Twins/Chattanooga to announce affiliation?

[Steven Buhr]

According to a revised news report out of Chattanooga TN, a 2:30 ET news conference has been scheduled for Wednesday, purportedly to announce an affiliation agreement between the Class AA Chattanooga Lookouts and the Minnesota Twins.

[gunnarthor]

So we're moving to the Southern League.  They had been the Dodgers AA team for the past few years.  

[Steven Buhr]

Official announcement in Chattanooga has been made.

 

As I tweeted earlier, if this break with NB is something the Twins have planned for a while, I'm a little surprised they renewed early with Rochester.

 

Maybe they just didn't want to risk getting stuck as the last MLB team without an affiliation and, as a result, stuck in Vegas.

 

But if they were eying Chattanooga, it would have made some sense to try to also move in to Nashville. Nashville and the Brewers have parted ways and indications are that the A's will move in to Nashvile where the Sounds will be moving in to a new ballpark in 2016.

 

Of course, Nashville would mean having to play in the PCL, which is not ideal.

 

Still, it will be interesting to see if Nashville signs a deal that goes beyond the minimum period of 2 years.

[Monkeypaws]

Cool - always liked the Lookouts hat:

 

http://assets.craniumfitteds.com/images/main/Chattanooga-Lookouts-Red-And-Black-Hat-With-Gray-Under-Visor-Custom-New-Era-Hats-Minor-League-Baseball-Caps-1.jpg

[gil4]

Cool - always liked the Lookouts hat:

 

 

 

I was going to post a similar picture, but I was debating between "Those are some ugly hats" and "I hope a logo change was part of the negotiations."  To each his own, I guess.

[TNTwinsFan]

I couldn't be happier! Unless the Twins pick up the Nashville AAA Affiliate too. I live in Nashville, and often times work in Chattanooga. So, I'm stoked! I guess this means I'll need to get better about posting accounts of the players on here! 

[gil4]

I couldn't be happier! Unless the Twins pick up the Nashville AAA Affiliate too. I live in Nashville, and often times work in Chattanooga. So, I'm stoked! I guess this means I'll need to get better about posting accounts of the players on here! 

 

I was hoping for Tulsa, but it sounds like the Dodgers are locking up the state of Oklahoma.  I probably wouldn't have made the 3 hr trip as often as we made it to New Britain (which is 45 minutes from my parents' house), so it's just as well we leave the live updates to you.

[nater79a]

So which players from the FSL champion Fort Myers Miracle will "graduate" to the Lookouts?  Guys like Z Jones, D Hicks, Kepler, ABW, Burdi, B Peterson and  Harrison?

 

Also, I would imagine Berrios, Buxton and Sano would at least start 2015 there. 

[Tuba]

I love both the Lookouts logo and the name "Chattanooga." Let the debate begin. 

[nowheresville]

I'm not a big fan of the Lookout's logo, then again, I didn't much like the new "Elvis" Rockcats logo either. However, I can't imagine that that Chattanooga will be able to match the old New Britain hat that imitated the old Twins "M" logo that I was a big fan of.

 

http://rockcats.milbstore.com/store/Vendor123/300/NewBritainRoadSide_300.jpg

[Brandon]

Well Doug can get promoted to managing in AA now as Chattanooga is closer than New Britain to home if need be.

[Seth Stohs]

It is interesting to think about the Twins having affiliates in Nashville, Chattanooga and Elizabethon. That said, I really like the Rochester relationship and at this point hope they stick around there for awhile. 

[DAM DC Twins Fans]

I couldn't be happier! Unless the Twins pick up the Nashville AAA Affiliate too. I live in Nashville, and often times work in Chattanooga. So, I'm stoked! I guess this means I'll need to get better about posting accounts of the players on here!

Glad you are happy...for others its a loss. Living in DC area I was counting on seeing guys like Walker, Hicks, Berrios, Harrison and my AAP Brett Lee play in Bowieand Harrisburg, etc. Now I wont get to

[twinssouth]

What is this, Christmas in September. Great news for me. Only a couple hours from Atlanta. I'm pumped. Now I'll be able to see both Rochester when they come down to play Gwinnet (Atlanta area) and the AA Lookouts. Hopefully Doug M goes up with those guys. What a team they will have with Sano, Buxton, Berrios and the 2014 High A champs.

[DocBauer]

For the Twins, this is probably a really nice move.

 

For someone who has owned a Rock Cats cap for less than 2 years, it kind of stinks. I wasn't even done collecting all the affiliates yet, and now I'm down another one. Ugh!

[lightfoot789]

Sad to see them leave New Britain, but excited to see the 2015 AA squad to start the season:

 

1. Buxton CF

2. Polanco SS

3. Rosario 2B

4. Sano 3B

5. Kepler DH

6. Walker RF

7. Harrison LF

8. D. Hicks 1B

9. Turner  C

 

Michael is the 4th infielder until Rosario leaves with Mejia in the wings. 

Kepler can also play 1st base and OF.  Grimes as back up catcher.

 

Nasty Lookouts - Nasty Lineup

[nater79a]

Sad to see them leave New Britain, but excited to see the 2015 AA squad to start the season:

 

1. Buxton CF

2. Polanco SS

3. Rosario 2B

4. Sano 3B

5. Kepler DH

6. Walker RF

7. Harrison LF

8. D. Hicks 1B

9. Turner  C

 

Michael is the 4th infielder until Rosario leaves with Mejia in the wings. 

Kepler can also play 1st base and OF.  Grimes as back up catcher.

 

Nasty Lookouts - Nasty Lineup

 

I like the looks of it.  As far as starters, maybe bring along Brett Lee to go with Rogers/Wheeler/Duffy (whoever doesn't end up at AAA) and Berrios.  Couple power arms out of the pen in Burdi and Zack Jones and we're ready to roll!

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I imagine that lineup will win a few contests in Chattanooga.

 

 

I bet they are stoked in Chattanooga, too, to get a whole new roster of prime-time prospects!

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

June 2015, travel through Cedar Rapids (Twins A). Catch a game and travel on to St. Louis to see the Twins play the Cardinals (6/15-16), continue to Chattanooga (Twins AA) for a game or two, then on to Elizabethton (Rookie) before looping back north. Sounds like a good week's vacation.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Chattanooga isn't that far from here. Now if only the Twins could replace Rochester with Indianapolis, I'd be quite happy.

[Squirrel]

Chattanooga isn't that far from here. Now if only the Twins could replace Rochester with Indianapolis, I'd be quite happy.

I could live with that too. And while a little longer for me, Chattanooga is still a doable drive. Just not there and back in the same day.

[Sarah]

Or for those of us who live in the Twin Cities, MSP and Atlanta are both Delta hubs and Chattanooga is only about two hours from Atlanta. Yes, I've already checked this. :-)

[amjgt]

Or for those of us who live in the Twin Cities, MSP and Atlanta are both Delta hubs and Chattanooga is only about two hours from Atlanta. Yes, I've already checked this. :-)

 

Here's a little pro tip...

 

At least check into flying to Chattanooga because the airline industry is a little bizarre and sometimes you can actually get much cheaper tickets if you have a connecting flight (ATL to Chatt.) rather than just flying to ATL. One time I needed to get to Memphis for work and it was over $1000. I looked at going into Little Rock instead and it was like $250, with a connection in Memphis. It was the exact same MSP to Memphis flight, I just needed to keep going on to Little Rock and it was $750 cheaper. Crazy. But you should at least look.

 

I've done the same thing (sort of) into Chattanooga. The flight was basically the same price as the Atlanta flight and it included the Chattanooga flight (which is quite short).

 

Also, the Chattanooga airport is a dream. It took me like 5 minutes to drop off my rental car, get through security, and get to my gate. No exaggeration. 

[B Richard]

Tremendous shame. I live in New York and was cherishing the the thought of having perhaps 5 top 100 prospects within a short driving distance. For those of you near Chattanooga... well at least you have something now

[iastfan112]

Chattanooga isn't that far from here. Now if only the Twins could replace Rochester with Indianapolis, I'd be quite happy.

I'd prefer them to somehow wrangle away Iowa/Des Moines from the Cubs. I don't see it happening but its something I enjoy daydreaming about.

[Craig Arko]

I am disappointed they are not nicknamed the Choo-Choos.

[Thrylos]

The Lookouts were the Twins' franchise first minor league affiliate back in 1930 when Griffith sent Engel (a Senators' Scout) to secure a franchise there.  Some pretty interesting stories about what Engel (who became the team president) did for the locals during the depression, by pretty much turning the ballpark into a homeless shelter and serving free food.   Lots of franchise history, they stopped being affiliated with the Senators when they moved to MN.

 

Good to see that.  That whole New Britain/Hartford stadium mess was not a good one.  Will miss having a Twins AA franchise close to me, but it is good for the Twins.

[kab21]

I was going to post a similar picture, but I was debating between "Those are some ugly hats" and "I hope a logo change was part of the negotiations."  To each his own, I guess.

 

I think it's one part silly but that is part of the MiLB identity.  After all the Twins have an affiliate with a corncob as a mascot.  1 part 'wtf' and many parts awesome.

 

MiLB ranked the coolest hats and Chattanooga was the highest ranked Twins affiliate.

 

26 - Lookouts

34 - Beloit - I do not like that color at all.

35 - Roch - that looks pretty cool and is much better than the hat I saw for sale a few years ago

37 - Kernals - I chose to buy a shirt instead of a hat when I visited this summer.  I didn't like the color scheme.  The mascot is pretty cool.

67 - Ft Myers - it is pretty bland imo

82 - NB - it at least made the top 101

[Halsey Hall]

Chattanooga is on the way home from Ft Myers, so it looks like that will be my destination on the first day back. I need one of those hats!

[goulik]

Ft Meyers to Chatanooga to Cedar Rapids...Can I come?