Baseball Digest has an interesting item about the possible future of minor league baseball in Richmond, VA.
The tentative plan has the Bowie Baysox (Class AA; Eastern League - Baltimore) moving to Richmond, which would be a step up in markets for owner Ken Young and his partners. Bowie would not lose baseball: the Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern League - San Francisco) would then move to Bowie, giving the Defenders a better market and a better situation, giving the team a chance to start over with a clean slate. (There’s been some tension between the team and the city, although it doesn’t sound like the team has done anything to earn the attitude from the city.)
How would this impact the Nationals if this were to happen? Not much in the near term. The Nationals have a agreement with Harrisburg through 2010. Harrisburg is also in the Eastern League with Bowie & Connecticut, so the only option would be if the Nationals were to relocate their Double-A affiliate to Bowie in 2010 (San Francisco’s agreement with Connecticut runs out at the end of 2008 while Baltimore and the existing Bowie affiliate are under contract through 2010).
None of this solves the Nationals likely immediate problem, a nearby Triple-A home in 2009 and out.
J. Cole | 25-Aug-08 at 1:05 pm | Permalink
Harrisburgh is a classic. They are the only affiliate to stick with the organization through these crap years of little talent. They should never leave Harrisburgh, Eastern League champs 4 years in a row during the late 90’s. You don’t need every affiliate to be so close to DC. It would be good to find a closer AAA affiliate, but stcik with Harrisburgh.
Positively Half St. | 25-Aug-08 at 1:14 pm | Permalink
It would anger me for the Orioles to have the Richmond market. Angelos is running circles around the Lerners. First Norfolk, and then Richmond?
Dave | 25-Aug-08 at 2:47 pm | Permalink
it would truly be a HUGE mistake to simply allow the Orioles to walk into Richmond, effectively surrounding the Nationals territory in Black and Orange.
Sue Dinem | 25-Aug-08 at 3:09 pm | Permalink
Please. Could you guys possibly BE any more gullible? This is obviously a ploy to get the Nats to go public. Kevin Reichard does have good sources, but think about their motivation to let him in on this info.
Tofu Dog | 25-Aug-08 at 3:42 pm | Permalink
I agree that the Harrisburg Senators make sense emotionally, but….. Last I heard they were still trying to build a new stadium. Does Harrisburg have the capacity for AAA? Wouldn’t the Orioles value Harrisburg more than a franchise in Virginia? Can some kind of swap happen and would it help that Vermont could move to the Eastern League? Just trying to think outside the box.
Freda | 25-Aug-08 at 3:51 pm | Permalink
J Cole - Don’t forget that Vermont has stuck it out with the Expos/Nationals for 15 years now. And believe me, there have been some mighty lean talent years here as well.
J. Cole | 25-Aug-08 at 3:59 pm | Permalink
Freda - Yeah I realized that after I typed that. Just thinkinf of the full season affiliates. I was kind of sad they changed there name to the Lake Monsters. Why couldn’t they stay the Expos? Guess the NAts wanted to break ties with the former org, but c’mon it’s a Rookie league team.
Freda | 25-Aug-08 at 4:16 pm | Permalink
We are not a rookie league team. We are a short season A ball team. Believe it or not, there is s difference. We were forced to change our name because major league baseball owned the name “Expos” and mandated the change. We were granted a one year extension in order to do things the right way. We didn’t go with the Nats name since as you know, PDC’s come and go and we might not be their affiliate forever. The Lake Monsters is autonomous and can be used with any major league team.
Tofu Dog | 25-Aug-08 at 4:40 pm | Permalink
Lake Monsters are cool. They have a snappy logo and cap. Buy your own.
Louis J | 25-Aug-08 at 4:54 pm | Permalink
I sure would like to know if Kasten has a “PLAN” with respect to farm team affiliates future moves to maximize the Virginia area as Nats “territory”.
Also, I thought BA was reporting a rumor that two California League(High A)teams are interested in moving to the Carolina League.
Mark L | 25-Aug-08 at 5:04 pm | Permalink
It’s always good to hear the expert opinion from Freda. Thanks for the report.
PTBNL | 25-Aug-08 at 5:28 pm | Permalink
I’m actually a bit surprised that CT would not be the one to move straight to Richmond. Isn’t Bowie highly successful? Richmond is a larger market, but a worse stadium for the franchise owner. For the O’s, Bowie allows rehabbing players to stay at home, near the team docs and trainers, and commute to Bowie for games. Neither Norfolk nor Richmond offer those advantages.
For CT, any move would be good, even to the shell of a stadium in Richmond. I don’t get the need for Bowie to be in the arrangement.
Matt | 25-Aug-08 at 5:28 pm | Permalink
So where do we stand Triple-A? Whats the latest–any thoughts for ‘09?
Brian Oliver | 25-Aug-08 at 5:45 pm | Permalink
New Orleans seems most likely
Brian Oliver | 25-Aug-08 at 5:46 pm | Permalink
Bowie is run by Ken Young who also runs Norfolk.
Shawn | 25-Aug-08 at 6:40 pm | Permalink
From what I read in Ballpark Digest,one of the two Cali teams coming to the CL would be placed on a temp basis in Newport News.
Newport is in Norfolk territory and needs to be signed off on by the Norfolk owners.
The Norfolk owner owns Bowie,so the quid pro quo is this-You allow me to move my team to Richmond,I will agree to sign the waiver for Newport News.
The big loser is this is the Bowie fans,who lose the Oriole affilation.
Long term,that is bad news for Bowie baseball.
Bob L. Head | 26-Aug-08 at 11:00 am | Permalink
How about this: Move the CT team to Bowie, but put it in the AAA International League as the Nats affiliate. Put the SF affiliate in New Orleans in the AA Eastern League.
Sue Dinem | 26-Aug-08 at 11:22 am | Permalink
BLH - You are aware that the EL travels by bus, aren’t you?
Simon O Lockwood | 26-Aug-08 at 12:19 pm | Permalink
Sure, Richmond is a bigger market on its own than Bowie. But doesn’t Bowie get enough spillover from Baltimore and DC as a less-expensive alternative to MLB to make up for that?
Bob L. Head | 26-Aug-08 at 2:13 pm | Permalink
Sue — Under the new CBA, EL teams will travel by dirigible. But seriously, my plan was obviously flawed. Kinda like some other plans discussed around here.