Cubs Could End Their Affiliation In Boise

... after this season, if the city doesn't build a new stadium.

3 months ago Al Yellon 46 comments 0 recs |

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So where would the Cubs turn if they end the Boise affiliation?

In Theo and Jed I Trust

by KJ24 on Feb 22, 2012 12:36 PM CST reply actions

I think the Schaumburg Flyers stadium is available.

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Feb 22, 2012 2:24 PM CST up reply actions

seriously, that would be cool.

"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

by cooliogirl47 on Feb 22, 2012 3:08 PM CST up reply actions

Much as there are tons of Cubs fans in Peoria

… who love having our Low-A guys there, it would be way cooler if the Cubs would affiliate with the Kane County Cougars.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 3:36 PM CST up reply actions

I agree

The Cubs long connection with the Vonachen family is keeping the Cubs out of Kane County, which would be good for Cubs fans and Kane County (although they aren’t exactly hurting right now).

Peoria is a good place for the Cubs low-A franchise. Kane County would be better. And the Cardinals would move back into Peoria in a heartbeat if the Cubs left.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:26 PM CST up reply actions

Who are the Vonachen family?

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Feb 22, 2012 4:27 PM CST up reply actions

Owners of the Peoria franchise.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 4:43 PM CST up reply actions

Kane County? way cooler, I agree

GETITDONE!

"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

by cooliogirl47 on Feb 22, 2012 4:55 PM CST up reply actions

It would be really, really cool if they would affiliate with the Haar Disciples - Munich's Baseball Bundesliga team.

Well, it would be cool for me!

If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid. I'm a Sheeple and proud of it!
Spelling and grammar errors are included for creative and artistic reasons.

by eths on Feb 26, 2012 4:38 PM CST up reply actions

There's no short-season A league

anywhere near Schaumburg. And they don’t have a Midwest League affiliate.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:24 PM CST up reply actions

But...but...it would be easy for me to drive to.

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Feb 22, 2012 4:27 PM CST up reply actions

Not anymore

The Schaumburg Boomers start play this year.

by ZeoBandit on Feb 22, 2012 4:44 PM CST up reply actions

The Boomers?!

I guess it’s obvious which demographic they’re going for.

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Feb 22, 2012 5:16 PM CST up reply actions

Either that or they're owned by Chris Berman, David Wells, or (my favorite boomer) George Scott

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Feb 22, 2012 8:07 PM CST up reply actions

http://www.boomersbaseball.com/

by ZeoBandit on Feb 23, 2012 12:58 PM CST up reply actions

So a Boomer is an evil rooster or something?

I think that mascot might scare kids. It looks like a Predator.

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Feb 23, 2012 1:48 PM CST up reply actions

...

by eths on Feb 26, 2012 4:47 PM CST up reply actions

Didn't I post this when the article came out?

Or did I just do that on Twitter?

Anyway, it doesn’t matter.

The Cubs would look for another Short-Season A franchise to move to. All of their PDCs are up after this season. Just looking at the list, Yakima would be a logical guess, but they could look to move to the NY-Penn League too, which would be bad news for me.

Memorial Stadium is outdated. The City of Boise is moving forward with plans to build a new stadium just east of downtown. (Too bad, the vacant lot behind my in-laws house was one of the proposed sites, but that seems to have been ruled out.) The City of Boise would like assurances from the Cubs that if they do build a new stadium, that the Cubs will stick around for a while.

At this point, I think this is all posturing. I think the Cubs are trying to nudge Boise along here. However, if Boise does fail to commit to a new stadium, they will leave. It’s not an idle threat.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 12:49 PM CST reply actions

I think you just tweeted it.

I’d think the Cubs would try to stay in the Northwest League. To move to the NY-Penn League would require another team to change affiliation.

The Boise franchise wouldn’t cease to exist, it would probably just move. To where, I have no idea. But the Cubs could keep their affiliation if the team moved to a city where there’s a suitable stadium.

It’s kind of sad that a stadium built only 23 years ago is already obsolete.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 12:51 PM CST up reply actions

I find it funny too.

My initial thought was “it’s a minor league park, what the heck do they want?”

I can see the actual issue is about a larger multi-purpose facility. Different argument there, and something the town should chip in for IMO. Especially if a local school program would use it too.

Get er done Bill Buckner! My friend just moved to Boise, and a Hawks game would be fun.

Ezekiel 25:17

by Tat14 on Feb 22, 2012 2:43 PM CST up reply actions

Comparing Memorial Stadium

to the parks in the Cal League, for example, is no comparison. The seats are more comfortable, there are more concessions and it’s easier to get into and out of. (I’m not talking about Bakersfield here.)

I would also assume that the weight room and training facilities are far superior in other parks than at Memorial Stadium.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

I was at the High Desert Mavericks

games many years ago. And, it’s a place I drive by each time I take the 395 back to southern California.

They’re the Hi-A club for SEA this season. And this is a tiny park in the middle of nowhere. Literally. The local towns make Bakersfield look like Phoenix.

This is a Cal League park. Is Boise in that bad of shape? Or are you saying Memorial is better than what a lot of teams put up with?

Ezekiel 25:17

by Tat14 on Feb 22, 2012 6:39 PM CST up reply actions

Oh no, the Boise franchise wouldn't move

The Cubs would move to another existing franchise and whoever got left out would end up in Boise. The only way Boise moves is if the owners move it or the NWL revokes their franchise, which is unlikely because it’s one of the bigger markets in the NWL. (It’s no Vancouver, but it’s bigger than Tri-Cities or Yakima)

Every few years, the PDC (Player Development Contracts) expire and then the major league teams play a game of musical chairs. If they’re happy with where they are, they quickly try to come to an agreement with their current team. Otherwise, they try to poach a more desirable team. The franchises fill up and then whatever team wasn’t able to fill their affiliates get stuck with Clinton in the Midwest League or Bakersfield in the Cal League (or other franchises with less-desirable stadiums or locations.)

The Cubs, by virtue of their national fan base, are a team that the minor league franchises want to be affiliated with. Most franchises in the Northwest League would compete to get the Cubs franchise. Everett probably would rather have the Mariners and Vancouver might prefer the Blue Jays, but Yakima, for example, might well see the Cubs as a more attractive draw than the Diamondbacks. Then the D-Backs would have to find another franchise, and it very well could be Boise.

The point is though, that Boise wants to be affiliated with the Cubs. They’re a good draw even in Idaho.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:14 PM CST up reply actions

I'm really surprised

… that the Pacific Coast League hasn’t moved back into Vancouver. It’s certainly a big enough market to support a Triple-A team.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 4:45 PM CST up reply actions

The Stadium is 60 years old

and while they draw great for the Northwest League, they didn’t draw so great for the PCL.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the PCL return to Vancouver one day.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:59 PM CST up reply actions

No Canadian Teams in PCL Now

When Memphis got into the PCL in 1998, there were three Canadian teams (Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver). They all moved south over a short period of time.

Good things come to those who wait... and wait....and wait.

by memphiscub on Feb 23, 2012 4:40 PM CST up reply actions

Vancouver and Calgary

moved from stadiums that were over 40 years old to brand new state of the art stadiums in Sacramento and Albuquerque. Edmonton had a good stadium, but shaky ownership that sold to Nolan Ryan who was intent on putting a team in Round Rock.

Canadian cities are just less willing to play the stadium game than American cities. That’s pretty much how Montreal lost the Expos.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 23, 2012 10:16 PM CST up reply actions

Canadian cities are just less willing to play the stadium game than American cities. That’s pretty much how Montreal lost the Expos.

Well, that and Jeffrey Loria’s despicable conduct.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 24, 2012 7:10 AM CST up reply actions

This is going to make people in DSM...

…nervous that Ricketts will move the iCubs to Omaha.

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Feb 22, 2012 1:00 PM CST reply actions

I live in Omaha

I would love for the I-Cubs to move here, but I don’t see it as likely. The area already has the AAA Royals team (Storm Chasers), which just moved into Werner Park (a new stadium just south of Omaha). It seems unlikely that the area would successfully support 2 AAA teams, especially in light of the way the Royals team struggled over the last several years.

by CJK on Feb 22, 2012 1:13 PM CST up reply actions

That's not how minor league affiliations work anyway.

The teams don’t move, the affiliations change.

The Royals have been affiliated with Omaha since the KC franchise began, in 1969. It’s the closest Triple-A city to KC. There are tons of Royals fans in Omaha, just as there are Cubs fans in Des Moines.

I can’t see KC ever leaving the Omaha affiliation, especially with the new stadium.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

That's not what we were hearing a year or two ago

The big fuss here was whether to tear down Rosenblatt after the new College World Series ballpark was built downtown. The (team formerly known as the) Royals had the chance to move there, but the city wouldn’t make them a decent deal. Sarpy County built them a new stadium to keep them in the area, but they said they were ready to pack up and go.

I mean, I know that minor league teams sometimes change affiliations, but there must also be cases where teams leave markets where they’re not viable. Maybe cubswynn was just talking about the Cubs dropping their affiliation with Des Moines and creating a new one with the Omaha team, though.

by CJK on Feb 22, 2012 2:23 PM CST up reply actions

There have been some, yes.

Most notably in recent years, Reno moving to Tucson, and Ottawa losing its team.

But these are fairly rare — and I can’t imagine it happening in Omaha.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 2:32 PM CST up reply actions

Actually

It was Tucson moving to Reno.

Which was followed by Portland moving to Tucson.

by azjazzman on Feb 22, 2012 3:37 PM CST up reply actions

You are correct.

Had that mixed up.

The Tucson team — a Padres affiliate — was supposed to move to San Diego County (Escondido, IIRC) but stadium financing fell through. They could be stuck in Tucson for a while.

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by Al Yellon on Feb 22, 2012 3:52 PM CST up reply actions

They're looking for a new place

But yeah, they could be stuck in Tucson for a while. If Boise wanted to go hog wild, they could build a AAA stadium and probably get the Tucson franchise. But I doubt it would be worth it to them.

It sounds like the Binghamton Mets are moving to Ottawa, giving them a Eastern League franchise.

But with rare exceptions, these moves are done by the leagues and the owners of the franchises, not the major league teams. The only exception I can think of is the Braves buying their Triple-A franchise in Richmond and moving them to suburban Gwinnett County. Teams move when attendance drops and cities won’t build new stadiums, just like in the majors.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:36 PM CST up reply actions

Boise would have to be bat sh*t crazy

to build a AAA stadium on the chance they could get the team from Tucson.

That would be totally putting the cart before the horse.

Since the proposed stadium in Oceanside went by the boards, Jeff Moorad is looking to sell the Padres AAA franchise and at least one of the potential buyers is a consortium with deep roots in Tucson.

In any event, the new buyer, no matter who it is, will no doubt already have a plan for where the team will be located. So, unless somebody in Boise wants to buy the team as well as build a stadium, it would be fruitless.

by azjazzman on Feb 22, 2012 5:09 PM CST up reply actions

Oh, they wouldn't do it

without the promise of a team.

The current plan (or at least, last I heard) for a new stadium in Boise is a standard Class A stadium that would be expandable to Triple-A in the future. That makes more sense.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 6:40 PM CST up reply actions

Once they built the Stormchasers a new stadium

any real threat to Omaha to lose the Royals affiliation left. The Royals were tired of playing in Rosenblatt because of the month long road trips they had to take when the CWS happened and weren’t interested in continuing that.

The thing is, the I-Cubs have a great stadium and a devoted fanbase. Despite formerly being the smallest city in the PCL (Reno is there now), Des Moines has always been in the top four or five of PCL attendance. Other than the Ricketts connection to Omaha, the Cubs have no reason to prefer Omaha to Des Moines.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 4:31 PM CST up reply actions

Even though that makes perfect sense...

…people will still worry.

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Feb 22, 2012 5:35 PM CST up reply actions

I'd be personally excited, as a baseball fan, to see Cubs prospects in upcoming years.

With the new management, stated direction, and already noticeable changes to the farm system, I’d more than love to take a night here or there to see these players in person. Not to mention that if we are truly building from within, finally, then there should only be more to look forward to.

In Theo and Jed I Trust

by KJ24 on Feb 22, 2012 1:07 PM CST reply actions

There's talk of a building a new park

Here in the Portland, Oregon area. Milwaukie, Oregon which neighbor’s Portland, is looking into the possibility of building a ballpark to try to draw In a short season A ball league. That would be sweet to get the Cubs to pick them up for their affiliate.

by portlandcubfan on Feb 22, 2012 4:10 PM CST reply actions

Let's move Boise to indy

We have one of the best stadiums in the league. The Pirates can simply move on – I hear Boise has an opening.

by Cody Sharp on Feb 22, 2012 5:05 PM CST via mobile reply actions

And they'd play in the International League?

That would be odd.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 22, 2012 6:41 PM CST up reply actions

Indy : Interested in Cardinals Affiliation?

I don’t think Memphis will lose its affiliation with the Cardinals. However, Indianapolis has a nice stadium. Indy is ever so slightly closer to St. Louis than Memphis is to St. Louis. Indianapolis is in closer proximity to the Cardinals’ central division rivals than Memphis is. I wonder if Indy will be making any overtures to the Cardinals after Indy’s PDC is up with the Pirates.

Good things come to those who wait... and wait....and wait.

by memphiscub on Feb 23, 2012 4:44 PM CST up reply actions

I'd be shocked

if Memphis didn’t lock up the Cardinals before they even started looking. But if they don’t, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them move to Indy. I’m sure the Indians aren’t happy with a Pirates affiliation: no one outside of Pennsylvania or West Virginia is happy with a Pirates affiliation. The Cardinals may not be the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Braves or Dodgers, but they do have a national fan base that draws people in everywhere.

by Josh Timmers on Feb 23, 2012 10:19 PM CST up reply actions