Comments on: Minor League Affiliations Changing

By: Tackle Box

Tackle Box — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:10:10 +0000

No kidding. I was SHOCKED!, I tell you…SHOCKED!, to learn of this development!

By: Gruntosaurus

Gruntosaurus — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:54:02 +0000

Hmm. Wonder who in the Houston organization is behind that push? Couldn’t be anybody we know, could it?

By: Eugene Tierney

Eugene Tierney — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:44:37 +0000

Here is an articles on the issues with money:
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1386887997/Peoria-Chiefs-organization-hit-with-financial-losses

The moving to St. Paul part is speculation I’ve heard. St. Paul received approval on financing for a new stadium and it looks nice that something than the Saints (of the American Association) would play in.

I’ve also heard that the Cardinals will announce tomorrow that they are moving back to Peoria. Rumor is Houston is the leading organization for Quad Cities. Twins will be leaving Beloit and are linked to Fort Wayne. Beloit is looking like it’ll be either the Athletics, Nationals, or Royals.

By: DT Flush

DT Flush — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 03:52:30 +0000

Looks like State College will be replacing Batavia as the Short Season Rookie Ball affiliate of the Cardinals. http://www.centredaily.com/2012/09/16/3338652/sources-state-college-spikes-to.html

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 03:17:54 +0000

The last 2 years I’ve been to quite a few River Bandit games in QC. It’s a great park and atmosphere but for me it’s about a 3 hour drive. I also go to quite a few Peoria games which is only an hour away from me. They have quite a few Cardinal/Cub promotional nights and anytime the River Bandits play the Chiefs the crowd is half red and half blue. The Cardinals moving to Peoria can help continue that trend.

I would be so happy if they go back to Peoria. Not sure where else they would go. Most of the other teams and stadiums are far inferior to both QC and Peoria.

Peoria gives the advantage of a natural fan base for the Cardinals, a natural rival in Kane County with the new Cubs up there.

By: cariocacardinal

cariocacardinal — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:08:10 +0000

They could buy the team and move it. I doubt it would be hard to get approval for a move in the STL area but they might cannibalize their own attendance a bit.

By: Saunderson

Saunderson — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:52:26 +0000

Tackle is correct. I spent a few seasons as a lowly intern with a minor league team, and both the different leagues and MiLB as a whole are VERY strict about teams who have minor league affiliations. The agreement that MiLB has with MLB specifically prevents this kind of thing from happening.

By: Saunderson

Saunderson — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:44:18 +0000

All minor league teams are guaranteed a major-league affiliate. If they can not come to an agreement with one, they get assigned one by MLB. The Cardinals could not, say, negotiate with the St. Paul Saints to put a minor league club there.

By: Tackle Box

Tackle Box — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:02:35 +0000

I don’t think they can just up and do that.

First of all, what league are they going to play in? The two options are the Midwest League and the South Atlantic League.

Secondly, none of this would happen without the ownership group of whatever minor league team the Cardinals were in either was sold or moved, with league (MWL) approval.

There are rules within MLB that if a city/minor league team has a minor league affiliation with a major league team, they are then entitled to have a team for the foreseeable future. In other words, since the Peoria Chiefs are a current MiLB team (as of last season), then they must have a parent MLB club next season. If there is no team that signs with them, then MLB will assign whichever MLB team is left without a MiLB team to that city.

They can’t just pull out and create their own teams wherever they want. 1) MLB doesn’t allow it and 2) The League they were trying to get into probably wouldn’t accept the team, especially since in this case it would most certainly be the Midwest League, since there is an abandoned city/team in the league.

By: jjray

jjray — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:24:17 +0000

I’d prefer the Cards put the low A team on the outskirts of the STL metro area as the Cubs are doing. Some place like Alton, IL or St. Peters, MO. If they shopped a stadium deal to comparable communities in the area, I think they would get some help with muni bonds to build a new stadium, maybe some free land, some sort of subsidized deal. That sort of thing makes more sense if the organization owns the low A team and the new stadium. Attendance would be strong.