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Minor League baseball changes

Started by Desert Man, October 07, 2016, 11:20:48 AM

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Desert Man

Minor League and collegiate league baseball is popular, not as much as college football or basketball, it's still wonderful for your community to have a pro or semi-pro baseball team to root for. The one near me is the Palm Springs Power (summer team) of the Southern California Collegiate Baseball League and their winter team with the same name in the instructional-level California Winter League play their rival the Palm Springs Chill and 12 others, all games in the Palm Springs Stadium and Palm Springs high school ball field. Previous teams are the Palm Springs Suns of the independent Western League (1995-96), the Palm Springs Promise of the California Collegiate League (1994) and the Palm Springs Angels, class-A affiliate of the California Angels (now the LA Angels of Anaheim, briefly Anaheim Angels) in the California League (1985?-93) because the major league parent club held spring training in PS (1961-92) when the owner Gene Autry (died 1998) and his wife inherited the MLB Angels lived in town. The Indio Desert Dogs of the failed independent Golden State League (1995) never played, they ended up in Imperial valley or Yuma AZ in existing standard baseball stadiums. In the 1990s, Palm Springs was temporary home of the Cal League Modesto A's (1994) and Riverside Pilots (Mariners, 1993-95) and the triple-A Pacific Coast League Phoenix Firebirds/Fresno Grizzlies (Giants-1997) and 2000's Portland Beavers/Tucson Padres (2010).

Next year or so, a few minor league baseball teams either relocate and contract (in the case of Cal League's Bakersfield and High Desert teams, their operations moved to the Carolina League with new teams in Fayetteville and Kinston, each in NC).
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20160415&content_id=172382010&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb

Colorado Springs (AAA-PCL) move to San Antonio while their AA team move to Amarillo (was there a team in Lubbock?), class A Brevard county move to Osceola county in FL, West Virginia (A-SAL) looks to move to the Charlotte NC-Rock Hill SC area, as the state already have a "West Virginia" team in Morgantown not far from Charleston (A-NYPL), and the low-fan-attendance Charlotte (AAA-Int L), Nashville (AAA-PCL) and Las Vegas (AAA-PCL) teams have an endangered future. The A's want a triple-A team in NorCal, so it could take the Nashville team to San Jose, currently has a Giants team in the class-A Cal League (how about move it to Bakersfield or High Desert with an affiliate change?). Two Cal League teams in San Bernardino area: the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers) 10 miles apart, actually the entire Cal League has serious economic issues you find in CA's inland valleys affects the teams' finances. There are independent leagues as well: the Sugar Land TX Skeeters of the Atlantic League may move to the American Association, and Woodward OK sought a league for some time (it's possible). And the Atlantic League could have Utica NY to their lineup.

Maybe it's time for a new major league baseball league for cities who sought one for a long time in the AL or NL. Imagine: the Continental/North American/United States Baseball League: Brooklyn Cyclones, Buffalo Bisons, Charlotte Knights, Orlando Flamingoes (or Gators), Portland Beavers and Vancouver Canadians. Possibly add teams for Hawaii (the Nenes) or Puerto Rico (the Coquis), but are located too far off the mainland. The Oakland A's might relocate either to San Jose, Sacramento or Las Vegas if there's no approval for a new standard ballpark near the city's seaport. If the A's stay in Oakland, I foresee the Las Vegas Area 51's and Sacramento Gold Sox (or Golden Retrievers, catchy huh?) in my fantasy league. Sac's current PCL River Cats are in neighboring West Sacramento's Raley Field, former A's now SF Giants affiliate. And finally, my league has the new Montreal Expos and Norfolk/Virginia Beach Tides. Displaced triple-A and class-A teams can go to Charleston WV, Albany-Colonie NY or Ottawa Canada (random picks for locations), and a fantasy league will require more minor league affiliations and currently independent leagues have a choice in this niche.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.


wphiii

I can't imagine anything happening to Nashville, they just had a new stadium built that opened in 2015 and has been doing quite healthily attendance-wise. If anything the A's would need to find another AAA franchise, perhaps one of the "hot potato" ones like Vegas that nobody wants, and see about moving it to the Bay Area. (If this San Antonio thing doesn't come to fruition, Co. Springs may become another one of those, even the Rockies didn't want to deal with that environment anymore despite the dream situation of having your top affiliate within a couple of hours away).

Where did you see anything about the WV Power moving to North Carolina, or is that just conjecture on your part? I follow the Pirates farm system very closely and I hadn't heard anything along those lines and as far as I can tell both sides seem pretty content with the arrangement.

Desert Man

#2
Yes, the Pirates' 2 minor league teams close to each other and WV has the rookie-level Appalachian League, a case of two teams 10 miles apart: Bluefield Jays and Princeton Rays. The Angels' AAA and rookie-level teams are in Utah (Salt Lake City Bees of the PCL and Orem Owlz, formerly Provo Angels in the Pioneer). And the Dodgers' AAA and AA-level teams in OKC (AAA-PCL) and Tulsa (AA-Texas). UT has collegiate Northern Utah and Great Basin Leagues and OK has the Okie State and Jayhawk Leagues.

Nashville can have Charlotte's team then (Int-L) because you mention their new stadium and ranked 19th out of 100 top minor league teams, but the A's want to be close to the Bay Area. Escondido near San Diego wanted the minors (stadium proposal rejection), but failed to attract the Portland Beavers, whom later moved to Tucson (2011-13) and now El Paso (since 2014), these areas have Mexican "professional" minor league teams and of course, the Padres want to promote their team more in San Diego county and along the US-Mexican border. The Padres' AA-team in San Antonio will remain within the Texas state line, after all Amarillo shared the Texas Airhogs (Grand Prairie) in the American Association last season. And their class-A team Lake Elsinore CA Storm used to be an Angels affiliate in the 1990s and 2000s.

And Tenn like NC is a great state for minor league baseball, sometimes a town has 2 teams in different leagues or levels. Nashville once had 2 minor league teams in the same place (1993-94): the Nashville Xpress of the AA southern league temporarily shared the older stadium the Nashville Sounds played home games through a rotating game-day schedule...I believe they were both Twins affiliates then. The Xpress temporarily moved to Wilmington NC as the Port City Roosters (1995-96) and now are the Mobile BayBears (Mariners, Cubs, D-backs, Padres and now Angels affiliations). 
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

Rothman

Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

SP Cook

The West Virginia Power, who play in the full-season (April to Labor Day) South Atlantic League are not really "close" to the West Virginia Black Bears, who play in the short-season (last week of June to Labor Day) New York - Penn League.  The Power play in Charleston, while the Black Bears play 160 miles away in Morgantown.    Totally different draw areas, different media markets, no overlap at all. 

In any event, both teams have leases that run until the 19 season and are not moving anywhere. 

Is this some kind of variation on "fictional highways" where people advocate for things that serve no purpose other than to make some sort of grid look "right" ?


Desert Man

Quote from: SP Cook on October 07, 2016, 01:17:06 PM
The West Virginia Power, who play in the full-season (April to Labor Day) South Atlantic League are not really "close" to the West Virginia Black Bears, who play in the short-season (last week of June to Labor Day) New York - Penn League.  The Power play in Charleston, while the Black Bears play 160 miles away in Morgantown.    Totally different draw areas, different media markets, no overlap at all. 

In any event, both teams have leases that run until the 19 season and are not moving anywhere. 

Is this some kind of variation on "fictional highways" where people advocate for things that serve no purpose other than to make some sort of grid look "right" ?



No, I provided a link in the first post on relocations, but thanks for information regarding the WV Power. Fun fact Charleston WV (and Charleston SC) were members of the South Atlantic, Southern and International Leagues in baseball history. The collegiate WV Miners in Beckley are the third "WV" team. And the Frontier and Appalachian Leagues spread out the WV-Appalachian region.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

SP Cook

Quote from: Desert Man on October 07, 2016, 02:28:28 PM

No, I provided a link in the first post on relocations...

Which is dated last April and does not mention the Power or Black Bears at all.

BTW, current MiLB rules would not allow a move such as you propose, as there are multiple teams with territorial rights to the Charlotte-Rock Hill area.   And, AAA Charlotte, which has a long term deal with a new in 2014 ballpark, is not having "low fan attendence" but rather is in the top 5 in live gate in AAA.


Desert Man

#7
The Las Vegas 51s are staying, a stadium proposal in Summerlin, the western location of Vegas is controversial and not everyone there wants it. Currently a Mets affiliate, the former Stars were affiliated with the Padres, Dodgers and Jays in its 33-year history. What would happen if the stadium proposal is rejected? Then the 51s are bound for the SF Bay area or wherever else they find an empty seat. Possible affiliation switch with Vegas and Nashville then.

Edit (to avoid double-post): Ottawa Canada wants an Eastern League team, currently has the Can-Am League Ottawa Champions. Both the Binghamton Mets and Erie Sea Wolves (Tigers affiliate) denied any relocation rumors, they're staying where they are. But the B-Mets' contract to stay in Upstate NY expires in 2016, stay tuned for further developments.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

epzik8

Thank god you don't have the Aberdeen Ironbirds moving anywhere. I live about 15 miles away from Aberdeen, Maryland, where the Ironbirds, a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles, have been based since 2002. They were brought here from Utica, New York by Cal Ripken Jr. Rumor has it that the Ripkens are selling the Ironbirds and the new owners could move the team out of Aberdeen, but the latter seems unlikely since Ripken Stadium just purchased naming rights.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

My clinched highways: http://tm.teresco.org/user/?u=epzik8
My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

wphiii

Quote from: epzik8 on October 10, 2016, 02:21:45 PM
Thank god you don't have the Aberdeen Ironbirds moving anywhere. I live about 15 miles away from Aberdeen, Maryland, where the Ironbirds, a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles, have been based since 2002. They were brought here from Utica, New York by Cal Ripken Jr. Rumor has it that the Ripkens are selling the Ironbirds and the new owners could move the team out of Aberdeen, but the latter seems unlikely since Ripken Stadium just purchased naming rights.

I'd be surprised too because the Orioles have made a concentrated effort to cluster their affiliates near Baltimore. Plus It'd be kind of foolish for a new owner to move them because I don't know of anywhere else in the NY-Penn League region that'd have as good of a setup ready to walk into in terms of stadium, marketing etc.

Desert Man

#10
The Cal League should do this to even out the league: Merge the Inland Empire 66ers with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes - San Bernardino is a terrible place, esp for family-friendly sports events, move them to LoanMart field (formerly the Epicenter). Unless a triple-A team comes to the area (OKC Dodgers or SLC Bees under the Angels?), the 66ers represent the entire San Bernardino area (Inland Empire moniker includes Riverside and Victorville). Then I guess the 66ers go back to San Bernardino if this scenario happens.

The San Jose Giants should move to Bakersfield, switch affilations and have the Giants sign up the Stockton Ports, the A's with Modesto Nuts, Lancaster becomes a Dodgers affiliate within L.A. county, the Angels restore relations with the 66ers and the Bakersfield team decides a contract. Palm Springs in my fantasy world has a new minor league ballpark and spring training comes back (the Seattle Mariners or the L.A. Angels), thus the Palm Springs "Heat" under the Mariners farm system is the best-selling team in the Cal League.

In my fantasy, I would like a triple-A team in San Diego county (Escondido), esp under the Padres ownership, the Escondido "Ninos" proven themselves as the top PCL (Pacific Coast League) team. Lake Elsinore Storm of the Cal League remains a Padres affiliate...and the rookie Arizona League places a team in Yuma AZ (the Padres spring training camp restored). If MLB expands (most likely Montreal and Puerto Rico), they sign up FL State League teams, while new replacement CA League teams awarded to Salinas and Merced.

And if there's expansion teams in Montreal-NL (the retro Expos) and Puerto Rico-AL (the Coquis), here's my farm systems (both teams spring training camps in Palm Beach, FL):
MONTREAL (2020) EXPOS
AAA: Ottawa (INT), AA: New Hampshire Fisher-Cats (EAS, Blue Jays sign up Hartford), A: Palm Beach Parrots (FLS-expansion), Rookie: Alberta Mounties (PIO-expansion) share Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
PUERTO RICO-San Juan COQUIS
AAA: Orlando (INT), AA: Jacksonville Suns (SOU, Dodgers sign up a new TXL affiliate),  A: Palm Beach Sharks (FLS-expansion), Rookie: Gulf Coast League team (Plant City).
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

coatimundi

Quote from: Desert Man on October 07, 2016, 11:20:48 AM
actually the entire Cal League has serious economic issues you find in CA's inland valleys affects the teams' finances.

That kinda figures. Salinas city leaders got on the news a little over a year ago to tout the idea for a new stadium near Downtown, with the idea of luring a Cal League team. I saw it as a longshot to even get the stadium going, but I guess the league was more of a problem.
Salinas-Monterey-Santa Cruz gets up toward 400,000, with Salinas itself sitting about 150,000, so I don't see this as a totally absurd endeavor. Especially since the colleges that have baseball - CSUMB, UCSC and Hartnell - don't have much of a following in the sport. But Salinas has better things to spend money on, and they would never build a new stadium in the communities along the coast. It's just too expensive.

Quote from: Desert Man on October 13, 2016, 12:03:40 PM
The San Jose Giants should move to Bakersfield

The SJ Giants are pretty popular locally. And the Giants name feeds into the obsessive culture in the Bay Area with that team. I realize it seems ridiculous to have two majors and a minor in one metro area, but it's an enormous metro area, and offering the laid-back nature of minor league baseball as a contrast to the high ticket prices and stress (just reaching the stadium is kinda terrible) of an SF Giants game is attractive.

Quote from: Desert Man on October 13, 2016, 12:03:40 PM
In my fantasy, I would like a triple-A team in San Diego county (Escondido), esp under the Padres ownership, the Escondido "Ninos" proven themselves as the top PCL (Pacific Coast League) team

Escondido was supposed to get a AAA team a few years ago when the Diamondbacks farm team left Tucson. But they balked on the stadium, some sort of contract limit expired, and Reno got them instead.
I don't know that North County San Diego necessarily needs AAA. Maybe something smaller first.

Desert Man

#12
The CAL league isn't expanding any time soon, so I think an independent minor league for southern CA is a good idea.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LEAGUE
Bakersfield Bears (or Badgers), High Desert Mavericks (in Adelanto), Fullerton Flyers, Mission Viejo Swallows, Long Beach Legends, San Fernando Valley Heat, Pomona/ Ontario Outlaws, Riverside Red Wave, Santa Barbara Foresters, and Ventura/Oxnard Oilers.

Uncertain: Escondido or North County Ninos (might still be possible) and San Diego Hammers (this one a real team, owns a Desert Fall League team the Salton Sea Hammers, they play the Imperial County Ghost Riders, Somerton Caneros and Yuma Maple Leafs). The RL unassigned San Diego SurfDawgs and Tijuana Potros of the 2000s/early 2010s may come back, unless they have a San Diego based summer league with teams in Mexicali (the Aguilles-winter version in the Mexican Pacific League) and San Luis (the Sonora Pilots-winter version in the same league), and the revival of the summer teams El Centro Imperials and Yuma Panthers.

IRL, the Palm Springs area has an instructional winter league, the California Winter League, with 14 teams (10 this year, 4 suspended for now): Palm Springs Chill and Power, Palm Desert Coyotes, Coachella Valley Snowbirds, Alberta Grizzlies, British columbia Bombers, Canada A's (or Saskatchewan Eh's), Manitoba North Stars, Washington Bluesox, Oregon Lumberjacks, (SF) Bay Area Bootleggers, Midwest (Chicago) Haymakers, New York Colonials and Toronto Rush.

BORDER (SUMMER) LEAGUE
North County Ninos and San Diego Hammers, play the San Diego SurfDawgs, Tijuana Potros, Mexicali Aguilles, El Centro Imperials, Yuma Panthers, Sonora Pilots and maybe the revived Chula Vista Toros and Tecate Cervecarios (a real collegiate team).

DESERT (FALL) LEAGUE
Imperial County Ghost Riders, Salton Sea Hammers and SurfDawgs, Palm Springs Chill (fictional), Blythe/Havasu Heat (fictional, both the Chill and Heat in the disbanded Arizona winter league), Yuma Maple Leafs and Bullfrogs, Somerton Caneros and the revived Canada Miners in Somerton and Mexico Matadors in Mexicali or Calexico.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

Desert Man

Quote from: Desert Man on October 07, 2016, 02:28:28 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on October 07, 2016, 01:17:06 PM
The West Virginia Power, who play in the full-season (April to Labor Day) South Atlantic League are not really "close" to the West Virginia Black Bears, who play in the short-season (last week of June to Labor Day) New York - Penn League.  The Power play in Charleston, while the Black Bears play 160 miles away in Morgantown.    Totally different draw areas, different media markets, no overlap at all. 

In any event, both teams have leases that run until the 19 season and are not moving anywhere. 

Is this some kind of variation on "fictional highways" where people advocate for things that serve no purpose other than to make some sort of grid look "right" ?



No, I provided a link in the first post on relocations, but thanks for information regarding the WV Power. Fun fact Charleston WV (and Charleston SC) were members of the South Atlantic, Southern and International Leagues in baseball history. The collegiate WV Miners in Beckley are the third "WV" team. And the Frontier and Appalachian Leagues spread out the WV-Appalachian region.

Checking back on the post I've wrote, the Power are no longer in operation, it's possible they will return in another league.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_Power
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

kevinb1994


Henry

These are the new affiliations for each of the 30 major-league clubs, with the order being Triple-A/Double-A/High-A/Low-A:

Orioles: Norfolk, Bowie, Aberdeen, Delmarva
Red Sox: Worcester, Portland, Greenville, Salem
Yankees: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Somerset, Hudson Valley, Tampa
Rays: Durham, Montgomery, Bowling Green, Charleston
Blue Jays: Buffalo, New Hampshire, Vancouver, Dunedin
White Sox: Charlotte, Birmingham, Winston-Salem, Kannapolis
Indians: Columbus, Akron, Lake County, Lynchburg
Tigers: Toledo, Erie, West Michigan, Lakeland
Royals: Omaha, Northwest Arkansas, Quad Cities, Columbia
Twins: St. Paul, Wichita, Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers
Astros: Sugar Land, Corpus Christi, Asheville, Fayetteville
Angels: Salt Lake, Rocket City, Tri-City, Inland Empire
Athletics: Las Vegas, Midland, Lansing, Stockton
Mariners: Tacoma, Arkansas, Everett, Modesto
Rangers: Round Rock, Frisco, Hickory, Down East
Braves: Gwinnett, Mississippi, Rome, Augusta
Marlins: Jacksonville, Pensacola, Beloit, Jupiter
Mets: Syracuse, Binghamton, Brooklyn, St. Lucie
Phillies: Lehigh Valley, Reading, Jersey Shore, Clearwater
Nationals: Rochester, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Fredericksburg
Cubs: Iowa, Tennessee, South Bend, Myrtle Beach
Reds: Louisville, Chattanooga, Dayton, Daytona
Brewers: Nashville, Biloxi, Wisconsin, Carolina
Pirates: Indianapolis, Altoona, Greensboro, Bradenton
Cardinals: Memphis, Springfield, Peoria, Palm Beach
Diamondbacks: Reno, Amarillo, Hillsboro, Visalia
Rockies: Albuquerque, Hartford, Spokane, Fresno
Dodgers: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Great Lakes, Rancho Cucamonga
Padres: El Paso, San Antonio, Fort Wayne, Lake Elsinore
Giants: Sacramento, Richmond, Eugene, San Jose
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

SP Cook

#16
The basics of the sport's minor league realignment was to reduce the number of teams, and thus the number of players under contract.  Also to reduce travel and have more minor league teams in the logical geographic zones of the MLB teams.  MLB now runs minor league baseball directly.  In return, the players that remain will get higher pay and health insurance.  The draft will be moved to after the College World Series and far fewer players will be drafted, and the "rookie league" level will be eliminated, instead players will go to the spring training sites for training camp like late summers and early falls, joining an actual team the next spring.  Each team will have one and only one team at each level, AAA, AA, High A, and Low A.    Also gone are the league names, some of which go back to the 19th century, and many of which were geographically questionable.  The new deal is:



Triple-A East
Midwest Division
Columbus Clippers (Indians)
Indianapolis Indians (Pirates)
Iowa Cubs (Cubs)
Louisville Bats (Reds)
Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals)
St. Paul Saints (Twins)
Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers)


Northeast Division
Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)
Rochester Red Wings (Nationals)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees)
Syracuse Mets (Mets)
Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

Southeast Division
Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
Durham Bulls (Rays)
Gwinnett Stripers (Braves)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins)
Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals)
Nashville Sounds (Brewers)
Norfolk Tides (Orioles)

Triple-A West
East Division
Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies)
El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres)
Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers)
Round Rock Express (Rangers)
Sugar Land Skeeters (Astros)


West Division
Las Vegas Aviators (A's)
Reno Aces (D-backs)
Sacramento River Cats (Giants)
Salt Lake Bees (Angels)
Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners)

Double-A Central
North Division
Arkansas Travelers (Mariners)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals)
Springfield Cardinals (Cardinals)
Tulsa Drillers (Dodgers)
Wichita Wind Surge (Twins)

South Division
Amarillo Sod Poodles (D-backs)
Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros)
Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers)
Midland RockHounds (A's)
San Antonio Missions (Padres)


Double-A Northeast
Northeast Division
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)
Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies)
Somerset Patriots (Yankees)

Southwest Division
Akron RubberDucks (Indians)
Altoona Curve (Pirates)
Bowie Baysox (Orioles)
Erie SeaWolves (Tigers)
Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)
Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)

Double-A South
North Division
Birmingham Barons (White Sox)
Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds)
Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels)
Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)


South Division
Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers)
Mississippi Braves (Braves)
Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins)

High-A Central
East Division
Dayton Dragons (Reds)
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres)
Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers)
Lake Country Captains (Indians)
Lansing Lugnuts (A's)
West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers)

West Division
Beloit Snappers (Marlins)
Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins)
Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals)
Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals)
South Bend Cubs (Cubs)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers)


High-A East
North Division
Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles)
Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees)
Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nats)

South Division
Asheville Tourists (Astros)
Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates)
Greenville Drive (Red Sox)
Hickory Crawdads (Rangers)
Rome Braves (Braves)
Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)

High-A West
Eugene Emeralds (Giants)
Everett AquaSox (Mariners)
Hillsboro Hops (D-backs)
Spokane Indians (Rockies)
Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels)
Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays)


Low-A East
Central Division
Carolina Mudcats (Brewers)
Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox)

North Division
Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles)
Fredericksburg Nationals (Nationals)
Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians)
Salem Red Sox (Red Sox)

South Division
Augusta GreenJackets (Braves)
Charleston RiverDogs (Rays)
Columbia Fireflies (Royals)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs)


Low-A Southeast
East Division
Daytona Tortugas (Reds)
Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)
Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals)
St. Lucie Mets (Mets)

West Division
Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)
Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)
Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers)
Tampa Tarpons (Yankees)

Low-A West
North Division
Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies)
Modesto Nuts (Mariners)
San Jose Giants (Giants)
Stockton Ports (A's)


South Division
Inland Empire 66ers (Angels)
Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers)
Visalia Rawhide (D-backs)

MLB will repurpose sic teams in a new "MLB Draft League" which will feature players eligible to be drafted in that year.

Mahoning Valley Scrappers
State College Spikes
Trenton Thunder
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Cross Cutters
Frederick Keys

MLB transformed the Appalachian League into a freshman and sophomore (rising) college wood bat league.  College wood bat leagues are where college players with eligibility remaining play in the late summer.  The Pioneer League was made a "MLB partner league", transforming into an independent league, more or less MLB just tossed them some $$ as a parting gift. 

I am down with the changes, although 40 communities will lose live professional baseball.  Sad thing is the loss of historic names.  Carolina League (even if it had teams in Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia) and Texas League (even if it had teams in Oklahoma and Arkansas) are better than "High A West division" or "AA South division".




Rothman

I am still ticked about the Paw Sox moving to Worcester.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

SectorZ

Quote from: Rothman on February 15, 2021, 01:10:22 PM
I am still ticked about the Paw Sox moving to Worcester.

I'm ticked that MLB murdered the Lowell Spinners.

I-55

I'm gonna miss seeing the West Virginia Power. Got a lot of easy foul balls there. Power up the Toaster!
Let's Go Purdue Basketball Whoosh

mgk920

To me, the 'High-A Central' will always be 'The Midwest League'.

:banghead:

Maybe it's time to sever all of the affiliation agreements and go full promotion/relegation in all levels of North American professional Baseball....

Mike

texaskdog

I think so much makes since, but they should have kept the league names

Road Hog

Just wait until they do the same thing with college football and remove all the conference names.

I-55

Quote from: Road Hog on February 16, 2021, 04:57:29 PM
Just wait until they do the same thing with college football and remove all the conference names.

Not gonna happen as long as the power 5 keep making money from the current system.
Let's Go Purdue Basketball Whoosh

spooky

Quote from: SectorZ on February 15, 2021, 02:24:00 PM
Quote from: Rothman on February 15, 2021, 01:10:22 PM
I am still ticked about the Paw Sox moving to Worcester.

I'm ticked that MLB murdered the Lowell Spinners.

same.



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