Colorado Springs Yuck

[bork]

I'm curious. I didn't follow the minors back then, but how did the Brewers manage when they had their AAA team in Denver? They were cranking out the prospects then, both pitchers and hitters. And I seem to recall the Brewers having the most winning minor league system a number of years back then.

[reillymcshane]

I haven't lived in Madison for quite some time, but until they got the cheap college kids the teams kept folding, so I have a hard time seeing how they could really scale up to a full AAA team, particularly without pulling people out of seats at Miller Park since it is only an hour away. Appleton probably makes a lot more sense as the population is so much higher near Green Bay and the distance is enough that I don't see there being too much competition for entertainment dollars. Geographically a Low A team in Lacrosse or Eau Claire would be a great way to showcase the team across a bigger section of the state. Lacrosse in particular might be able to do fairly well, since there really is no competition remotely close when it comes to entertainment.

A big reason Madison flailed around as a minor league team was because the park was really crappy. The Mallards have worked to consistently upgrade the place so it's at least respectable.

 

Dane County has a population of 488,000. I'm not sure what size of a population is needed to make a AAA team feasible. No matter what, you'd need a significant investment made in a quality facility to attract fans and keep them coming back.

[CheezWizHed]

I didn't follow the minors back then, but how did the Brewers manage when they had their AAA team in Denver?

 

Fun fact. The Brewers were the last AAA team in Denver before the MLB expansion.

 

My main memories were pretty much the same complaints. There and with High Desert for A+ (where we OFTEN skipped prospects from A-ball to AA ball). In fact, I think it was worse then because they didn't use the humidors back then. But I seem to remember most fans being happy to leave Denver and chuckling about the Rockies' prospects of playing in the thin air.

[bork]

 

Fun fact. The Brewers were the last AAA team in Denver before the MLB expansion.

 

 

Ah yes, the New Orleans Zephyrs.

[CheezWizHed]

Well, that was the no-so-fun fact...

[TURBO]

TheCrew07,

Guess I would beg to differ with you about Helena "sucks".

Have you been to the ballpark here? If not, what you won't find is a cookie cutter concrete slab,

corporate excesses, whiz bang electronics or security issues.

What is here is a historical era wooden stadium in a small town setting. The seats are close to the

action, there is shade, the players are accessible and you can park for free!

The ownership and the city (it's city owned) have done a pretty darn good job in making improvements, including lighting, rebuilding the infield and clubhouses. Can they do more? Sure.

Now, having said that, I would welcome Brewer organization ownership. The front office here is old

and stale and doesn't understand what they have or the fan base.

I do know that the organization likes Helena, in large part because it is a small town. It is safe for the players, there is excellent support from the booster club and the players can concentrate on the game.

Maybe it's a demographic thing, as I grew up going to Wrigley, old Comiskey and Tiger stadium but

going to a game here is pure baseball joy. But as "they" say YMMV, however I would think most fans

of the game would enjoy the atmosphere in Helena.

 

Wow, after reading this, I am finding myself wanting to make a trip to Montana this summer... Sounds like a baseball dream!

[folly412]

It was a raw deal to get kicked out of Nashville, though Melvin somehow seemed to be the last to see it coming and find anything but the worst option. Biggest worry now is how to get out of Colorado Springs. Is it really that common to move a franchise or replace one in the IL or PCL? Doesn't even seem like a realistic option.

 

Between the few that have ownership interest and the many that are good geographic fits, the 2016 list looks tough to crack. Attractive locations would be Indianapolis (Pirates) or Rochester (Twins), which involve kicking out affiliates of 10 and 12 years. Other than that, it would involve going west (Fresno or Vegas), or kicking out good geographic fits that haven't been affiliated long (Columbus, Toledo, Buffalo).

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/200905261902/minor-league-baseball/news/affiliate-dance-2012

[Mr Southpaw]

Appleton would be a cool spot for a AAA team. Could the Brewers make it their AAA home and move the A team to somewhere like Rockford, Madison or another Midwest mid size city. I know the Packers are a special circumstance, but if NW Wisconsin can support them, why couldn't they support a AAA team?

 

How much would they have to improve the FV Stadium?