Brewers High-A Affiliation -- Oh My, Hello Lancaster, and All That Means

[CheezWizHed]

Thanks. I scanned back through two threads looking for this, but missed it (obviously).

 

If that is the case and nearly everyone is linking only Colorado to Carolina, it would seem to make sense that the Brewers aren't interested in doing this. Too bad, since this seems to be an ideal candidate to do exactly what everyone is talking about and invest in a MiLB team to prevent the affiliation churn (not to mention stick with a decent development environment).

[foamboy1]

For an organization that needs to draft and develop talent better than bigger market teams to be competitive - they always seem to be the last one in the musical chairs of minor league affiliations.

[Greenleaf1]

Milwaukee IS the smallest market in baseball. We are going to have to work harder than every other team in order to get stuff done, this just might be one of those things that escapes us as a small market team. We don't have the budget to just throw money at minor league stadiums (maybe, I don't know).

 

Personally I hope we just buy the Carolina Mudcats and be done with it. Having to deal with Lancaster/Springs becomes a two-front war that we'll spend years trying to get out of. Don't make the same mistake twice if we can avoid it. We locked up Biloxi long(ish) term, I'm sure we're set in Appleton, we should lock up our High A team so that we can devote all of our attention to getting the hell out of Colorado Springs in 2 years.

 

Of course, I can't imagine there's any way the organization isn't thinking the same thing, so this might just be one of those cases where if we had all the information we'd understand why we're in the situation we're in.

[JDBrewCrew]

Josh Norris

‏@jnorris427

Biz Beat News: The #Rockies visited the Carolina Mudcats last week. The #Brewers are visiting today. Decision needed by Friday.

 

Resolution coming soon.... Brewers not entirely out.

[brewmann04]

I don't really see the Brewers buying into that League at this point.

[Ross_Way]

"The Hangar is not a natural grass park, but has "a high grade sports turf artificial playing surface".

 

Not sure where you heard that, but the grass in Lancaster is completely natural, not artificial. Further, the city groundskeepers at The Hangar had been working with the Astros' groundskeepers to make the field better and better over the last couple of seasons - it's just been reseeded as of the end of the season here.

 

It seems to me that blaming a ballpark for inconsistencies is kinda silly considering the number of players in the Majors who have come through Lancaster. You can find the list here:

 

http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20130201&content_id=41349154&sid=t491&vkey=team5

[adambr2]

I read that list and thought, 'There's no way Jordan Zimmerman was in High A in 1999. He would have maybe been a teenager if that.'

 

Then I looked it up and figured out it was a different Jordan Zimmerman.

[Mass Haas]

"The Hangar is not a natural grass park, but has "a high grade sports turf artificial playing surface".

 

Not sure where you heard that, but the grass in Lancaster is completely natural, not artificial. Further, the city groundskeepers at The Hangar had been working with the Astros' groundskeepers to make the field better and better over the last couple of seasons - it's just been reseeded as of the end of the season here.

 

It seems to me that blaming a ballpark for inconsistencies is kinda silly considering the number of players in the Majors who have come through Lancaster. You can find the list here:

 

http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20130201&content_id=41349154&sid=t491&vkey=team5

 

Welcome aboard, Ross_Way! And thanks for the insights.

 

The link to that (now we know) mis-information was here, either an out-of-date site or just blatantly incorrect from the start:

 

http://www.stadiumsusa.com/stadium/clear-channel-stadium-93536/Lancaster+Jethawks)

[ZBTMP]

It seems to me that blaming a ballpark for inconsistencies is kinda silly considering the number of players in the Majors who have come through Lancaster.

 

The psychological impacts of playing in a skewed environment are impossible to quantify. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Baseball is a very mental game. Its a goal of the organization to remove mental obstacles from their development system. Having a developmental stop where results continually don't match performance makes for a challenge.

A decade ago the Brewers were skipping A+(High Desert) with most of their prospects as a developmental stop. We've now had 2 years of Colorado Springs. Aaron Wilkerson is an example of the challenge it's presented. His ERA went from 2.44 to 6.42 going from Pawtucket to Colorado Springs. That being said, his secondary metrics changed very little outside of a huge spike in BABIP. But how does he come up to the MLB with any confidence that he is going to get MLB players out when he is getting pummeled in AAA? How is a 6.5 ERA good for his development?

The Brewers also need to evaluate players to plan their developmental path. Evaluating players gets far more difficult in Lancaster than in a more neutral environment.

The Astros have certainly done a great job of player development with Lancaster in its system. But at the end of the day, there is a reason why they are going through the hassle of purchasing and relocating Bakersfield.

However, don't let my negative attitudes turn you off to the Brewers' franchise. Lancaster is certainly a better situation than Colorado Springs facilities-wise and hopefully with first hand reports .

[markedman5]

Brewer nation tweet

 

Sources are indicating that the #Brewers will indeed affiliate with the Class A-Advanced Lancaster @JetHawks of the California League.

[MrTPlush]

At some point this has to be fixed. Lancaster and Colorado Springs is a complete joke. I know it can't be fixed overnight, but 2-4 years from now they need to figure out how they can improve on these situations.

[brewmann04]

The big question is how with more and more teams being owned by Major league teams it becomming less and less teams out their to change with

[adambr2]

Job well done, Gord.

[BuckyBrewer61]

As much, if not more than anything, an organization like the Brewers needs to be able to develop young players. Particularly in the pitching department, I don't think it's hyperbole to say through it's nearly 50 year history this organization has been nothing short of pathetic in doing so. Hard to be optimistic that will change with news like this.

[NYChez]

Call me crazy, but it seems like most of the Brewer pitchers who've had a stint in Colorado Springs have done great when they reach the Brewers. Perhaps pitching in altitude teaches how to deal with MLB-like adversity, the importance of location, or the importance of getting good snap on breaking balls.

[patrickgpe]

this is way worse than the triple A situation because of the number of pro offense stadiums in the california league, you really cannot let your top players only pitch on the road like the brewers can do in Colorado Springs. At the end of the day (and if the rockies do invent in Carolina), this can be blamed on ownership not on Gord (although who am i to tell Mark how to spend his cash)

[ZBTMP]

this is way worse than the triple A situation because of the number of pro offense stadiums in the california league, you really cannot let your top players only pitch on the road like the brewers can do in Colorado Springs. At the end of the day (and if the rockies do invent in Carolina), this can be blamed on ownership not on Gord (although who am i to tell Mark how to spend his cash)

 

With Bakersfield and High Desert (being the 1st and 3rd most extreme parks) relocating, the PCL with Salt Lake, Reno, Vegas, and Albuquerque will probably be a more hitter friendly league.

[markedman5]

TH tweet

 

#Brewers announce new affiliation with Class A Carolina Mudcats.

[MadThinker88]

Shocked n pleasantly surprised. I will take it...