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Seattle ranked No. 30 on curious "Best Baseball Cities" list

October 26, 2012 @ 3:01 pm

Bert Sperling, the "Best Places" guy who has churned out surveys on what makes the most livable cities and communities for three decades, has taken a curious turn with his latest effort - "Best Baseball Cities."

The Portland resident chose to take the total number of big-league players from a specific metropolitan area, factor in the area population and come up with the Top American Baseball Cities of All Time. Both big-league and minor-league cities are included.

Does the number of big-league bodies really determine the "best" baseball town? What about stadium comfort, access, sight lines, food, cost, safety and fan energy?

The top city was none other than San Francisco (whose beloved Giants are playing for the World Series) followed by St. Louis and Los Angeles. Seattle was ranked No. 30.

Sperling points out the starting Giant shortstop Brandon Crawford is from Mountain View, which is just outside of San Francisco. All-time great Joe DiMaggio hailed from the Bay Area town of Martinez.

"We decided it's more than wins and losses, attendance, and championships," Sperling wrote. "It's where there's a batting cage in every backyard, kids sleep with their mitts, and families spend their entire weekend at the Little League field . . . We realized that every big-league ballplayer represents thousands of kids who once dreamed playing in the Big Show."

Los Angeles, No. 3? Really?

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Comments (9)


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  • TwoTrees wrote...
    Well, lets see...30 teams in the MLB...30th place on 'Best Baseball Cities' list...
    October 26, 2012 6:42 pm
    Well done, Mariners!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    It's even worse
    October 27, 2012 4:12 pm
    Since four cities have two teams, Seattle is 30th out of 26 cities!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hedujg26 wrote...
    Um, isnt this kind of embarassing?
    October 28, 2012 11:05 am
    30th? Really? Well, it goes with what I have always said about Seattle, it ISN'T a baseball town. Never has been. Hipsters and soccer moms rooting them on when they are winning does not a baseball town make. does anyone realize the only reason we are onthe lisy is because we have a stadium?
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  • Fogrocker wrote...
    People....
    October 28, 2012 2:38 pm
    Do any of you read? Or do you just look at the pretty colors and think of something stupid and mean to say.... If you read the artical, wether or not there is a team in town or a staduium has no bearibng on the count... he counted where the players are from! sheesh sometimes I just want to get the hwell out of this town....
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  • hedujg26 wrote...
    FogRocker, then it proves it...
    October 28, 2012 3:45 pm
    You DONT know baseball in the Northwest. Seattle is not a powerhouse to any local baseball teams. The majority of successful baseball are in Eastern Washington and the west coast of the state. Even little league through Legion ball is dominated by players and teams NOT in Seattle. With their "parameters" Ephrata or Spokane should be on that list way before Seattle. Seattle does NOT represent the northwest in the sense of baseball.
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  • manabouttown wrote...
    hedujg26 is right
    October 29, 2012 9:05 am
    I think weather has a lot to do with the success of "baseball cities". Eastern Wa has longer good weather seasons than that of Western WA. Obviously, L.A. weather affords long seasons as well. Who wants to play in crappy Western Wa weather?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    How about ..............
    October 28, 2012 10:20 pm
    MLB Profit sharing darling. Cannot compete with the MLB 1% er's, so just wait for the check to roll in.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • uralnutjobs wrote...
    seattle is a soccer town
    October 29, 2012 12:29 pm
    look at the youth program we have and the number of soccer fields vs baseball diamonds in parks here. even the ones arguing about what the story really is about cant figure it out. of course SF and St lou have big numbers of MLB players coming from there, they have had succesful teams for years and the youth game reflects it. also LA is the biggest metroplex in the nation so there are bound to be make players coming from there.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • aljimenez wrote...
    best baseball studies
    October 30, 2012 11:43 am
    why not leave a comment on the author's site? he responds to everyone: http://www.bertsperling.com/2012/10/25/best-baseball-cities/
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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