Comments on: Early Look At Player-Development Shuffle

By: david silverwood

david silverwood — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:32:27 +0000

I want to know how all teams affilations may be changed ---can we please learn that and when should we be able to learn that---thanks from a true baseball fan who really likes minor league baseball

By: Josh Leventhal

Josh Leventhal — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:49:44 +0000

Thanks for the comments and your interest. I've never spoken to DiBella, so I can't comment on his business sense. I don't think Norfolk is as bad a market as people think and will fare better in a short-season league. The facility itself, from what I hear, is not terrible -- it's just in an out-of-the way, unattractive location. The Defenders saw their attendance rise about 200,000 in each of their last two seasons--a noteworthy feat considering the economy. I don't think Richmond fans have to worry about the team leaving town for some time -- the Braves only left because they got a sweetheart deal in Gwinnett. Richmond is easily the biggest market in the Eastern League. Getting a new ballpark in such a difficult political climate will be the team's biggest obstacle.

As far as the Rangers in Myrtle Beach is concerned, it's honestly a scenario I had not considered but one that does seem reasonable. It would provide another way to keep everything in house, and would also provide an easy way out of the Cal League.

By: JM

JM — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:44:19 +0000

Josh, do you think there's any chance that the Rangers move their affiliation to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans considering Chuck Greenberg is part of their ownership group and has invested a good bit in upgrades to BB&T Coastal Field? I know it'd be a big change since that franchise has been a Braves affiliate dating back to when they were the Durham Bulls, but with the Braves-Pelicans PDC and the Rangers-Blaze PDC up at the same time it would provide an opportunity for the Rangers to move into a significantly better high-A operation.

By: mike c

mike c — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:33:30 +0000

The Richmond owner DiBella owned the Connecticut(Norwich) franchise for about 5 years and appeared to make zero effort to make that Norwich operation work. If I were a Richmond fan, I'd be very wary about him. He's a career sports promoter who bought a Norwich franchise that had sinking attendance and a ballpark in an out-of-the-way location.I'e avlways wondered why a supposedly knowledgeable/experienced sports businessman would have bought gone into the Norwich market and then let it die.

By: We actually like The Diamond. Who knew? | Nutcap: Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:33:28 +0000

[...] America's business blog wonders if Washington might be looking at an affiliation with the Squirrels when their San Francisco PDC is up at the end of this season. As they note [...]