MiLB getting makeover

garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
12,476
11,841
Durham, NC
I still can't get over how much I despise every aspect of this.

Towns of ~30,000 got promoted to affiliated ball while 11 entire states (9 realistic ones, with due respect to Hawai'i & Alaska) are left with 0 affiliated/fully professional teams. Baseball is hell bent on becoming even more regional than it has been trending for a generation.

To be fair, Biggie, I think the only states that lost affiliated pro baseball as a result of the changes are Idaho, Montana, Vermont, and West Virginia. The other 8 (Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wyoming) wouldn't have had pro teams this year regardless.
 

tank44

Registered User
Feb 1, 2012
639
163
Seattle, WA
You could argue that New Orleans & Providence should be part of the system and maybe Boise. There really isnt a population center big enough in any of those other locales
 

AtlantaWhaler

Thrash/Preds/Sabres
Jul 3, 2009
19,584
2,756
I was reading these team names to my son and we had a chuckle when we reached Low-A West....Grizzlies Nuts
 

garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
12,476
11,841
Durham, NC
You could argue that New Orleans & Providence should be part of the system and maybe Boise. There really isnt a population center big enough in any of those other locales

In the case of both New Orleans and Providence it's essentially a facility/ownership issue. Barring a COVIDless world that saw the 2020 MiLB season played out, New Orleans wouldn't have a team (the Baby Cakes were sold and relocated to Wichita to become the Wind Surge) and Pawtucket would have been playing their last season in Pawtucket as the team prepped to move to Worcester to become the WooSox. There was thought that the ultimate move would be for the Double-A Jackson Generals to move to New Orleans but I don't think there were any owners in NOLA really gunning for that to happen. Boise chose to step down from the Northwestern League (where they would have been a High-A team) to going to the Pioneer League now a non-affiliated MLB partner league)
 

tank44

Registered User
Feb 1, 2012
639
163
Seattle, WA
In the case of both New Orleans and Providence it's essentially a facility/ownership issue. Barring a COVIDless world that saw the 2020 MiLB season played out, New Orleans wouldn't have a team (the Baby Cakes were sold and relocated to Wichita to become the Wind Surge) and Pawtucket would have been playing their last season in Pawtucket as the team prepped to move to Worcester to become the WooSox. There was thought that the ultimate move would be for the Double-A Jackson Generals to move to New Orleans but I don't think there were any owners in NOLA really gunning for that to happen. Boise chose to step down from the Northwestern League (where they would have been a High-A team) to going to the Pioneer League now a non-affiliated MLB partner league)
Yes I understand the changes & politics. My note was moreso that these are the 2-3 cities that "could" have been included for one reason or another to still have a team at some level. New Orleans could have been in AA-South and Pawtucket in AA-NE and as you note Boise in HiA-West but then you lose other markets. If there is a minor league carousel or expansion (when MLB goes to 32 teams) for cities, look for these to be in the mix.
 

garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
12,476
11,841
Durham, NC
So one interesting note - the Bulls had a town hall meeting last week and I was curious how the PDL would work with any potential sale/relocation of the Rays to Montreal. The PDLs are not between individual teams the way that PDCs were but with MLB at large and even though the PDLs are for 10 years, MLB can step in and cancel/reassign a PDC. So, it sounds to me like if, hypothetically, the Rays were sold and moved to Montreal MLB could cancel the Rays/Bulls PDL and another team's PDL (let's say for the sake of the hypothetical Washington/Rochester) and switch the PDLs around. At the same time I could see MLB really using this to leverage MiLB teams to make the facilities upgrades they're seeking, especially if it's looking like no headway is being made on them.
 
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Centrum Hockey

Registered User
Aug 2, 2018
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So one interesting note - the Bulls had a town hall meeting last week and I was curious how the PDL would work with any potential sale/relocation of the Rays to Montreal. The PDLs are not between individual teams the way that PDCs were but with MLB at large and even though the PDLs are for 10 years, MLB can step in and cancel/reassign a PDC. So, it sounds to me like if, hypothetically, the Rays were sold and moved to Montreal MLB could cancel the Rays/Bulls PDL and another team's PDL (let's say for the sake of the hypothetical Washington/Rochester) and switch the PDLs around. At the same time I could see MLB really using this to leverage MiLB teams to make the facilities upgrades they're seeking, especially if it's looking like no headway is being made on them.
It seems like MLB structured PDL's that way to prevent a milb owner coming in and moving a team to a location that is undesirable for the parent club.
 
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tank44

Registered User
Feb 1, 2012
639
163
Seattle, WA
It seems like MLB structured PDL's that way to prevent a milb owner coming in and moving a team to a location that is undesirable for the parent club.
But if the parent club moves. There could be a major domino effect. Like the post you replied to, IF Tampa moves to Montreal, Montreal may want Rochester over Durham as AAA location especially if Washington wants a closer alternative. And so forth down the line
 
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