CHARLOTTE VIES FOR BASEBALL TEAM.

OK, Charlotte may not yet be ready for major league baseball. But ...

It's a sentence that could be completed many ways, judging from the opinions of Charlotte sports and business leaders Wednesday as they considered the possibility of the Milwaukee Brewers moving to the city.

Most agree the Charlotte market, different in scope for baseball than other major professional sports, may be five to 10 years away from its most opportune entry into the major leagues. It may take that long for the immediate area - a 25-mile radius, some believe - to support 81 regular-season home games, and for the corporate community to stretch its sponsorship dollars across three major-league teams and a Winston Cup track.

While opinions range from brash optimism to skepticism, most agree: Ready or not, if the Brewers come calling, the city can't afford to turn them away.

``If the Brewers would become available, I think we'd have to look at it as a community,'' Charlotte Chamber of Commerce President Carroll Gray said. ``I think we'd have to evaluate whether this community wants it.''

Published reports in Milwaukee say Charlotte is the No. 1 relocation site for the Brewers, if they decide to move. Team owners, still trying to work out a stadium deal to stay put, have not commented on a possible move.

Yet Charlotte's name has popped up repeatedly over the past year as a prime home for the Brewers. Local leaders offer a variety of positives and negatives on a potential marriage with major league baseball:

Why Charlotte?

The city has a national reputation as a pro sports hotbed. The Charlotte Hornets play to capacity crowds at the Charlotte Coliseum and lead the NBA in attendance. The Carolina Panthers, in their second NFL season, expect to sell out the new Carolinas Stadium in uptown Charlotte. Charlotte Motor Speedway attracts capacity crowds of around 140,000 for major NASCAR races.

Metropolitan Charlotte has about 1.6 million people, while about 6 million are within a 100-mile radius, according to Chamber of Commerce statistics. Recent growth patterns have been about 3 percent per year.

The flexibility of Knights Castle, a 10,000-seat baseball stadium in Fort Mill. The home to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights is owned by Hornets owner George Shinn. It can be converted to a 35,000-seat stadium within a year, making it suitable at least temporarily.

Charlotte is about a four-hour drive from the closest major league team, the Atlanta Braves.

Why not Charlotte?

One more major-league team at this time may be one too many. Markets most successful in supporting three or more major-league teams are in huge metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Despite the success of the Hornets and Panthers and the area's population and growth rate, there may not yet be enough people to support baseball. People will not drive as far for a high number of weeknight games as they will for one weekend Panthers game.

Corporate sponsorship dollars, spread among the Hornets, Panthers and major race teams, may be stretched too thin for baseball. This would affect season tickets, traditionally sold in volume to businesses, and advertising revenue.

Still, there's optimism.

``Who is a fortune-teller enough to say this market is tapped out?'' Panthers director of ticket sales Phil Youtsey said. ``You can't say it. I can't.

``Just because your boat is full of fish doesn't mean there aren't still fish in the water.''

Here's what Gray and others had to say about Charlotte and the Brewers:

Gray: ``I think baseball is in our future. I don't know if that's current but sometimes if an opportunity comes along, you have to take it.''

Humpy Wheeler, president, Charlotte Motor Speedway: ``I definitely think we're at the saturation point.... Ask any sports promoter who is his biggest competition; he'll say it's people's time. You're competing with the beach, the mountains, gardening. Then throw in racing, football, basketball.

Carl Scheer, Charlotte Checkers hockey president and former NBA team executive: ``If they're prepared for some early losses, it could be a very successful venture. This is a major-league town, a very vibrant community. And they'll have the summer to themselves.''

Rich Sheubrooks, director, Charlotte Regional Sports Commission: ``I think we really need to let the (pro sports) smoke clear here a little bit. It would really stretch the corporate support in the city.''

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory: ``The whole question for owners and fans is the question of affordability. Do we have a fan base that can afford the necessary ticket prices to meet the owners' needed profit margin? And the entertainment dollars in Charlotte are being stretched already.''

Shinn: ``Who's to say a major league team wouldn't be successful here? I think Charlotte would have as good a shot as other markets this size. ... (But) I don't think at this time that Charlotte is ready. How much can the market demand?''

Max Muhleman, Charlotte sports marketing consultant: ``Baseball has the same need the other sports do, that's premium seating. You want to sell 40, 50, 60 suites at major-league parks. And the corporate community, which has to use those suites for 81 games, is probably pretty tightly squeezed right now....''

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Photo

Photo: Acting baseball commissioner Bud Selig will now have to contemplate the prospect of a Brewers move to Charlotte, N.C.

Associated Press