MLB 2020

[Greenlander]

Found this article which seems to have some ideas on how the reshuffle will work out, which teams may by cut and also adds a couple of new names in the mix in St Paul and Sugar Land.

Edit: And Somerset (wherever that is) as the Yankees affiliate to replace Trenton.

https://ballparkdigest.com/200905261...ate-dance-2012

[danielmak]

One other maybe obvious thing to add: I don't know when you're planning to travel, Greenlander but COVID continues to be a major problem here. I don't know if baseball will start on time and when fans will be allowed in ballparks that are in states other than Texas and Florida, where people are crazy.

[Hot Pepsi]

Greenlander Yes, that’s a great site. Very useful.

Somerset refers to the county in New Jersey. It’s not far from New York. It’s a fairly wealthy place, so maybe the Yankees think it has more upside than Trenton.

[Exiled off Main Street]

Just looking at milb.com to get an idea of the places I could visit and it's notable they've taken away the option to view teams by league, along with the way more helpful location option. Is this a portent of more changes to come.

If you choose the Standings option - that is by league, that should work for you

[jefe]

Baltimore hasn't yet decided who of Delmarva, Frederick, or maybe Aberdeen get the chop yet.

[Exiled off Main Street]

Starting in 2021 the AAA Pawtucket (Rhode Island) Red Sox are now the Worcester (Massachusetts) Red Sox - or as they are known by - The Woo Sox. Brand new stadium built in Worcester funded in part by the Polar Beverage Company (of Worcester). Back in 1987 I spent a month working at the old McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket as an intern in the front office, when the team was owned by Ben Mondor. Home to the longest ever game in professional baseball. 33 innings. The 1981 game featured 2 future hall-of-famers, Cal Ripkin and Wade Boggs.

I think a tour of the South Atlantic and/or Southern Leagues would be great - once the crowds are allowed back. Some very scenic ballparks down there - not all are new shiny cookie cutter models. You can also add in some teams from the International League South in that tour.

[ursus arctos]

That must have been something else.

I never realised that the Polar we saw here was from Worcester. I always thought that it was somehow connected to the Venezuelan beverage giant.

[Hot Pepsi]

Baltimore hasn't yet decided who of Delmarva, Frederick, or maybe Aberdeen get the chop yet.

That’s sad.

[Exiled off Main Street]

That must have been something else.

I think I have mentioned before on here that I worked for 2 years for Howe Sports Data, official statisticians of Minor League Baseball (along with other sports) here in Boston before they were bought out by Stats in Chicago, who are now just part of espn. I was the statistician for the International, Midwest and Pacific Coast Leagues (rookie short straw - as this was the last league to finish playing every morning EST). My in-depth knowledge of minor league baseball teams and players from 1985 through 1994 would have made me that person you would want to avoid at parties, unless your name was Peter Gammons or you were the GM of a major league team.

[danielmak]

I don't know if you're still working in sports, Exiled off Main Street , but you were probably ahead of the curve with the analytics revolution in baseball. Had you started a decade later that stats knowledge would have led to jobs galore among shifting front offices.

Minor league affiliations seem to change but man Pawtucket seemed like a staple. Then again, Vero Beach was a Dodgers staple and they jumped to Arizona.

[Hot Pepsi]

Providence tried to get a downtown ballpark built for the Pawsox, which would have at least kept them in Rhode Island, but it didn't work out for the usual reasons whereas Worcester played the public giveaway game more effectively (or less effectively, depending on your point of view).

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2018/0...ped-design-it/

[danielmak]

BTW tied to baseball jobs. My first job out of college was a horrible paying job in the music business. I loved being in NYC but the pay was rough. After the general timeframe of learning what I was good at and what I might want to do (probably a year), I started applying for other gigs in the music business and outside. I sent a resume to the Dodgers travel secretary and he was nice enough to actually call me versus sending a rejection letter. He said he was fascinated that I sent a resume that such a thing rarely occurred because he was a one-man department. Haha. I never played baseball other than pickup games, had no connection in terms of the on-field stuff, so I figured some other way in would have to work: marketing, promotion, media. I would hear stuff on the radio from time to time about the travel secretary so figured I'd give it a shot. I doubt they are one-person offices anymore.

[Hot Pepsi]

He should have hired you for your moxie.

I suspect that after George Costanza became the assistant to the Yankees traveling secretary that lots of people applied for those jobs.

[danielmak]

Well, the Cubs changes continue. Len Kasper is moving from Cubs TV to White Sox radio.

[ursus arctos]

There is a weird (to me) Chicago tradition of guys working for both teams. See also Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray.

[Cal Alamein]

...and Steve Stone...who also played for both teams.

[ursus arctos]

Yup

Arguably the four voices most associated with the Cubs (at least on television) since World War II

[danielmak]

Although I don't have anything invested in either team, I tend to put the Cubs on when I can't get Dodgers or Yankees. I really like Len Kasper a lot, so bummed he's making the jump. I rarely listen to baseball on the radio here, so Kasper's presence in the marketplace doesn't matter much. I am ok with the Dodgers' TV announcer, Davis, but actually had hoped the Dodgers might pinch Kasper when Vin retired.

[Cal Alamein]

Currently enjoying this short Steve Dalkowski documentary.

https://cptv.org/far-from-home-the-s...lkowski-story/

[Greenlander]

My minor league favourites have avoided the cull and are set to remain with the Reds as part of the Florida State League.

It hasn't come cheap as they will have to make some serious upgrades to the players facilities at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark. I think it means that the Charlotte Stone Crabs will now join the Florida Fire Frogs in losing out.

[Greenlander]

Looking at the link I posted at the top of this page there was plenty of movement today across the minor leagues.

[Exiled off Main Street]

Due to this minor league re-shuffle, the Red Sox have had to drop the closest minor league team to them, the Lowell Spinners.

[jefe]

Baltimore hasn't yet decided who of Delmarva, Frederick, or maybe Aberdeen get the chop yet.

Frederick did, to get sent to the draft league thingy. From top down, we go Norfolk-Bowie-Aberdeen-Delmarva.

A lot of teams had their High and Low A affiliates flip status. The Twins picked up St. Paul as their AAA, Rochester goes to Washington. Washington also gets Wilmington as their High A after KC abandons them. Sugar Land becomes Houston's AAA; Texas picks up Round Rock as theirs.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/nytmike/status/1338291508659761153

[danielmak]

This is good news about Cleveland. I have tried to avoid their team name in all of my posts to the MLB threads here over the years.