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Bye Bye New Britain?

ScottyB

By ScottyB
in Twins Minor League Talk

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ScottyB

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I just noticed in LEN III's Saturday insider that as of tomorrow, the Twins will be AA free agents looking for a new location for their minor league team.  He said they could go back to New Britain, but they have filed paperwork and it's unlikely they will return.  I don't know what other locations are available.  Could they switch to either AA in the Texas or SALLY leagues?

 

 

Anyone know anything about this?

ScottyB First Round Pick

ScottyB

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What is the latest rumor/update with the Saints new ballpark in Lowertown? (downtown St Paul) -- I heard that with some upgrades that would be a possible location.

 

It would be a long travel distance in any of the AA leagues (as in flying distance, not feasible by bus.)  If CHS Park were to be used, maybe for A ball Midwest League, and that's still a stretch for travel.

B Richard College Ball

B Richard

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AA is the only twins affiliate remotely close to me... Say what you will about the facilities, but I'll be deeply saddened if the twins decide to leave

beckmt FCL Twins

beckmt

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Southern League would make a lot of sense, much better in April and May, much worse to play in June and later, but still better than being forced to the Texas league where stats resemble the Pacific Coast League(hitters are inflated and pitching is deflated).  Would prefer the Twins stay in the Eastern league, just may not be possible. 

stringer bell Cooperstown

stringer bell

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I do like staying in a more neutral or pitcher-friendly league.  However, weather has been a major buzzkill the last couple years in both the Eastern and International Leagues.  I don't know much about the Southern, but I am guessing it would be pretty neutral.  The only problem, to me, with Chatanooga is that it is in Tennessee!

goulik FCL Twins

goulik

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What is the latest rumor/update with the Saints new ballpark in Lowertown? (downtown St Paul) -- I heard that with some upgrades that would be a possible location.

There are leagues associated with the majors and the teams in those leagues are the only ones the MLB team can choose from. The Saints are not an option. If we leave New Britain, we have to swap AA affiliations with another MLB team.

nowheresville College Ball

nowheresville

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The open AA teams right now are New Britain, Chattanooga (formerly Dodgers), Mobile (Diamondbacks), and Topeka (Colorado). 

 

I'd kind of like to see the Twins explore heading to Topeka. They've got a brand new ballpark, and it would be nice to have another affiliate in the Central Time Zone. That said, it was the Drillers who decided to end their relationship with Colorado, and the rumors are that the Dodgers are the front-runners, with it appearing that LA will be calling OKC their AAA home.

 

Chattanooga would certainly be the other good choice, with a pretty new park and generally good facilities - and being not too far from E-Town would be a nice bonus from a roadtrip perspective. 

 

Mobile's ballpark is one of the worst in AA, and would be a downgrade from New Britain, so let's hope they don't end up there. 

 

St. Paul is a white elephant and it's extremely unlikely they ever become an affiliated minor league team. The Saints park is being built to AA standards, but there is no chance they ever become a AA team, because the Texas League is the closest AA league. The new park won't meet AAA standards, so that means the Midwest League is the only remote possibility. Of course, that can't happen until at least 2020, because St. Paul would have to be a Twins Affiliate and they're already signed up in CR til then. The only remote possibility is that in 2020, Beloit or Burlington gets kicked out of the MWL for substandard facilities, and at that point, the Saints ownership and Twins make a play to convert to real minor league baseball.

kab21 FCL Twins

kab21

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I'm hoping for Chattanooga.  Tulsa (not Topeka) would be a fine but summers of baseball in the Texas area doesn't sound great.  Dry and dusty and nothing.  It also seems like it favors hitting although I don't think the park effects say that (at least not ridiculously so).

 

New Britain finds itself in a tough position in the short term.  There's only one western MLB team in the Eastern league and I doubt anyone wants to go there.

nowheresville College Ball

nowheresville

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Thanks for the correction kab, it is Tulsa, not Topeka. I've even been to a Drillers game, so I'm not sure why my brain shut off on that one!

 

It seems like the Twins and Rock Cats have had a somewhat shaky relationship for the past couple years. I get the impression that things haven't been the best since the Rock Cats got new owners, and I suspect the whole "Surprise! we're moving to Hartford!" situation didn't help things much. 

 

I'd be curious what the Twins will do if it comes down to New Britain or Mobile. 

jokin Wichita Wind Surge

jokin

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The open AA teams right now are New Britain, Chattanooga (formerly Dodgers), Mobile (Diamondbacks), and Topeka (Colorado). 

 

I'd kind of like to see the Twins explore heading to Topeka. They've got a brand new ballpark, and it would be nice to have another affiliate in the Central Time Zone. That said, it was the Drillers who decided to end their relationship with Colorado, and the rumors are that the Dodgers are the front-runners, with it appearing that LA will be calling OKC their AAA home.

 

Chattanooga would certainly be the other good choice, with a pretty new park and generally good facilities - and being not too far from E-Town would be a nice bonus from a roadtrip perspective. 

 

Mobile's ballpark is one of the worst in AA, and would be a downgrade from New Britain, so let's hope they don't end up there. 

 

St. Paul is a white elephant and it's extremely unlikely they ever become an affiliated minor league team. The Saints park is being built to AA standards, but there is no chance they ever become a AA team, because the Texas League is the closest AA league. The new park won't meet AAA standards, so that means the Midwest League is the only remote possibility. Of course, that can't happen until at least 2020, because St. Paul would have to be a Twins Affiliate and they're already signed up in CR til then. The only remote possibility is that in 2020, Beloit or Burlington gets kicked out of the MWL for substandard facilities, and at that point, the Saints ownership and Twins make a play to convert to real minor league baseball.

 

 

AAA standards can be easily met with a commitment by the Ownership and the City of St Paul to upgrade the new park in a certain amount of time.    

nowheresville College Ball

nowheresville

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"Can easily be met" is a bit of a stretch though. You're talking about making significant improvements, including adding about 3,000 seats, to a brand new stadium. Getting someone to pony up the millions of dollars you would be talking about just doesn't seem likely, and if it was even on the radar at all, you'd think they would have simply built it to AAA standards in the first place.

 

And that doesn't even mention the other potential problems of AAA, including getting the Twins to agree to have a AAA team just 10 miles away from Target Field... which I don't see the Pohlad's doing. 

nicksaviking MVP

nicksaviking

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"Can easily be met" is a bit of a stretch though. You're talking about making significant improvements, including adding about 3,000 seats, to a brand new stadium. Getting someone to pony up the millions of dollars you would be talking about just doesn't seem likely, and if it was even on the radar at all, you'd think they would have simply built it to AAA standards in the first place.

 

And that doesn't even mention the other potential problems of AAA, including getting the Twins to agree to have a AAA team just 10 miles away from Target Field... which I don't see the Pohlad's doing. 

 

Well it certainly would encourage the front office to get the top prospects out of AAA before they turn 25!  I probably would have been more inclined to go watch Alex Meyer pitch for $10 than I would have been to watch Samual Deduno for $35.

nowheresville College Ball

nowheresville

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 I probably would have been more inclined to go watch Alex Meyer pitch for $10 than I would have been to watch Samual Deduno for $35.

 

You and a lot of people, I suspect, which I why I don't think it will ever happen. 

 

The Twins/Lookouts new deal should be official in about an hour. A News Conference is scheduled for 1:30 Central in Chattanooga. 

nicksaviking MVP

nicksaviking

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The Rock Cats are now an Rockies affiliate. New Britain announced a 2 year deal with Colorado on their website.

 

Looks like Arizona is stuck in Mobile again.

 

Pretty sure that's a Johnny Cash song.

TRex Draft Eligible

TRex

Provisional Member
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 Close. First thing that came to my mind was CCR's "Stuck in Lodi Again"

So do I get in trouble if I ever joke that, instead of moving to downtown St. Paul, the Kernels are 'Stranded in Iowa' ala Manfred Mann's Earth Band?

ScrapTheNickname FCL Twins

ScrapTheNickname

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I do like staying in a more neutral or pitcher-friendly league.  However, weather has been a major buzzkill the last couple years in both the Eastern and International Leagues.  I don't know much about the Southern, but I am guessing it would be pretty neutral.  The only problem, to me, with Chatanooga is that it is in Tennessee!

You don't like Tennessee?

Steven Buhr Prep Ball

Steven Buhr

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Nope, not with me anyway. After all this time, I'm familiar with the Iowa punchlines. But I also lived in Minn long enough to know there isn't much room for folks from there talk smack. Except perhaps with regard to Mobile. :)

ScrapTheNickname FCL Twins

ScrapTheNickname

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Fascinating facts from the Chattanooga team website:

 

"From 1932 to 1959 the Lookouts were affiliated with the Washington Senators who went on to become the Minnesota Twins in 1961. Chattanooga won three league titles as a Senators affiliate including one under manager Cal Ermer ... Hall of Famer, and former Minnesota Twins' great, Harmon Killebrew also has roots with the Lookouts. The 13-time All-Star spent two seasons with Chattanooga and hit a combined 46 home runs with the team."

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