DEAD! 2,391 Posted February 13 6 hours ago, Sodboy13 said: I would say that the carpet-bombing of league identities is a prelude to selling corporate naming rights to each league, and maybe it is. But I think MLB's true endgame here is abandoning the minors entirely, and replacing the whole system with taxi squads like we saw in 2020. Everything outside of that is something someone else can pay for. I mean, it is not the worst idea to reduce the number of minor league affiliates. Given how much minor leaguers make and how many players there are, I am sure there plenty of people in the minors who should be persuing another profession. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltere 628 Posted February 13 9 hours ago, Brian in Boston said: Paw Sox games became a pretty regular part of my youth after that, so making my way to McCoy had become "old hat" by the time my friend Rob, his father, and I set out for the ballpark about six months shy of eight years later. It was Saturday, April 18, 1981 and there would be nothing ordinary about that trip to Pawtucket. Little did we know that the game's start would be delayed by a half-hour due to problems with the ballpark's lights... or, that once the game had gotten underway, it would take 33 innings and nearly 8-1/2 hours of play over three calendar days to determine a winner. Rob, his dad, and I were there for every minute of the longest professional baseball game ever played. As a kid, I'd always dreamed of making sports history one day; I never dreamed I'd do so as a spectator. Man, I had some explaining to do to my mother when I walked into my house at quarter-of-five on Easter morning of 1981. I've read about that game before, had no idea that a member of this board was there to see it! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SportsLogos.Net News 624 Posted February 15 A Breakdown of Minor League Baseball’s Total Realignment for 2021 February 15, 2021 - 16:16 PMThe world of Minor League Baseball was completely turned on its head last week when Major League Baseball announced a total restructering of the entire system. What was previously fourteen leagues spread out over five levels is now eleven leagues over four levels, massive re-alignments were implemented to accomodate this Read More... 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigEd76 329 Posted February 17 Lexington has an announcement scheduled for tomorrow, where I'm guessing they'll say they're joining the Atlantic or Frontier League 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TBGKon 2,694 Posted February 17 48 minutes ago, BigEd76 said: Lexington has an announcement scheduled for tomorrow, where I'm guessing they'll say they're joining the Atlantic or Frontier League Atlantic League would make sense, maybe with the addition of one of the remaining castoffs like the West Virginia Power, Jackson Generals, Vermont Lake Monsters, or a travel squad. On a side note, looking at the Frontier and Atlantic leagues, maybe a merger/swap is in order to rightsize the leagues. Atlantic can take the eastern teams and Frontier can take the western ones. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McCall 1,500 Posted February 17 1 hour ago, TBGKon said: On a side note, looking at the Frontier and Atlantic leagues, maybe a merger/swap is in order to rightsize the leagues. Atlantic can take the eastern teams and Frontier can take the western ones. I agree. Although, if they do join one of the Partner Leagues, that makes 40 teams among the 4 leagues. If possible, I'd split those up into 4 regional leagues of 10. Trickiest part would be which team joins the Pioneer League. The westernmost teams of the American Association are in bordering states/provinces, but on the eastern sides. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dilbert 1,015 Posted February 17 Well considering how the Frontier League just announced their schedule today and said they will be 16 teams for this season, I highly doubt thats where the Legends are going. I cant see them going to the Atlantic League as its slightly out of the leagues current footprint. At this point I think they would join a college league or create their own league like Salem Keizer did. In my opinion I think they along with the West Virginia Power, and Jackson Generals could team up to create a new league. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigEd76 329 Posted February 18 Minor league schedules were released today. Pretty much everything is six-game series running Tuesday through Sunday, with everyone having Mondays off for travel except Triple-A West, which will have Wednesdays off for cheaper flight rates. Lots of weird 1-year setups, including some divisions staying within their own (like Triple-A East Northeast), AAA having the only All-Star break, and nobody expecting to have playoffs 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buzzcut 281 Posted February 18 Lexington Legends are joining the Atlantic League(still room for one more team): https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/02/18/lexington-legends-join-atlantic-league/ 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigEd76 329 Posted February 18 ^^^^ rumored to be West Virginia. I'm assuming those two will join Gastonia and High Point in one division while Long Island moves to the other with the PA and Maryland teams 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dilbert 1,015 Posted February 19 Well I guess I was wrong. If the Atlantic League adds West Virginia as well that should help. I think if the league adds Lowell, Norwich and Vermont, then maybe they can be on par with the other MLB partner leagues (AA and Frontier League). They are looking at Hagerstown as well if they can get a new ballpark. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dilbert 1,015 Posted February 24 Atlantic League will add West Virginia Power with an announcement at Power Park Wednesday morning 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigEd76 329 Posted February 25 The Vermont Lake Monsters were sold and will become the 8th team in the FCBL (Futures Collegiate Baseball League) Five teams left in limbo: Florida Fire Frogs Jackson Generals Lancaster JetHawks Lowell Spinners Norwich Sea Unicorns 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dilbert 1,015 Posted February 25 2 hours ago, BigEd76 said: Five teams left in limbo: Florida Fire Frogs-pretty sure they are done. They have no permanent home Jackson Generals- Got a feeling they will be gone. There are no leagues that really fit their footprint and they are fighting a ballpark lease issue Lancaster JetHawks- Not sure if the JetHawks are a part of it but the Pecos League is looking into a team in Lancaster Lowell Spinners- I thought they'd be a perfect fit for the Atlantic League but it seems the Atlantic is complete so I see them in the NECBL or FCBL, otherwise they are gone. Norwich Sea Unicorns- same with Lowell 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian in Boston 2,898 Posted February 26 6 hours ago, BigEd76 said: The Vermont Lake Monsters were sold and will become the 8th team in the FCBL (Futures Collegiate Baseball League) Chris English - owner of the Future Collegiate Baseball League's Brockton Rox - is purchasing the Lake Monsters. That explains the team joining the FCBL. Travel-wise, it might have made more sense for the Lake Monsters to join the New England Collegiate Baseball League. While inter-divisional NECBL trips to the likes of Martha's Vineyard, Newport, Ocean State, and Mystic would have been a slog for a team based in Burlington, several of the league's clubs - Vermont, Upper Valley, Winnipesaukee, North Adams, and Keene - would have been closer than the Lock Monsters' nearest FCBL rivals. As likely divisional rivals, they'd have made up the bulk of the Lake Monsters' schedule. It's going to be interesting to see how this shakes out. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YELDARBfield 279 Posted February 27 Jackson posted a thank you on their Facebook page to various city entities for helping with a burst water main (I assume weather related). In response to some comments, the team said they have plans to play professional baseball this year but had no firm news to announce yet. Honestly not sure what league they could even join at this point, regardless of their issues with the mayor. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TBGKon 2,694 Posted March 2 On 2/25/2021 at 1:58 PM, BigEd76 said: The Vermont Lake Monsters were sold and will become the 8th team in the FCBL (Futures Collegiate Baseball League) Five teams left in limbo: Florida Fire Frogs Jackson Generals Lancaster JetHawks Lowell Spinners Norwich Sea Unicorns Florida was essentially homeless after 2019, I would suspect they’re folded. Jackson is a maybe for Atlantic League as the Atlantic is trying to get to 12 teams. Lexington and WV made it an even 8. Lancaster seems isolated and out of the loop. Norwich and Lowell seem to be a nice add for The Atlantic in 2022... 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferdinand Cesarano 4,623 Posted March 7 I came across this thorough and informative discussion on the new minor league landscape between the heads of SABR and Baseball America. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sodboy13 5,829 Posted March 10 MLB centralizes MiLB's merchandising as part of the takeover, and the price of a 5950 from the Beloit Snappers immediately jumps from $32 to $38. Mmmm, that's a great scalable business model 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YELDARBfield 279 Posted March 10 On 2/27/2021 at 3:17 PM, YELDARBfield said: Jackson posted a thank you on their Facebook page to various city entities for helping with a burst water main (I assume weather related). In response to some comments, the team said they have plans to play professional baseball this year but had no firm news to announce yet. Honestly not sure what league they could even join at this point, regardless of their issues with the mayor. Jackson announced they are "donating" the Ballpark to a local college for the remainder of their home schedule. The release ended with this: "The Generals are finalizing several additional special events for the Spring and Summer. An announcement regarding the Generals’ 2021 professional baseball schedule is still pending due to COVID-related uncertainties." Not a clue what this could entail, of course. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
