MLB Alters Structure of MiLB; Minors Schedule Announced

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

The schedule came out a few days ago: www.milb.com/news/2021-minor-league-baseball-schedule-announced

But I think the more interesting story is the complete restructuring of the minors based on their MLB affiliations. In short 120 invites were sent out to franchises so every MLB team now has for affiliates: 1 AAA team, 1 AA team, 1 high A team, and 1 low A team. This left about 40 previously affiliated teams out of luck with their future TBD.

One might speculate that some of these teams would simply disappear. However, it’s not that simple. Minor league baseball has long been big business with teams selling for $3 million, on the LOW end. AAA teams and the like can sell for easily 10 times that much. That’s not to mention the dedicated fan bases some of these teams have, many going back decades.

Here are some links with more info:

Teams that didn’t make the cut: www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/12/09/mlb-announces-minor-league-affiliate-invites-some-teams-miss-cut/3805929001/

Full list of farm system teams by affiliation: www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/3867778001

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

It's a shame, but it always felt like this was gonna happen even before a Pandemic happened

When business picks up again and we see thr pandemics lessen, maybe we'll see some of these leagues and teams return, but the downsizing was inevitable especially after the pandemic happened.

Glad the Phillies are the same, and that the S/WB Railriders will remain with the Yankees as well from a whole local standpoint as will Altoona with Pittsburgh.

One I'm saddest to see out currently are the State College Spikes because I've seen their park and it's really beautiful. I hope they find something, and Williamsport because they literally started play like a year before the pandemic happened.

[Triangle Lancer]

Kane County (formerly of the Midwest League) caught on with the American Association independent league, so they jump right in with territorial rivalries against the Chicago Dogs, Gary South Shore Railcats and Milwaukee Milkmen. Full 100-game season was announced recently and all teams will play this season.

There's plenty of independent leagues and teams around. Many will survive in some way, shape or form. Creative owners usually find a way to make it.

[Cyno]

I'm sad about the Thunder becoming a collegiate summer team, but the writing was on the wall for them when the Yankees switched their Class AA affiliate from them to the formerly independent Somerset Patriots. And no other MLB club brought them on.

[The Lach is very tired]

Aw man I own caps from a few of the teams that are out. Trenton Thunder, Burlington Bees & Staten Island Yankees. I also have a Fresno Grizzlies cap too they have gone from AAA to Low A?!?!

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Feb 26, 2021 6:40:25 GMT -5 The Lach is very tired said:

Aw man I own caps from a few of the teams that are out. Trenton Thunder, Burlington Bees & Staten Island Yankees. I also have a Fresno Grizzlies cap too they have gone from AAA to Low A?!?!

That’s quite a drop. Ownership has a lot to do with it. No ownership changed hands for the actual teams as a direct result of this, but check out the owners of the teams who got invites. Previously there were a good amount of teams who were owned by independent companies and sometimes even individuals. Some of those teams seem to have gotten pushed out in favor of teams that are directly owned by the MLB team they’re affiliated with.

I got way too into looking up owners of Low A teams and High A teams yesterday. Only a handful of individual owners exist in either Low A or High A now. The rest are either owned directly by MLB teams or some massive company that was too big to push out. Of the few left the individual net worth s seems to be about $15 million for a Low A owner and $50 million for a High A owner. I haven’t looked into it but wouldn’t be surprised if ownership by an individual is more prevalent in AA and AAA since those folks are almost certainly richer and thus tougher to push out.

Attendance and sustainability played a factor in this new structure. But so did consolidating power into fewer hands.

[Ishmeal Loves Kaseyhausen]

Our local team the Tri-City Valleycats (the Astros' Class A Short-Season affiliate since '02) were dropped and moved to the Frontier League. This sucks.