Reds Affiliation Status

[BigRed07]

I really think that the Reds will not be in Chattanooga next year. I heard that the Diamondback's may be there next season.
The Reds really blew it if this is true. Chattanooga has been great to them and AT&T field is one of the nicest fields in the Southern league. :thumbdown

[JaxRed]

Diamondbacks are locked into Mobile until 2010.

[redsmetz]

I really think that the Reds will not be in Chattanooga next year. I heard that the Diamondback's may be there next season.
The Reds really blew it if this is true. Chattanooga has been great to them and AT&T field is one of the nicest fields in the Southern league. :thumbdown

I'm not sure I'd say the Reds blew it, except that we've had weak talent over a good part of our time in Chattanooga. But from here on out, if we're going to have the talent it appears we will, the beef the owner has may not apply. But then again, if we have players in Chattanooga who are ready to move up, we need to do that, the minor league owner's feelings notwithstanding.

[carmack42]

I spend the majority of my ST visit in Ft. Myers when the Reds are there,(Bosox, Twins) and a free place to stay, close enough to Sarasota, so anything that could happen to see the Reds base there would be heavenly for me. I'd make it down there to see Minor League teams during their seasons, in lieu of going to the desert for future ST. Can't afford that trip....................

I know this is slightly off topic, but does anyone know who (if anyone) will take over Ed Smith when the Reds shuffle over to Arizona?

[JaxRed]

I know this is slightly off topic, but does anyone know who (if anyone) will take over Ed Smith when the Reds shuffle over to Arizona?

Not yet. Maybe Boston or Baltimore, maybe no one. Whoever goes there gets a new stadium or a refurbished.

[walk-off]

How about putting AA in Columbus at the new Hunington Field since the Clippers Washingto Nationals affilites are leaving. That way we don't get stuck with more Indians fans in central Ohio since the Buffalo Bisons are the front runners to move here!!!

[redsfan1966]

walk-off, aint no way that'll happen....Indians in C-Bus in 09 is pretty much a done deal...too much has gone into Huntington Park to drop down to AA

[KittyDuran]

I'll post this in the two threads...

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/con...gonsnotes.html

Midwest League to expand to 16 teams for 2010
By Marc Katz

Staff Writer

Thursday, September 04, 2008
DAYTON — The Midwest League announced two teams will be moving in from the South Atlantic League in 2010 — Lake County (a Cleveland suburb) and Bowling Green, Ky. That would give the Midwest League 16 teams and reduce the Sally League to 14.

Midwest League President George Spelius said discussions have not been held to determine the new alignment, but there are eight teams currently in the West Division and only six in the East Division, where the Dragons reside. Since Bowling Green and Lake County are east of all the other teams ...

Lake County wanted to make the move, but the other most logical team to leave the Sally League — Lexington, Ky. — wants to stay where it is. So Bowling Green was substituted.

Lexington is about 135 miles from Dayton, the closest Midwest League team, while Bowling Green is 263 miles away. Bowling Green's average traveling distance in its new league will be 474 miles, while Lake County's average distance will be 410.

Bowling Green — which will play in the Sally League next year for just one season after moving from Columbus, Ga. — is an affiliate of Tampa Bay. Lake County is an Indians affiliate.

[JaxRed]

Lexington turned down a chance to be in Midwest? I know someone who won't like that !!!

[JaxRed]

Well West Tenn just reupped with Mariners, and San Antonio with Padres so only open slots left for Reds AA team are Carolina, Jacksonville, Huntsville, and Connecticut.

It appears that the Connecticut move to Richmond (if it happens) is on hold till 2010 like all the other league changes.

The Chattanooga Times FreePress reported that Lookouts owner was expected to send in his letter dropping the Reds (which I fully expect) but I don't know if he was guessing or had been told but couldn't say that.

[Mario-Rijo]

Well West Tenn just reupped with Mariners, and San Antonio with Padres so only open slots left for Reds AA team are Carolina, Jacksonville, Huntsville, and Connecticut.

It appears that the Connecticut move to Richmond (if it happens) is on hold till 2010 like all the other league changes.

The Chattanooga Times FreePress reported that Lookouts owner was expected to send in his letter dropping the Reds (which I fully expect) but I don't know if he was guessing or had been told but couldn't say that.

Well that's disheartening, I was hoping Chatt. and the F.O. would hammer something out. I love that Lookouts logo but more importantly that they have been together for so long to split like this stinks.

[Redman15]

Carolina or Jacksonville would mean more longer bus rides for the players.
What is Huntsville's field like compared to AT&T?

[redsof72]

Of the Double-A spots that are still not tied in, Chattanooga is by far the best for the Reds and they still could wind up back in Chattanooga when the music stops. The letter that the Lookouts sent in simply allows them the opportunity to talk with other clubs. It does not end their relationship with the Reds.

Of the open cities, Carolina and Jacksonville are very tough on the players from a travel perspective. Many 8-9 hour bus rides from those cities without an offday. The Jacksonville park is the best among the group and one of the nicest in all of Double-A baseball. Huntsville is located more centrally but the park is probably the worst in the league. Another problem you have in Carolina is that the park is in Zebulon, about 30 minutes from Raleigh where the players live and it is nearly an hour from the airport, and parent clubs don't like either of those situations. Chattanooga is centrally located in the Southern League. You can see why the Reds want to stay in Chattanooga.

On the other hand, it is easy to see why Burke would want to shop around. The Reds have not won there and the teams have had no continuity whatsoever, either with players or with front office personnel. Those are things that are important to an affiliate among other things. You don't want to have 50 players a season with guys constantly shuttling in and out for no apparent reason, as they have had there over the last 10 years.

[JaxRed]

I really think Jacksonville/Marlins combination is the key to most of the remaining Southern League affiliates. There's no mystery about the Lookouts situation, Reds would like to stay and Lookouts want someone else.

But in Jax, is it the Dodgers that want out or the team? Many thought the Dodgers would want to go to Texas League but there are none left. And the Dodgers made some lip service in the local paper here about wanting to stay.

So if it's the team looking to make a change, why? The Dodgers consistently put good teams in Jax, the only reason that losing the Dodgers makes sense is if Marlins come here from Carolina. That would be perfect from both the Marlins and Jacksonville standpoint.

Now, over on some other board some guy was saying that everything he heard was that Marlins and Carolina would renew. Not sure where he got that sense everyone else think Marlins are coming to Jax. But....

If Marlins re-up with Carolina, I can see Dodgers and Jax resigning, and then the Lookouts are down to just 3 teams and one of them is Reds.

But if Marlins sign with Jax, Dodgers need a place to go, and I just have a feeling Lookouts owner would be all over them. They exude the organizational stability Burke has been talking about. And then Reds would be down to Carolina, Connecticut and Huntsville.

And I'm starting to talk myself into the fact that Sarasota Reds might extend for two years. The BoSox/Orioles Sarasota situation could not be more tenous, so since they have less than a month, I think Bosox annouce their move to Salem.

The Reds have to spend the whole summer of 2009 in Sarasota anyway and they own the franchise. Why not extend with Sarasota 2 more years, and see where the dust settles in 2010.

And should Boston stay in Ft Myers for Spring Training, and the Reds end up in Jacksonville, maybe the Reds keep the High A franchise, move it to some place like Orlando or Kissimmee and the Reds could have their High A and AA teams a couple hours away from each other.

[Triples]

Rookie league.

Then what is the difference between Rookie and Short Season A. Seems like semantics to me.