Red Comet Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 6 hours ago, monkeypower said: Looking through the American Association is a real nostalgia trip for me. Calgary had an independent team from 2005-2011, spending 05-07 in the Northern League with Fargo-Moorhead, Gary SouthShore, Winnipeg and Kansas City. Went to a T-Bones game 15 years or so ago. Had a lot of fun there but when I could get Royals tickets for $10 in the nosebleeds on StubHub and suffle down into the lower level while security gives zero flying fricks, there really isn't much of a point to watching independent baseball IMO. Not in a near-major city with a bad major league team anyway. They'd have more luck if they stuck to regional leagues in medium-sized markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeypower Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Sodboy13 said: I had the privilege of seeing the Calgary Vipers in person, as the last actual opponent of the Lake County Fielders in the North American League. I don’t remember actually going to many Vipers games (I don’t even remember them playing in the North American League). There were a couple times I went because tickets were given out to my Little League (the Vipers started when I was 9 and folded when I was 15), but that was about it. My lasting memory of the Vipers was the All-Star team I was on one year doing a tug of war against the mascot on the field. Calgary's professional baseball record has fallen off in the last 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsfan7 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 2 hours ago, Red Comet said: Went to a T-Bones game 15 years or so ago. Had a lot of fun there but when I could get Royals tickets for $10 in the nosebleeds on StubHub and suffle down into the lower level while security gives zero flying fricks, there really isn't much of a point to watching independent baseball IMO. Not in a near-major city with a bad major league team anyway. They'd have more luck if they stuck to regional leagues in medium-sized markets. I know the St Paul Saints have been fairly successful despite being ~20 minutes from the Twins. It probably helps that they play downtown in a major city that doesn't have a team (the Twins play in Minneapolis), but I would expect the same of the T-Bones (KCK vs KCMO). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeypower Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Not minor league, but a weird on-going summer collegiate story. In April of 2019, the city of Edmonton announced they would not be renewing the Edmonton Prospects' fifth year option on the lease of RE/MAX Field after the 2019 WCBL season. Instead, the city would open up bidding on the 2020-2030 lease for the stadium. However, on November 27th, 2019, the city and the Prospects agreed to a one-year extension on the lease because the city ran out of time to make a decision early enough for the WCBL and the Prospects to plan and prepare for the 2020 season, but the bidding process was still ongoing. Fast forward to 2020, the WCBL announced on April 30 that the start of the 2020 season would be delayed from late May until late June or early July because of COVID-19. On May 20th it was announced the lease was awarded to a group called Baseball Edmonton Inc., led by former Oilers defenceman turned doctor Randy Gregg. Despite the Prospects having a losing bid, Gregg hoped the Prospects would remain after their 2020 lease extension was up and his group would also look to add a second Edmonton WCBL team, among other plans/improvements for the stadium and the land. A day later on May 21st, the WCBL president released a statement saying the league is not involved in any formal discussions on a second team in Edmonton and that "The Prospects have and will continue to have the territorial rights to the greater Edmonton area as provided for by the unanimous consent of the WCBL Board of Governors". This article covers everything up to May 21st. Then on May 22nd after losing the bid and "following a period of negotiation over revenue-sharing in order to remain in RE/MAX Field", the Prospects announced they would be moving to the city of Spruce Grove, located 11 kms west of Edmonton and still in the Prospects greater Edmonton territory, for the 2022 season and building a new privately funded stadium. The Prospects managing partner had some comments towards the city and Gregg's group. On May 27th, the WCBL announced the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, meaning the Prospects have the lease on the stadium for a season that isn't going to be played. Renderings were released yesterday with plans for the Spruce Grove stadium and adjacent developments. The rendering also shows inverse sliding pits for some reason, but I hope that's just a mistake on the part of the artist. Though it would fit into the weirdness of REMAX Field having a turf infield with sliding pits, but a grass outfield (look it up). So now the immediate future of the Prospects and RE/MAX Field is up in the air. The Prospects are still shooting for Spruce Grove in 2022, but currently don't have a stadium for 2021. The new ownership of RE/MAX Field will take control of the stadium in 2021 and I would assume will continue with their plans for the stadium and land, but don't have a primary tenant and wouldn't appear to be getting a WCBL team anytime soon based on the comments from the Prospects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 19 hours ago, sportsfan7 said: I was intentionally leaving out teams that play in the suburbs. Sugar Land is expected to join affiliated ball next year along with the St Paul Saints of the American Association. This remains news to St. Paul. On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said: You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now. On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said: Today, we are all otaku. "The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010 The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsfan7 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 10 minutes ago, rams80 said: This remains news to St. Paul. I know. I'm from the area and I remember St Paul finding out about it when everybody else did, even though their owners own 2 affiliated teams (Charleston and Hudson Valley). Personally, I would like them to stay in Indy ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sc49erfan15 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 From the Atlantic League: http://www.atlanticleague.com/news/?article_id=1429 Quote (June 19, 2020, Lancaster, Pa.)- The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several member clubs have not gained necessary approval from governmental and health officials to open their ballparks to a capacity level sufficient for participation. As a result, the 2020 schedule for each team has been opened up, with clubs permtted to seek new solutions for this season that conform to their current governmental guidelines in order to get ballparks opened and begin play. I read this as basically: "the Atlantic League is not having a 2020 season, figure out how to host events at your ballpark, play whatever teams you can, every team for themselves." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzcut Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 The 2020 MiLB season is officially deceased, and for some, there will be no proper sendoff(Maybe paywalled). The CCSLC's resident Geelong Cats fan. Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. Sounds like something from a Rocky & Bullwinkle story arc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeypower Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I really want to read these 120 teams and see if I will, in fact, be surprised by the teams, but I can't justify spending $7 (~$9.50 with the conversion) for one article. It will suck for the towns/cities to see these teams go, and I say this as an "owner" of a MiLB team (which is why I do want to see the list, but my team wasn't on the original list of teams to get cut), but I do see where the MLB is coming from. Is there even a need for so many minor league teams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy! Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Don't know if this has already been discussed, but I'd be curious to see just how many teams the cancellation affects/kills. "I secretly hope people like that hydroplane into a wall." - Dennis "Big Sexy" Ittner POTD - 7/3/14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeypower Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Jimmy! said: Don't know if this has already been discussed, but I'd be curious to see just how many teams the cancellation affects/kills. Well back in November, this was the list of 42 teams that were reportedly up for contraction. That list may have changed, or was never entirely correct in the first place, but there was already going to be teams not returning for the 2021 season. Here's an article from yesterday about the MiLB president on a conference call where he said they are in dire straits. Quote "It’s north of half (of MiLB teams) who could either have to sell (or go insolvent without government or other help). This is the perfect storm. There are many teams that are not liquid, not solvent," O'Conner said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Comet Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Would be part of a long-term trend if the minor leagues in this country do hemorrhage members. There were, what, well over 500 minor league teams in the 1950s? But, maybe this is like new plant life growing in the wake of a forest fire? Maybe what minor league baseball needs to survive long-term is to focus on a smaller number of very successful teams and any other teams would have to be directly owned by the major league teams in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGlowin Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Some independent leagues are now up and running. Some who had games to watch online for free in the past are now asking $5-8 per game to watch. Last updated 2/26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Rich Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Lou Schechheimer, owner of the former New Orleans Baby Cakes / nascent Wichita Wind Surge, has died of COVID 19 complications. - Wind Surge Owner Lou Schwechheimer Dies - Lou Schwechheimer, owner of the then-New Orleans Baby Cakes, dies from coronavirus It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Rich Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 MLB lays out proposal to run minor league baseball It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian in Boston Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 21 minutes ago, B-Rich said: MLB lays out proposal to run minor league baseball Get ready for the "Baseball Cup", a single-elimination tournament featuring all 30 MLB franchises and their (proposed) 120 minor league affiliates in a competition modeled on such soccer fare as England's FA Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadragon76 Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 Um, I can't read the article since the site has a paywall behind it. Any idea what scheme MLB has planned for the Minor Leagues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDAWG Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Seadragon76 said: Um, I can't read the article since the site has a paywall behind it. Any idea what scheme MLB has planned for the Minor Leagues? https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-milb-negotiations-reportedly-include-proposal-for-single-elimination-tournament/ Quote The idea is modeled largely after European soccer competitions, in which lower-level clubs can compete with top-level clubs in yearly tournaments. For instance, England's FA Cup allows soccer teams from 10 levels of English soccer to compete for a title. The FA Cup runs concurrently with the Premier League season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGlowin Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 1. Would this replace the MLB season? Or when would MLB teams have time for it? 2. MLB teams vs. MiLB teams would be a nightmare. Baseball has hierarchy for a reason. Last updated 2/26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanMcD29 Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 Well, if there's one other thing to legitimize the New York Mets-Tottenham Hotspur connection in addition to the heartbreak, not the most popular team in a huge city but very loyal fanbase, the chokejobs, big support from Irish and Jewish communities in their location, and the heartbreak, it's a New York Mets Baseball FA Cup loss to, say, the Rochester Red Wings in the 1st round Twitter: @RyanMcD29 // College Crosse: Where I write, chat, and infograph lacrosse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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