It’s definitely in character for Nolan.
Given the big club’s track record of buying up their minor league affiliates, I’d be shocked if talks of a sale didn’t come up once in the last 2-3 years.
And those PDCs that ran thru 2022 (Astros-Round Rock and also Rangers-Nashville)? Poof…gone…void apparently. That clears the way for no transition period and the new affiliations begin immediately with the 2021 season.
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The quote from Almendarez makes me think being AAA is pretty important to them. I know nothing of affiliate economics, but as a fan of minor league ball, if they’re not going to be an Astros affiliate, AA would entice me out there far more than AAA.
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MLB has final say on affiliations now, correct? If thats the case, this is really the only way the Astros can exercise control. If they own their AAA team in close proximity, it keeps MLB from forcing a reshuffle on them if another minor league team goes out of business and affiliates have to be changed arounf. MLB would be unable to go, “Well, too bad Astros, now it makes sense for the Rangers to have Round Rock, you get New Orleans (or wherever).”
I don’t understand the point of having a AAA team in your own suburbs, other than I guess you can just use an Uber to move guys up and down.
I think that’s part of it. Also easier for top brass to go scout prospects in-person, decide if they’re ready, etc. Probably a marketing aspect, too (selling your minor league team to people who are already fans of your major league team).
True, but the Sugar Land market didn’t exactly need shoring up. Austin, on the other hand, looks ready to be annexed by the goddamn Rangers again.
I think they would fight hard to stay in RR if they believed the territory were that valuable. Crane’s had his eye on a Houston-area affiliate for a long time now (Conroe?) and does not seem to care much about Austin.
From 2009 to 2016 the Rangers for the first and only time owned Central Texas. But I truly think that was more to do with the fickleness of fans and the Rangers being good and the Astros being shitty, than the location of the AAA teams.
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SURELY they’ll change the name, won’t they? “Skeeters” is a stupid name. Either way, I’m excited because the stadium is within walking distance for me.
Yeah, that’s my experience as well. Also, most minor league fans are there for the entertainment, it doesn’t create lifelong ties to the major league club
So what if any did the Ryans/Crane fallout have to do with this?
It used to. Growing up in Florida, if you had a minor league team in your town, or if a team trained in your town, you embraced them, and that was your team. It was your link to a Major League club. I suppose with games broadcast everywhere nowadays, one can just pick their favorite team, but back in the day minor league affiliation was a huge way to build your fanbase outside you home city.
In Oklahoma City, at least since the late 70s, they’ve changed franchise affiliations so many times that there is no continuity for a kid growing up. There is an attachment to players that move up to the big leagues but that attachment follows the player if he switches MLB teams.
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Yeah, my mom used to root for the Cardinals, as the Buffs were their affiliate. In more recent times, it might be for the reason you outlined or for the fact that a lot of minor league affiliations change all the time these days.
For much of my growing up, Austin was a Braves farm club. I liked to watch the local team/games, but that did not make me a Braves fan.
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Back in the day. The Cards were the only team west of the Mississippi and they were broadcast on one of the most powerful stations, KMOX. They were the most popular team in most areas south and west within their broad listening range.
We used to sometimes get the Braves on radio, and that made me a Braves fan. But most of my friends were Reds fans because they trained in town and the local minor league team was a Reds affiliate (got to meet my baseball hero, Johnny Bench, when he came to our LL Opening Day ceremony one year). My grandmother lived in Lakeland, and was a die hard Tigers fan because of their local presence. I’m sure it varied and there was not one size fitting all. But it probably mattered more in the past.
Good point – I guess that’s more of a boost to the minor league team than to the major league team. (Although if the MLB team owns in MiLB team, I guess it’s all the same financially?)
But yeah, I hate sacrificing Austin to the Rangers.
The San Antonio Dodgers/Missions were the AA team for the Dodgers my entire childhood. I was always an Astros fan of course, but my familiarity with the Dodgers’ farm system and developed players left a soft spot in my heart for the franchise. But I wouldn’t have ever called myself a Dodgers fan. The fact that affiliations bounce around so often these days probably means those connections are even less.