has been overwhelming. Across the social media and throughout the city, fans have been rallying support, with fans envisioning team names, colors, and traditions unique to New Orleans. Possible names include the Nutrias, the Gators, and the Potholes.
As New Orleans joins the ranks of America’s baseball cities, it adds another chapter to its rich sports legacy. Fans hope there is a bright future for New Orleans baseball.