Daytona to Myrtle Beach, KC to South Bend, Boise to Eugene

[Vinestal]

@nbaliva: Feel bad for the good Cubs fans that enthusiastically follow MiLB system. Unless something changes, no radio in SB, no reports on road games

 

At first I was a little disappointed with this news. I then remembered I hadn't listened to a single Kane County game this year until late in the playoffs. Low A is not the greatest thing to listen to or watch anyway. Box scores are usually enough for me from low A. I did listen to a few Daytona games and look forward to the Pelican games which I hear will be frequently "televised". Most of my radio/video enjoyment of the minors this season came from the AA and AAA teams.

[A New Era]

a little sad. I mean I only went to 2 games to see Albert Almora. But never got around to even though I meant to catch Kyle Schwarber while he was there. Kane County is less than 5 minutes from me.

[apete6]

a little sad. I mean I only went to 2 games to see Albert Almora. But never got around to even though I meant to catch Kyle Schwarber while he was there. Kane County is less than 5 minutes from me.

 

Not that you should feel bad in any way, but people like you who live right there not going to any more games when they were the Cubs affiliate (vs. another MLB team) probably have something to do with them not investing in the stadium enough to "outbid" South Bend.

[UMFan83]

a little sad. I mean I only went to 2 games to see Albert Almora. But never got around to even though I meant to catch Kyle Schwarber while he was there. Kane County is less than 5 minutes from me.

 

Yeah I saw one game in the 2 years they were here and that was because my company rented out a box. I like following the box scores and reading about them but I'm not overly enticed to go out and see them play.

[jersey cubs fan]

a little sad. I mean I only went to 2 games to see Albert Almora. But never got around to even though I meant to catch Kyle Schwarber while he was there. Kane County is less than 5 minutes from me.

 

Yeah I saw one game in the 2 years they were here and that was because my company rented out a box. I like following the box scores and reading about them but I'm not overly enticed to go out and see them play.

 

Now imagine how much interest you will show when the big league club is worth paying attention to.

[A New Era]

a little sad. I mean I only went to 2 games to see Albert Almora. But never got around to even though I meant to catch Kyle Schwarber while he was there. Kane County is less than 5 minutes from me.

 

Not that you should feel bad in any way, but people like you who live right there not going to any more games when they were the Cubs affiliate (vs. another MLB team) probably have something to do with them not investing in the stadium enough to "outbid" South Bend.

 

I doubt it, Kane County drew pretty well this year. Plus working midnights and weekends makes it a teeny bit hard to make it out to games. So I only feel bad that I couldn't make it out to more games.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

So the contract with South Bend is for 4 years instead of 2. That's weird.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Teams that contracts are up for short-season A:

 

NYPL:

Hudson Valley Renegades

Lowell Spinners

 

NWL:

Eugene Emeralds

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes

Tri-City Dust Devils

[ctcf]

Come onnnnnnnnnnn NY-Penn league

[TruffleShuffle]

i have a hard time believing that lowell won't end up with the red sox again. pretty surprising that this wasn't done already.

[teddy]

There were never spots open in the NY Penn league this time around when talks opened up on sept 16.

 

Also according to ballpark digest, cubs are moving from Boise to Eugene, and are "waiting on announcement":

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/200905261902/minor-league-baseball/news/affiliate-dance-2012

 

dunno how reliable the site is but it seems to follow the the affiliate shuffle pretty closely. Also, they apparently called the Daytona-Reds affiliation before it was announced as well.

[Clem Fandango]

i have a hard time believing that lowell won't end up with the red sox again. pretty surprising that this wasn't done already.

 

For a split second I thought this was a 7 year old post I had randomly stumbled upon through some sort of glitch

[TruffleShuffle]

eugene would be pretty good, i think. ballpark should be nice.

[teddy]

Also found this interesting tidbit about the move to south bend on the same site:

 

The reason for the move, we are told (beside the upcoming South Bend ballpark improvements): it will give the Cubs a chance to expand its media-rights footprint. Proximity, in this case, really didn't help the Cougars in terms of secondary considerations. As we've noted several times the past week, MLB teams have successful used MiLB affiliations to expand broadcast deals; the Minnesota Twins expanded their Iowa presence after a Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low Class A; Midwest League) affiliation, and the upcoming San Francisco Giants/Sacramento River Cats affiliation will extend the team's reach far into northern California.

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/201409187734/minor-league-baseball/news/south-bend-cubs-announce-affiliation

 

Might tie-in with the announcements for the new name/logo.

[ctcf]

Kinda nuts that over half the Cubs minor league teams changed in one offseason.

[ctcf]

Sounds like Cubs to Eugene is a done deal. Best case scenario for the NWL, imo (besides maybe a Vancouver). http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/09/18/shuffle-cubs-reportedly-moving-northwest-league-affiliation-to-the-eugene-emeralds/

 

Yup, totally done.

 

Steve Mims @SteveMims_RG · 31m

Ems GM Allan Benavides "This is the one we've been waiting for. Every year in Boise they've been good so it's exciting to say they're coming

Edited September 19, 2014 by ctcf

[ctcf]

For those wondering, the Hawks have signed with the Rockies.

 

Boise Hawks @BoiseHawks · 2m

It is official, the Hawks and Colorado Rockies have signed a PDC...more on the big news Friday AM #gohawksgo

[chuckywang]

Sounds like Cubs to Eugene is a done deal. Best case scenario for the NWL, imo (besides maybe a Vancouver). http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/09/18/shuffle-cubs-reportedly-moving-northwest-league-affiliation-to-the-eugene-emeralds/

 

Yup, totally done.

 

Steve Mims @SteveMims_RG · 31m

Ems GM Allan Benavides "This is the one we've been waiting for. Every year in Boise they've been good so it's exciting to say they're coming

 

Why the heck did San Diego leave? Or did Eugene just want a different major league club?

[teddy]

Sounds like Cubs to Eugene is a done deal. Best case scenario for the NWL, imo (besides maybe a Vancouver). http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/09/18/shuffle-cubs-reportedly-moving-northwest-league-affiliation-to-the-eugene-emeralds/

 

Yup, totally done.

 

Steve Mims @SteveMims_RG · 31m

Ems GM Allan Benavides "This is the one we've been waiting for. Every year in Boise they've been good so it's exciting to say they're coming

 

Why the heck did San Diego leave? Or did Eugene just want a different major league club?

 

Eugene left them.

 

It's actually pretty cool; seems like Cubs were the bell of the ball at every level they had available. Every single team they chose to not renew with wanted them back and every single team they chose to sign a new contract were ones that chose to break it off with their MLB club. Also, I'm pretty sure every single other available milb team outside of the ones clearly connected with the cubs were ones that had their parent club break it off with them, so it seems like every team that broke it off with their club was specifically hoping for the cubs affiliation (myrtle beach, south bend, fort wayne, eugene).

 

In fact, its pretty likely that the Cubs were the entire reason that teams changed in the MWL and NWL at all, and, given how early myrtle beach was announced, a pretty big catalyst for at least some of the FSL changes.

 

Here's some links that I found while I spent way too much time researching the affiliation shuffle:

 

Eugene chose to leave the padres: http://www.gaslampball.com/2014/9/18/6430237/padres-switching-short-season-a-affiliation-to-tri-city-dust-devils

 

If it wasn't already obvious, Cubs were the entire reason Fort Wayne and South Bend were available: http://www.kcchronicle.com/2014/09/18/south-bend-poses-threat-in-cougars-bid-to-stay-with-cubs/a6m03nr/

 

Myrtle Beach chose to leave the Rangers: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/09/17/4477999/myrtle-beach-pelicans-reach-agreement.html

 

yay, everyone wants the cubs \:D/

[Quakers]

Well Salem-Keizer would have been the best, but Eugene is good. I will still be able to see as many games as before in SK and Hillsboro. Plus I could make a longer trip to Eugene.

[TruffleShuffle]

why would everyone want the cubs? obviously the minor league system has been tops in terms of talent this season, but most of those guys are in tennessee, iowa or chicago by now. is it because the organization is really committing to investing money in the minor league system as a whole, and continuing to do so for the long term? is it because of the large fan base and some of those fans being passionate about the player development system? just curious why the cubs seem to be so appealing to minor league affiliates, and if this is a new trend.

[Andy]

why would everyone want the cubs? obviously the minor league system has been tops in terms of talent this season, but most of those guys are in tennessee, iowa or chicago by now. is it because the organization is really committing to investing money in the minor league system as a whole, and continuing to do so for the long term? is it because of the large fan base and some of those fans being passionate about the player development system? just curious why the cubs seem to be so appealing to minor league affiliates, and if this is a new trend.

Can't speak to the others, but South Bend definitely wanted the Cubs. They wanted a more local MLB affiliate than Arizona and from what I understand the Cubs were the only MLB team in the Midwest that was available.

[jersey cubs fan]

why would everyone want the cubs? obviously the minor league system has been tops in terms of talent this season, but most of those guys are in tennessee, iowa or chicago by now. is it because the organization is really committing to investing money in the minor league system as a whole, and continuing to do so for the long term? is it because of the large fan base and some of those fans being passionate about the player development system? just curious why the cubs seem to be so appealing to minor league affiliates, and if this is a new trend.

Can't speak to the others, but South Bend definitely wanted the Cubs. They wanted a more local MLB affiliate than Arizona and from what I understand the Cubs were the only MLB team in the Midwest that was available.

 

also, correct me if I'm wrong, but there has been quite a bit of upheaval in both AZ and SD front offices, which may have soured their business relationship and/or cause them to fear about the quality of young player they could expect to see coming through town over the next 2-3 years. Texas is a less obvious situation, but their owner is the father of a Cubs employee and the Cubs are a top 5 brand in MLB with commitment to quality minor league players.

[Guest]

Sounds like Cubs to Eugene is a done deal. Best case scenario for the NWL, imo (besides maybe a Vancouver). http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/09/18/shuffle-cubs-reportedly-moving-northwest-league-affiliation-to-the-eugene-emeralds/

 

Yup, totally done.

 

Steve Mims @SteveMims_RG · 31m

Ems GM Allan Benavides "This is the one we've been waiting for. Every year in Boise they've been good so it's exciting to say they're coming

 

Why the heck did San Diego leave? Or did Eugene just want a different major league club?

 

Eugene left them.

 

It's actually pretty cool; seems like Cubs were the bell of the ball at every level they had available. Every single team they chose to not renew with wanted them back and every single team they chose to sign a new contract were ones that chose to break it off with their MLB club. Also, I'm pretty sure every single other available milb team outside of the ones clearly connected with the cubs were ones that had their parent club break it off with them, so it seems like every team that broke it off with their club was specifically hoping for the cubs affiliation (myrtle beach, south bend, fort wayne, eugene).

 

In fact, its pretty likely that the Cubs were the entire reason that teams changed in the MWL and NWL at all, and, given how early myrtle beach was announced, a pretty big catalyst for at least some of the FSL changes.

 

Here's some links that I found while I spent way too much time researching the affiliation shuffle:

 

Eugene chose to leave the padres: http://www.gaslampball.com/2014/9/18/6430237/padres-switching-short-season-a-affiliation-to-tri-city-dust-devils

 

If it wasn't already obvious, Cubs were the entire reason Fort Wayne and South Bend were available: http://www.kcchronicle.com/2014/09/18/south-bend-poses-threat-in-cougars-bid-to-stay-with-cubs/a6m03nr/

 

Myrtle Beach chose to leave the Rangers: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/09/17/4477999/myrtle-beach-pelicans-reach-agreement.html

 

yay, everyone wants the cubs \:D/

cub fans travel well. When I go to smokies/biscuits games in Montgomery a large minority of the fans are Cub fans.

[rawaction]

why would everyone want the cubs? obviously the minor league system has been tops in terms of talent this season, but most of those guys are in tennessee, iowa or chicago by now. is it because the organization is really committing to investing money in the minor league system as a whole, and continuing to do so for the long term? is it because of the large fan base and some of those fans being passionate about the player development system? just curious why the cubs seem to be so appealing to minor league affiliates, and if this is a new trend.

 

Yes. Oh and the proximity for south bend.