Minor League Baseball Officially Realigns

ColinM

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Dec 14, 2004
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Halifax
I'm surprised they went with 2 AAA leagues of 20 and 10 teams rather than 3 AAA leagues of 10 teams each.

In a 10 team league each team could play each other 16 times a season. (4 3 game series and 1 4 game series).
 
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Big Z Man 1990

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Jun 4, 2011
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I'm surprised they went with 2 AAA leagues of 20 and 10 teams rather than 3 AAA leagues of 10 teams each.

In a 10 team league each team could play each other 16 times a season. (4 3 game series and 1 4 game series).

Ideally, the AAA level should have one league in the East Coast states, one in the Central States, and one in the Western States (including El Paso).
 
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LadyStanley

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Sep 22, 2004
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In this context, I'm reading "AAA league" equivalent of a NHL conference, but all part of the same league.

Unless each has its own commissioner?

I'm seeing this as divided by geography.
 

GindyDraws

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Mar 13, 2014
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In this context, I'm reading "AAA league" equivalent of a NHL conference, but all part of the same league.

Unless each has its own commissioner?

I'm seeing this as divided by geography.

Historically, the International League and Pacific Coast League never played against each other due to distance, with the exception of the All-Star Game and the Triple A Championship Game (a single game event between the two league champs). This new format will be the same; Nashville and Memphis aren't going to be playing against Oklahoma City anymore.
 
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Big Z Man 1990

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Jun 4, 2011
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A three-league structure in AAA would require the presence of an 8th team based in either the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones - currently there are only 7 such teams due to Fresno being demoted.

I think the Dodgers could move their OKC club to Rancho Cucamonga as a promoted Quakes once each level of organized baseball, including the majors, expands to 32 teams. The partnership that currently owns OKC would purchase the Quakes. A new stadium would probably be needed for the promotion of the Quakes to AAA.

The Low-A Quakes could possibly move to Santa Barbara, which did have a Dodgers affiliate in the past, but currently lacks affiliated baseball.

The move of the OKC Dodgers to RC would open the door for the Memphis Redbirds to relocate to OKC and assume the history of the OKC Dodgers, while a new Memphis AAA team is launched as the top affiliate of the new MLB team in Nashville, but inherits the history of the Memphis Redbirds. Chances are the ownership of Nashville MLB will want to have their top affiliate in Memphis, so all of this needs to occur.
 

Big Z Man 1990

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I wouldn't be surprised if attendance at Wind Surge games fails to live up to expectations to the point where they have to move again. After all, Wichita expected to have its first AAA team since 1984.

This would serve as a cautionary tale against rushing things. The changes should have waited until 2022.

But karma will catch up to Rob Manfred. I guarantee it.
 

ColinM

Registered User
Dec 14, 2004
887
160
Halifax
Ideally, the AAA level should have one league in the East Coast states, one in the Central States, and one in the Western States (including El Paso).

Exactly, just like how the American League and National League have an equal number of teams in their East, Central, and West Divisions
 

Big Z Man 1990

Registered User
Jun 4, 2011
2,535
353
Don't say anything at all
A three-league structure in AAA would require the presence of an 8th team based in either the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones - currently there are only 7 such teams due to Fresno being demoted.

I think the Dodgers could move their OKC club to Rancho Cucamonga as a promoted Quakes once each level of organized baseball, including the majors, expands to 32 teams. The partnership that currently owns OKC would purchase the Quakes. A new stadium would probably be needed for the promotion of the Quakes to AAA.

The Low-A Quakes could possibly move to Santa Barbara, which did have a Dodgers affiliate in the past, but currently lacks affiliated baseball.

The move of the OKC Dodgers to RC would open the door for the Memphis Redbirds to relocate to OKC and assume the history of the OKC Dodgers, while a new Memphis AAA team is launched as the top affiliate of the new MLB team in Nashville, but inherits the history of the Memphis Redbirds. Chances are the ownership of Nashville MLB will want to have their top affiliate in Memphis, so all of this needs to occur.

The new OKC team owned by the Cardinals would keep the Redbirds name from the old Memphis team. The new Memphis team could be called the Blues in reference to the city's blues music scene.
 

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