[AH Fiction] 75 Years of Driveball (1950-2025)

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1950-51 Offseason News and Notes
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    • OldNavy1988

    1950-51 Offseason News and Notes

    Despite the deep postseason run, the Brooklyn Coasters still had to raise their line of credit to $750,000 USD in order to cover player payroll for the upcoming 1951 season.

    With many of the DANA's American-born players being drafted into the Korean War, the league office has sent a memo to the owners to start recruiting athletes from Canada and Australia to sustain the talent pool.

    Given the financial struggles the Coasters face, it couldn't have come at a worse time for Brooklyn sports fans. Walter O'Malley, owner of the MLB Dodgers, must now chart the way for his storied franchise through a new normal. Many of the Dodgers' faithful fans are now flocking to the suburbs while Ebbets Field begins to lose its luster.

    Coasters owner Ned Irish feels that his other sports asset, the New York Knicks of the newly formed NBA, would have a much longer future in the New York City region. Therefore, Irish has asked the DANA for permission to put the Coaster franchise for sale. However, the DANA has advised Irish to try to find a New York based buyer before he can talk to out-of-town suitors.

    For Providence Steamrollers owner Lou Perini, his other sports asset, baseball's Boston Braves, are on the brink of financial ruin.
     
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    • OldNavy1988

    Enigmajones said:
    This may have been covered, but Providence plays at Brown Stadium right?

    Also do you envision a Driveball only stadium in the future?
    Click to expand...

    Yes. That is correct.

    A stadium specific to the sport is still decades away. I think some of the MLS specific venues that have been built IOTL would serve as my model.
     
    1950-51 Offseason News and Notes Part Two
  • Index

    • OldNavy1988

    1950-51 Offseason News and Notes
    Part Two

    The DANA sent out a memo that any talk of expansion would have to wait until the Brooklyn Coasters' situation is resolved. With many Brooklynites moving to the suburbs, and the neighborhood around Ebbets Field becoming unsafe for some fans, attendance for the Coasters is expected to be much lower this year than last year.

    While 1951 is likely to be a lameduck year for the Coasters, there are many out-of-town millionaires with deep pockets licking their chops to buy the team and move them closer to their hometown.

    Potential new owners for the Coasters include the following...
    Cincinnati:     Hulbert Taft, Jr. (Descendant of former POTUS William Howard Taft)
    Baltimore: Carroll Rosenbloom or Jerold Hoffberger
    Pittsburgh: Art Rooney (Founder of the NFL Steelers)
    Milwaukee: Harry G. John and Fred C. Miller (Descendants of Miller Brewing founder Frederick Miller)
    Los Angeles: Lew Wasserman (talent agent) or Don Ameche (actor and former part owner of the AAFC Dons)

    An editorial cartoonist for the Detroit Free-Press has created Driveball's first ever mascot; Mitch E. Gander, a new mascot for the Roadsters. A costumed actor will perform as Mitch at Briggs Stadium this coming season.
     
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    • Enigmajones

    Normally im against relocating a Brooklyn team but in this instance Los Angeles is probably better for the long term viability of the league and sport.
     

    WB18

    Colonel Zoidberg said:
    Don’t blame me; I voted for McGovern, I mean, Baltimore. Imagine them being the original Colts.
    Click to expand...
    So did I.

    For one, a team in LA would be a travel nightmare without another West Coast team. Also, there would only be three East Coast teams, which is not really a good look for a league aspiring to be a major league if it wants to get an audience. Call East Coast bias all you want, but I’m just stating facts. Plus, Baltimore has no major sports teams at this time, despite being the sixth largest city in America at the time. Not to mention you can keep the block B logo.
     
    Last edited:

    OldNavy1988

    Enigmajones said:
    Normally im against relocating a Brooklyn team but in this instance Los Angeles is probably better for the long term viability of the league and sport.
    Click to expand...

    Colonel Zoidberg said:
    Don’t blame me; I voted for McGovern, I mean, Baltimore. Imagine them being the original Colts.
    Click to expand...

    WB18 said:
    So did I.

    For one, a team in LA would be a travel nightmare without another West Coast team. Also, there would only be three East Coast teams, which is not really a good look for a league aspiring to be a major league if it wants to get an audience. Call East Coast bias all you want, but I’m just stating facts.
    Click to expand...

    If LA prevails in the poll, what I can do, for ease of travel for the clubs furthest east, is give San Francisco an expansion team. That way, a team can do LA and SF back to back.

    Accordingly, I can expand to Baltimore to keep the membership even and give Driveball a head start in Baltimore before the Colts and Orioles come in later this decade.
     

    Colonel Zoidberg

    OldNavy1988 said:
    If LA prevails in the poll, what I can do, for ease of travel for the clubs furthest east, is give San Francisco an expansion team. That way, a team can do LA and SF back to back.

    Accordingly, I can expand to Baltimore to keep the membership even and give Driveball a head start in Baltimore before the Colts and Orioles come in later this decade.
    Click to expand...
    I love it. Having two teams out west will be much better than one, and it will open the door for further expansion out west.

    Also, will the LA team need a new name or just do what LA teams do and keep names that made more sense in their original cities?
     

    OldNavy1988

    Here's the poll:

    https://forms.gle/qttiuoEDjfyfoy4CA

    And a few realignment ideas for 1952.

    Alignment A
    West
    Des Moines
    St Louis
    Los Angeles
    San Francisco

    Central
    Buffalo
    Chicago
    Cleveland
    Detroit

    West
    New York
    Philadelphia
    Providence
    Baltimore

    Alignment B
    West
    Chicago
    Cleveland (or Detroit)
    Des Moines
    St Louis
    Los Angeles
    San Francisco

    East
    Buffalo
    Detroit (or Cleveland)
    New York
    Philadelphia
    Providence
    Baltimore
     

    Colonel Zoidberg

    OldNavy1988 said:
    Here's the poll:

    https://forms.gle/qttiuoEDjfyfoy4CA

    And a few realignment ideas for 1952.

    Alignment A
    West
    Des Moines
    St Louis
    Los Angeles
    San Francisco

    Central
    Buffalo
    Chicago
    Cleveland
    Detroit

    West
    New York
    Philadelphia
    Providence
    Baltimore

    Alignment B
    West
    Chicago
    Cleveland (or Detroit)
    Des Moines
    St Louis
    Los Angeles
    San Francisco

    East
    Buffalo
    Detroit (or Cleveland)
    New York
    Philadelphia
    Providence
    Baltimore
    Click to expand...
    I like A better. There’s no division that covers all four time zones.
     
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