The New York-Penn League has reached an agreement with the city of Norwich to relocate one ifs 14 teams there, and will announce which club is coming to town at a press conference on Friday.

NYPL president Ben Hayes has issued a gag order to all league and team officials, so there has been no confirmation about which team will relocate. There has been speculation that Oneonta will be the team on the move. The Tigers were sold by Sam Nader in 2008 to Miles Prentice (who also owns the Double-A Midland Rockhounds). Part of the deal included Prentice agreeing to keep the team in Oneonta through the 2010 season.

"Part of the contract was they would honor the current contract with the city," Nader told the Oneonta Daily Star. "They would be here through 2010 . . . "It would be a lack of honesty (if he left). But who knows? I still say they are good people. My experience was always very good."

Oneonta drew a league-worst 23,521 fans in 24 openings last season. Just ahead of the Tigers was the Batavia Muckdogs, which drew 35,620 in 37 openings. The Muckdogs are entering their third season of being operated by Triple-A neighbor Rochester. At December's Witner Meetings, before the announcement of the NYPL move, Rochester president Naomi Silver said that they will continue operating the Muckdogs in 2010.

Nearly three months after veteran general manager Bruce Baldwin stepped down from his post with Triple-A Gwinnett, the second-year franchise tapped another experienced front-office executive to fill his shoes.

North Johnson, who has spent the past three seasons running the high Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, was named general manager of the Gwinnett Braves this morning. Johnson has spent 32 years as a minor league general manager, including stints with the high Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2004-06) and the high Class A Kinston Indians (1987-2003).

Johnson has been named Carolina League executive of the year four times, the most recent coming in 2008 when he oversaw the Pelicans' $2.5 million renovation project and guided the team to a club-record attendance total. That experience should come in handy with Gwinnett, which is entering its second season since relocating from Richmond to a new ballpark in the Atlanta suburb. The G-Brave's 2009 debut was mixed, as the club drew an average of 5,966 fans–a 34 percent increase from its final season in Richmond, but a showing that ranked 12th in the 14-team International League. [...] Continue Reading »

The city of Norwich, Conn., is close to bringing baseball back to town just four months after seeing the Double-A Connecticut Defenders relocate to Richmond.

The Norwich Baseball Stadium Authority on Monday approved a letter of intent with the New York-Penn League to relocate one of the short-season circuit's teams to town in time for Opening Day 2010. The letter of intent outlines  a lease agreement, but actual terms would have to be negotiated between the city and team, The Day newspaper reported.

No word of which team is coming to Norwich, though NYPL commissioner Ben Hayes will be able to dictate who gets to negotiate with the city.

During the 2009 season, Vermont owner Ray Pecor Jr. expressed doubt over the team's future if Centennial Field were not renovated. The Burlington Press unearthed a 2007 report for Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig that detailed many of the ballparks problems, including a pitching mound that was not regulation sized and that two basepaths exceeded 90 feet.

Batavia was saved from bankruptcy by Triple-A Rochester during the 2008 offseason, and the Red Wings operated the club last season.  The team finished second to last in attendance with a 963 average—ahead of only Oneonta (692).  Former Oneonta owner Sam Nader sold the club in July 2008 to Miles Prentice. At the time, Nader said the sale would keep the team in town through at least 2010.

The newest Florida State League affiliate comes to Bradenton hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Charlotte Stone Crabs successful 2009 debut.

The Bradenton Marauders will begin play in 2010 as the Pirates’ high Class A affiliate after Pittsburgh purchased the Reds’ Sarasota affiliate at the start of the offseason and relocated it to their complex in Bradenton. (The Reds will move their high A affiliate next season to the Pirates former Lynchburg home in the Carolina League.)

Optimism appears to be high in Bradenton, where the Pirates have made their spring training home for 38 years and have become a staple of the community. The Pirates unveiled their in the week following the Winter Meetings, hoping to play up their relationship with Pittsburgh in a town that has embraced being the spring home of the Pirates.

The new logo was first shown off at a local Kiwanis Club before a few hundred people earlier this week, then made the tour around town over the next several days accompanied by several Pirates players in Bradenton for an instructional camp.

"There is a lot of excitement locally," said Bradenton general manager Dan Wolfert, who spent the past five seasons running the team in Sarasota. "The Pirates have been here a lot longer than the Reds were in Sarasota. They are excited about having a team of their own, a team they can cheer for . . .

"We wanted (our identity) to be similar to the Pirates and have it affiliated with the Pirates so people would know that, but we also wanted to have our own brand. We can use the Pirates to piggy-back off because they are so well liked and ingrained in the community."

[...] Continue Reading »

The newest Florida State League affiliate unveiled its logo and nickname today. So please meet the 2010 Bradenton Marauders.

The Pirates affiliate comes to the FSL after Pittsburgh purchased the Reds' Sarasota affiliate and moved it to Bradenton, Pittsburgh's spring training base. (The Reds' high Class A affiliate will play at Lynchburg in the Carolina League next season.)

"We wanted to show that we're Pirates-related, and have a close association with the big league team," Braden general manager Dan Wolfert told MLB.com. "But at the same time, we wanted to maintain our own brand and convey that we are something unique."

I'm still trying to get a hold of Wolfert, but in the meantime here's my two-cents for a promotion: Somehow hook up with A Tribe Called Quest and play a "Midnight Marauders" game in honor of their classic album–or maybe make it a Noon Marauders event to better fit the old-school retirement community. I don't think Q-Tip or the 5-Footer have been heard from in awhile, so they may need the work.

(Hopefully, more to come soon on the Marauders.)

Augusta general manager Nick Brown is not particularly upset about missing the Winter Meetings last week in Indianapolis. He’s just happy to be alive.

Brown spent eight days in early November at a local Augusta hospital, including four in a medically induced coma, after a case of the H1N1 Virus resulted in him contracting double pneumonia in his lungs. The otherwise healthy 39-year-old Brown did not realize how dire his situation was until he was released from the hospital on Nov. 16.

"My doctor asked me when I was being released if I know the phrase ‘even money,’ " Brown said. "I told him I did. The doctor then said, ‘Well, last Wednesday (when Brown was put in a coma on Nov. 11) I wouldn’t have given you even money to survive."

[...] Continue Reading »

Never has 45 degrees seemed so balmy. That is the temperature that greeted me in Durham yesterday, and after waiting 20 minutes to catch a shuttled bus in a 15 degree Indianapolis morning, Durham’s weather seemed quite pleasant.

That said, Indianapolis gets high marks as a Winter Meetings host. The convention center hosting the trade show and minor league meetings was conveniently located near both the minor league and major league hotels. The major league media workroom was just a few steps from the Marriott lobby where most reporters congregated for the week—a distinct change from last year’s event in Las Vegas.

And if you didn’t want to go outside into the cold, you essentially could have stayed inside for four days and found plenty of decent options. Those hearty enough to brave the elements found plenty of eating and drinking options—including the Baseball America contingent who took in a wine bar and bistro for the first time in company history.

Anyway, my 3-year-old son was thrilled to have me home from "Annapolis India" and wants to know if he can come next time. We’ll see if Indy gets another shot in a few years. (In the meantime, I haven’t mentioned to my kids that Disney is the host next year.)

Here’s a few more news items from Indianapolis:

Randall Steps To The Plate

Two years ago at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, I followed Ed Randall around as he tirelessly promoted his new charity dedicated to fighting prostate cancer: Ed Randall’s Bat for the Cure. Back then, Randall described himself as "the car alarm you can’t turn off when it comes to this," and was determined to early detection opportunities a regular promotion at minor league ballparks.

Well, he’s accomplished that goal and one more: his cause is now an official charity of Minor League Baseball.

[...] Continue Reading »

I’ve spent the past 36 hours shaking a lot of hands and getting the opportunity to meet many of the people who I speak to on the phone throughout the year. It’s been a very enjoyable experience and I’ve generally gotten positive feedback on my work. "You get most of it right," one team owner told me yesterday. I’ll take that as a compliment.

Weather permitting, I’m off to Durham in the morning. So here are a few final tidbits to report: 

Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has been named manager for the Iowa Cubs. Sure, this is another step in Sandberg’s fast track to the big leagues. But don’t discount what this means to Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate, a 2009 Freitas Award winner that is still bouncing back from a disastrous 2008 season marred by historic flooding. [...] Continue Reading »

Some news and notes from around the Winter Meetings.

* I ran into High Desert owner Bobby Brett and Bakersfield owner DG Elmore yesterday, and neither reports much progress on solving their ballpark problems.

Brett needs to find a buyer for the Mavericks since his ownership group purchased Cal League affiliate Rancho Cucamonga (owners are not allowed to have multiple teams in a league). Brett said he has had some inquiries, but it sounds like potential buyers want to have a new home for the team locked up first since local government has made it clear it is interested in renovating the team’s ballpark. There is potential for the team to move to Chico, but nothing concrete, Brett says. Same goes for potentially moving the team to a neighboring city.

Meanwhile, Elmore said no progress has been made in Bakersfield’s quest for a new facility or home. There are simply no public funds available for such a project, thus the reason for the Blaze’s potential partnership Cal State Bakersfield falling through earlier this season. New Cal League president Charlie Blaney has been charged with finding a solution in Bakersfield.

[...] Continue Reading »

It did not take long for the economy to make its way into discussions at the Winter Meetings. In fact, the recession that resulted in minor league baseball’s first season without an attendance record in five years was the first subject addressed by Minor League Baseball president Pat O’Conner during his remarks at the opening session.

"Despite the economy and tough weather we battled all season, 2009 may very well be one of the best seasons we have had in many years," O’Conner said in a Indiana Convention Center ballroom packed with league and team officials. "The financial statements may reflect otherwise, but I can honestly say I have never been more proud of what minor league baseball stands for, what we can do, how we developed our sense of community, than I am over the 2009 season."

It would be difficult to argue with O’Conner on both points. Though the sport as a whole saw a 2.5 decrease in attendance and teams almost universally speak of even harder-hit sponsorship sales, the model of affordable, family-friendly entertainment prevented the drop from being even worse–like the 6.5 percent experienced by major league teams. [...] Continue Reading »

The Major League Baseball Players Association unanimously elected Michael Weiner executive director, making official the general counsel’s succession of longtime union boss Don Fehr.

Fehr handpicked Weiner as his replacement when he announced his retirement after 26 years on June 22. Weiner, 47, has been with the union since 1988 and has held the position of general counsel since 2004. He’s essentially served as Fehr’s righthand man, playing an active role in the past several collective bargaining agreements.

"It is with great pleasure that today we officially name Michael Weiner as our next executive director," association player representative Tony Clark said. "For more than 20 years Michael has worked diligently and tirelessly to support and defend the rights of players. We are extremely confident that the future of our union is in good hands with Michael at the helm."

Weiner’s promotion is effective immediately.

A team isn’t really a team until it has a logo. And every 5-year-old’s favorite baseball team unveiled their new look this afternoon.

The Richmond Flying Squirrels have officially arrived, as the team unveiled their logo at a press conference today at their future home, better known as the will-it-ever-be-renovated Diamond.

I’m no logo expert, but I do think I can differentiate between the good and bad. And these look pretty good to me. The primary one is not too cartoonish but still animated enough to catch the attention of kids—which, of course, is most minor league teams’ target demographic.

The design was by Plan B Branding, who I think has done very creative work in the past with teams like the Spokane Indians, Casper Ghosts and others.

“We have taken great lengths to create an overall identity that will be appealing to fans of all ages,”  Flying Squirrels CEO Chuck Domino said. “The unique nature of our entire image gives us great flexibility, and we know our fans will be able to take pride in the new look of their new team. We are excited to have the potential of creating one of the most popular brands in professional sports.”

Sad news out of Sacramento, as Rivercats owner Art Savage passed away suddenly at his home on Saturday night. He was 58.

Savage, a non-smoker, had battled lung cancer but had recently been given a clean bill of health, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Savage, who co-owned the Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate with his wife, Susan, oversaw one of the most successful franchises in minor league baseball since he helped bring the club to town 10 years ago. During that span, the River Cats won two Triple-A championships and four PCL titles. Perhaps even more notable, Sacramento led minor league baseball in attendance in each of its first nine seasons before finishing second to Triple-A Columbus (which debuted a new ballpark) in 2009.

"He had a great vision and passion and level of perseverance unlike anybody I’ve worked for before. That’s what made the River Cats and Raley Field  possible," River Cats president/general manager Alan Ledford told the Sacramento Bee.

The Florida Winter Baseball League, which was using independent league players and attempting to gain traction as a new domestic winter league in 2009, has suspended operations. The four-team league was working hand-in-hand with Global Scouting Bureau, which in a press release said it had been hired by the FWBL to "oversee formation, staff hiring, and eventual daily operations of the FWBL." However, Global Scouting Bureau dissolved the partnership after a series of "failed commitments."

The FWBL employs Ken Griffey Sr. as its commissioner and has his former Reds teammate, George Foster, on board as a manager. The league’s ranks of players have been filled with independent leaguers to date and no affiliated players had played. Major League Baseball is not involved with the FWBL.

A second fall league other than the Arizona Fall League has been attempted several times over the last 15 years, from two tries in Hawaii to leagues such as the Maryland and California Fall leagues. None of them has survived, and the FWBL may be on its way to joining the scrap heap.

The Pirates are in the process of purchasing the Reds’ high Class A Sarasota affiliate and relocating it to their spring training complex in Bradenton for the 2010 season, a pair of sources confirmed on Wednesday. The Reds’ high A affiliate would play next year in Lynchburg, which has hosted the Pirates since 1995.

Baseball America correspondent, and Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer, John Fay first reported the deal on his Reds Insider blog.

The two organizations would essentially swap player-development contracts in 2010, a provision that is in the PBA and simply requires all four teams to approve the deal. Such an approval would essentially come down to Lynchburg, since the Reds own the Sarasota affiliate. (The Red Sox and Astros pulled off a similar swap in 1999. Boston swapped its low Class A Battle Creek affiliate for the Astros’ affiliate in Augusta.)

The Reds reasoning for the sale seems to be simple. They will debut their new spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., in 2010, and thus no longer have a need for a team in the Florida State League. Whether they seek to relocate out West to the California League after their affiliation with Lynchburg expires after next season remains to be seen.

It would seem that the Reds best opportunities in the Cal League would be in Bakersfield (Rangers) and High Desert (Mariners), a pair of clubs looking to relocate to new homes since their local municipalities have declined to upgrade aging ballparks. Lake Elsinore (Padres), Lancaster (Astros) and Stockton (Athletics) are each locked into PDCs through the 2012 season. The Giants have an ownership stake in San Jose and the Angels and Rancho Cucamonga are a geographical match and have been affiliated since 2001, negating any possibility of the Reds moving there. That leaves Inland Empire (Dodgers), Modesto (Rockies) and Visalia (Diamondbacks) with PDCs expiring after the 2010 season. 

Completion of the Sarasota sale is pending approval of the Florida State League, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball. Both the National Association and the FSL have received the necessary paperwork.  

Both sources are confident that the Pirates’ McKechnie Field in Bradenton will be up to Minor League Baseball standards, essentially noting that if it is good enough for spring training it will likely meet PBA facility standards. In addition, the Pirates recently installed lights at the ballpark. However, part of the approval process is to provide MILB an opportunity to inspect the ballpark, one source said.

The Reds are in the process of selling their high Class A Sarasota affiliate to the Pirates, who would then relocate to their complex in Bradenton. The Reds would leave the Florida State League and take over the Pirates’ current Carolina League affiliate in Lynchburg.

Baseball America correspondent John Fay first reported the story on his blog, and Florida State League president Chuck Murphy has since confirmed it to me. Murphy said the move is for next season, and said the Bradenton ballpark is up to standard (noting Pittsburgh recently put in lights).

Murphy could not speak to how the Pirates’ could vacate their player-development contract with Lynchburg with a year remaining on the deal. (Hopefully I’ll have an answer on that shortly.)

Flying Squirrels has been selected as the name of Richmond’s new Double-A Eastern League affiliate.

If you ask me, the choice was made for all of the right reasons.

The target audience of minor league baseball teams are not the adults in Richmond who are forming petitions to protest the team name — and the choices suggested on that petition are at best no better than the ones the team nominated. Teams are looking to attract kids to the ballpark. Happy kids make for happy parents, a chain of events that usually results in spinning turnstiles.

A popular nickname and logo (Richmond’s will be designed by the talented Plan B Branding crew) can be quite lucrative for a minor league team. Just ask  Dave Oster and the Lake Elsinore Storm — whose unique logo is donned on Little League jerseys across the country.

“We’ve liked (Flying Squirrels) from the start,” Domino said. “That was my favorite from the start. At one point or another, I’ve tried them all out for size, and at one point or another they all felt good to me for maybe a day or so. But as the process went on, I completely 360’d back to Flying Squirrels and I’ve been there now for several days with it as my favorite . . .
“At the end of the day we all came back to what we thought would resonate with the kids the most. The kids are the core of the business for us.”

[...] Continue Reading »

I can decisively tell you the name the Richmond club will not unveil tomorrow: Hambones. The club has pulled it from the mix at the request of the NAACP, which had described it as offensive.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the "hambone is the foot-stomping, hand-clapping, thigh-slapping dance brought to America by slaves and later performed at minstrel shows for white audiences."

"Our sole intent was to utilize the concept of Virginia ham and its history in the region," the team said in a release on Tuesday. "We were honestly unaware of any negative, derogatory or offensive connotations."

Baseball America rarely misses a chance to put together a list. So when we heard that Richmond had narrowed the list of names for its new team down to six, we decided to get in on the act.

But hold on . . . This is Richmond, Va., right? The Capital of the Commonwealth. "Give me liberty or give me death." The Confederate States of America. Where the giant cigarette stands tall.

Certainly, one of the candidates will represent the city’s rich history. So let’s review. The nominees are: 

Flatheads: A catfish that swims in the James River.

Flying Squirrels: You better duck.

Hambones: Daily ham specials at the concession stands.

Rockhoppers: It is kinda fun to say.

Rhinos: If it didn’t work in Winston-Salem, let’s try it here.

Hush Puppies: Richmond ain’t that South.

So, yes, it’s safe to say that there was an underwhelming response among us all-knowing minor league baseball experts. The offerings fail to incorporate any real historical significance or capture much local flavor.

But here’s the catch:

They’re naming a minor league baseball team, not the new symphony hall, or even the mayor’s dog. The more irreverent the better has long been the standard, and even the secret to success, in the minors. (The TinCaps was panned when announced last offseason, but Fort Wayne finished third in Midwest League attendance and sold team merchandise like it was popular.)

And let’s not forget that one of the most marketable teams on a national scale in the minors is the Muckdogs. The Fishercats and Storm do pretty well too–all three teams’ success has as much to do with unique logos that appeal to kids and Little League teams as it does their names. And Richmond’s new president, Chuck Domino, is the same man who brought you the Lehigh Valley IronPigs a couple years ago–a team that has quickly blossomed into one of the minors’ best franchises.

[...] Continue Reading »

For the first time in six years, minor league baseball did not set an attendance record.

The economic slowdown proved too great for even the debut of six new ballparks to overcome. Final overall attendance is expected to be announced later this week, but MILB spokesman Steve Densa confirmed today that a new record was not reached in 2009.

Replacing failing markets with new ones, and swapping aging ballparks with state-of-the-art facilities has been at the heart of minor league baseball’s recent growth. Last year, the sport rode the coattails of three new ballparks to overcome the recession and set a new standard by drawing 43,263,740.

[...] Continue Reading »