I agree 100%. Around the 2000-2005 time frame, there were a lot of games being developed for the major sports. When Sega Sports had VC with them, before they became ESPNVG/2K Sports, there was a dynamic being established that was gathering a strong fanbase for games developed by VC.
I remember being in a Barnes and Noble reading a gaming magazine article that interviewed Greg Thomas. He was talking about their outlook for the future, how he felt sports games were perfect for the online community, including leagues and tournaments etc. Then the released their 2005 lineup at $19.99 a game and I was sold at how they were approaching things. Couple that with the potential and quality that NFL 2K5, VC positioned themselves as a solid competitor.
You could argue that they have done the same with NBA 2K. They can do it with MLB 2K, it just a matter of do they have time and resources.