Off-Topic Forum

From what I understand here where I am the Flying Squirrels are staying put with the Giants. There had been some speculation that they would align themselves with the Nats, but that is not to be. Cardinals fans back home in LR are still upset with them for leaving town 20 years ago. That's what happens when facilities are not updated or replaced with more modern ones. You, as a fan, get held hostage or given the shaft.

Aberdeen must change, as the New York-Penn league is no more.

My local team, the Hudson Valley Renegades are moving up to A Advanced. They were short-season A since they started in 1994 as a Rangers farm team, was shared by the Rangers and Devil Rays in 96 and 97, and then the Devil Rays / Rays only from 1998 to 2019. They announced last week that the Yankees will be their major league affiliate. A plus is that it will now be a longer season. The down side is the number of Yankees fans that will there (honestly, they're largely obnoxious up here, which is a shame). I'm figuring the ticket prices will start to rise.

I know Aberdeen needs to change leagues, but have not heard which league they are joining. I suspect they may leapfrog Delmarva, but no official word yet.

Also, heard that the Yankees didn't notify their old affiliates that they were moving on. They learned through an official Twitter post, which is really awful.

The Twins cut ties with Rochester; they will be the Nationals' AAA team next season.

Because the Florida State League and California League are becoming Low A.  The Midwest League is becoming High A.  Not sure why.

There will be no more Rookie Leagues, and there will be no more short season leagues (except complex things like GCL and AZL).  All major league teams will have exactly 4 affiliates: AAA, AA, high A, low A.  Teams up until now have 6-7 stateside, plus one in the Dominican Summer League.

MLB has decided to cut costs.  Minor league towns are the losers.  Instead of cutting salaries (which are collectively bargained), they are just cutting operating expenses.  The Appalachian League has become a summer college league.  The Pioneer League has become a "partner" league, whatever that is.  Fresno is losing its AAA franchise and will either have to join the California League, or have no affiliated baseball.

AUTOGRAPHS2000 wrote:

I have heard that more than a few times about teams switching their High A and Low A teams.  I wonder why that is.  

I was a little upset that the Twins bailed on us here in Rochester, and the Nats certainly weren't my first choice as a replacement, but it's better than no team at all.

I wish MLB wasn't making such a disaster of all this MILB stuff.

I think partner league is simply another way to say "below A league". Not an official affiliate league, but recognized by MLB as being part of the minor league systems.

"Partner Leagues" are independent unaffiliated teams, but are "partnered" with the MLB for things like rules experiments. Think Atlantic League.

Again, MLB is trying to control costs by keeping affiliates close to the major league team.  The Twins are getting St.Paul as AAA (can't get any closer than that) and moving from Pensacola to Wichita for AA. 

I have also read that the Appalachain League and New York Penn League are going to become collegiate, with freshmen and sophomores playing in the Appalachian, juniors in the Cape Cod League, and seniors in the NYPL. I wonder what that would do to existing collegiate leagues; I assume they would end up attracting a lower caliber of talent.