neo_prankster 3,433 Posted November 17, 2019 What's going on with all this consolidation? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GDAWG 1,832 Posted November 17, 2019 So why do the Cubs and Rangers get to keep all of their teams? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DustDevil61 1,022 Posted November 18, 2019 I feel that this article covers some possible issues MLB has in their plan. (May be behind a paywall for some of you.) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rams80 4,278 Posted November 18, 2019 Hey, the Astros model is basically murdering major league baseball in a bunch of midsize markets, I guess the statheads figured minor league towns deserve to get in on the "fun" as well. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CubsFanBudMan 399 Posted November 18, 2019 8 hours ago, Sec19Row53 said: If this list doesn't include the poor facilities found in Beloit, I'm not sure what sort of faith I could have in it When I thought about the Midwest League, it starts with Beloit. That they are not in that list and (in order of surprise) the Quad Cities River Bandits, Clinton LumberKings and Burlington Bees are, makes it a bit suspect to me. That also leaves the Cedar Rapids Kernels on an island, which goes against the geographic theory. (Also: Chattanooga Lookouts? Really?) 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TBGKon 2,683 Posted November 18, 2019 The two in the Florida State League baffle me a little, well maybe just Daytona. The Florida Fire Frogs were bought out of their lease after the 2019 season and as of today are currently homeless and haven't publicly announced a new home for 2020. Daytona on the other hand is one of the better drawing teams attendance-wise, but play in a smaller antiquated stadium. Could be why, but their affiliates in the past (Cubs and Reds) don't seem to complain. Daytona and Florida are also (as of 2019) the two teams relatively isolated from the rest (4 teams in Tampa-Lakeland area, 3 in SW Florida, and 3 between St Lucie/Palm Beach. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rams80 4,278 Posted November 18, 2019 11 hours ago, CubsFanBudMan said: When I thought about the Midwest League, it starts with Beloit. That they are not in that list and (in order of surprise) the Quad Cities River Bandits, Clinton LumberKings and Burlington Bees are, makes it a bit suspect to me. That also leaves the Cedar Rapids Kernels on an island, which goes against the geographic theory. (Also: Chattanooga Lookouts? Really?) Quad Cities' presence is surprising when you think about the quality of the facilities there (and the size of the market), but they're an Astros affiliate (read DustDevils' link) and the River Bandits spent like a month on the road last season because Mississippi River flooding in Davenport left the stadium inaccessible. This is unacceptable for a franchise that has never ever had to play games elsewhere due to acts of God. /sarcasm Cedar Rapids is the largest Iowa Midwest League market after the Quad Cities AND a Twins affiliate, which is enough to save them given the likely arbitrariness with which the Houston statheads compiled the list. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buzzcut 281 Posted November 18, 2019 It looks like Quad Citites in on the list only because Beloit might actually get their act together. All this and more in the latest from Ballpark Digest: https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/11/18/more-details-emerge-on-mlbs-assault-on-hometown-baseball/ 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NicDB 3,039 Posted November 19, 2019 I think the only bigger surprise than Beloit not being on this list is the fact that Beloit is even still around at all. Think about if you were to travel back to the mid-80s, when Appleton, Beloit, Kenosha, Madison, Wausau, and Wisconsin Rapids all had teams in the Midwest League. Then tell people there would only be two Wisconsin teams left in 2020. How many would seriously guess Beloit to be one of them? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RyanMcD29 861 Posted November 19, 2019 Supposedly dropping Binghamton will move the Brooklyn Cyclones up to AA, so I guess that changes the whole NYC metro area deal with the high minor leagues 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TBGKon 2,683 Posted November 19, 2019 14 hours ago, RyanMcD29 said: Supposedly dropping Binghamton will move the Brooklyn Cyclones up to AA, so I guess that changes the whole NYC metro area deal with the high minor leagues The whole thing that confuses me here is that when Staten island and Brooklyn both came around, it was the territorial agreement of NYC and the Yankees and Mets where they both had to have teams in the market to be equal. If Brooklyn survives and Staten Island does not, I foresee a Yankees rebuttal coming. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the admiral 29,133 Posted November 19, 2019 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red-Knight 8 Posted November 20, 2019 On 11/17/2019 at 10:24 AM, Wade Heidt said: Vancouver Canadians fan here. I see 2 teams from the Northwest League on the list. The league has only 8 teams. Is there plans for the Northwest League to merge with another short-season Single A league? A 6 team league is not ideal. I forget where I saw this, I will try to find it (although it could have been speculative), but I think the idea is to create a AA league on the west coast to help with travel costs for MLB clubs west of the Mississippi. I think the working theory is that these teams would be used to frankenstein a new AA league. Not sure of all the logistics or how exactly that would work, but it would obviously involve several markets jumping up/down levels. I think MLB wants to avoid farm systems like the Giants that go from Oregon, to Georgia, to California, to Virginia, then back to California. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Needschat 222 Posted November 20, 2019 Tri-City ValleyCats of the NYPL were not on the list, which leads me to think that they'll be one of the replacement spots for Binghamton and Erie. Troy is across the river from Albany, the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area has 1 million+ people (Goes from Hudson to Glens Falls/Lake George to Amsterdam to Pittsfield MA). The Mets could move their EL team to Brooklyn. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian in Boston 2,837 Posted November 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Needschat said: Tri-City ValleyCats of the NYPL were not on the list, which leads me to think that they'll be one of the replacement spots for Binghamton and Erie. I've heard that the ValleyCats are also being considered for inclusion in a new Class A "Mid-Atlantic League". They'd join the Hudson Valley Renegades, Lakewood BlueClaws, Delmarva Shorebirds, Aberdeen IronBirds, and West Virginia Black Bears. There's the possibility that a couple of other teams might be added to that circuit. Right now, everything is in a state of flux. There are going to be some "fireworks" at the Winter Meetings, that's for sure. #StrikeOutTheExemption 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buzzcut 281 Posted December 12, 2019 We now know why Bowling Green is being spared, They're being promoted to AA and the Southern League. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GDAWG 1,832 Posted December 12, 2019 If the Brooklyn Cyclones move up to AA, would they have to increase seating for MCU Park? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmccarthy27 309 Posted December 12, 2019 1 hour ago, GDAWG said: If the Brooklyn Cyclones move up to AA, would they have to increase seating for MCU Park? They should not have to looking at wiki that capacity is about right in the middle of the current list. And really the largest stadium, the Baysox's, being from that area, I know that was supposed to be AAA club which is why the stadium has a 10,000 capacity. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buzzcut 281 Posted December 14, 2019 Rob Manfred shoots across the bow. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dfwabel 4,155 Posted December 14, 2019 7 minutes ago, buzzcut said: Rob Manfred shoots across the bow. Yep. It's municipal extortion. That's why members of Congress (both parties) are concerned. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
