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The reality is that this is not about tradition. The Continental League was actually taking shape, and it is what forced MLB to expand in 1961 and 1962. The MLB owners were adamantly opposed to the idea of adding a third major league, but the Continental League had some strong backing in terms of finances and cities. And it was William Shea (of Shea Stadium fame) who was leading the entire effort as the would-be owner of the Continental League franchise in New York.
But once the National League agreed to offer Shea an MLB expansion franchise in New York, Shea abandoned his role as the leader of the fledgling CL, and the rest was history. However, if Shea hadn't been offered an expansion team, the CL may have become a reality and may have scared MLB owners into accepting it as a third major league. The CL was heading into major markets where it may have drawn considerable attendance, media ratings, and profits.
In the end, I believe that seven of the eight proposed CL cities eventually got MLB franchises, although it took Denver until 1993 to get a team when the Rockies joined the National League. I think Buffalo was the only proposed CL city that never ended up with a major league franchise.
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