Sky Sox To the Pioneer League

[jjgott]

Sky Sox Baseball‏ Verified account

@skysox

 

BREAKING: Beginning in 2019, the Sky Sox franchise will be realigned as a member of the Short Season Pioneer League.

[jjgott]

Sky Sox Baseball‏Verified account @skysox 3m3 minutes ago

 

This move creates a stable and long term solution that will keep professional baseball in Colorado Springs for decades to come.

[Invader3K]

So where will the Brewers' AAA team be then?

[patrickgpe]

https://www.milb.com/sky-sox/news/affiliated-baseball-to-remain-in-colorado-springs/c-237820390/t-196093366

 

So sky sox will move to San Antonio, time will tell if this will be good for the brewers, my guess is that the brewers will just get another crappy affiliate after being the last team at the table at the end of next season.

[patrickgpe]

So where will the Brewers' AAA team be then?

i think the most likely scenario is that the brewers and astros swap affiliates and get Fresno

 

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

[ZBTMP]

Is this the end of Helena? So what is the elevation difference between CS and Helena? How much longer are the bus rides?

[homer]

So the Brewers don't get the team in San Antonio?

[Roderick]

https://www.milb.com/sky-sox/news/affiliated-baseball-to-remain-in-colorado-springs/c-237820390/t-196093366

 

So sky sox will move to San Antonio, time will tell if this will be good for the brewers, my guess is that the brewers will just get another crappy affiliate after being the last team at the table at the end of next season.

 

Yeah, but doesn't every other park have to be at least a little better than Colorado Springs for development and evaluation purposes? So its a step in the right direction.

[Roderick]

So the Brewers don't get the team in San Antonio?

 

I assume negotiations would decide that. Not sure how many carrots a MLB team is actually allowed to bargain to try to improve your position.

[folly412]

So the Brewers don't get the team in San Antonio?

 

Suppose this is start of 2019, so we'll see how the affiliate dance plays out when we're up after the 2018 season.

[MVP2110]

Hypothetically say the Brewers AAA team is Fresno. How much better is that than Colorado Springs? What are the cons to it?

[ReverendBrewmeister]

I'd have to imagine that if the Rangers remain with Round Rock (Greater Austin area) for AAA that Houston would want to land in the San Antonio market. Same if the two were reversed. Going to Colorado Springs for one year to make that happen would probably be palatable to either franchise.

[liveforoctober]

Hypothetically say the Brewers AAA team is Fresno. How much better is that than Colorado Springs? What are the cons to it?

 

For starters, the elevation in Fresno is 308' as opposed to 6,035' in Colorado Springs. Our pitcher's confidence won't be shattered in Fresno for artificial reasons...

[djoctagone]

Hypothetically say the Brewers AAA team is Fresno. How much better is that than Colorado Springs? What are the cons to it?

currently, only two daily departures out of fresno-yosemite international airport to a city in the central time zone (and it's not chicago). unless the brewers are on a road trip out west, any recalled player on a homestand is going very likely going to have at least one connecting flight to get to either milwaukee or any other nl east or nl central city.

 

that central time zone city is dallas (dfw) . . . which would bode well for houston or texas . . . but i'm sure they're going to want san antonio and round rock over fresno.

[homer]

The airport code for Fresno is FAT. You're welcome.

[patrickgpe]

Hypothetically say the Brewers AAA team is Fresno. How much better is that than Colorado Springs? What are the cons to it?

i believe if we go back to last fast when the brewers were looking at Fresno as an alternate to CS, the biggest draw back is the stadium. i agree anywhere the brewers go is better than what they have now. Also moving into a double A park isn't the best thing either if they stay in San Antonio. the other issue is that i am sure the brewers would rather move east rather than further west. When they were in Indy or Nashville that was a great situation if a move had to be made quickly.

 

the brewers have a good farm system and have a good relationship with the owners, i don't think its entirely 100% assured that the brewers won't be in San Antonio, just think its unlikely.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I miss the Indianapolis affiliation. Even Nashville wasn't so bad. It seems like part of what makes it tough is that the Royals have dibs on Omaha and the Cubs on Des Moines.

 

Any chance Wichita works out in Milwaukee's favor? I know they're building a AAA stadium.

[bork]

So do the Brewers want their rookie+ team in Colorado Springs or will they be looking for other options there as well? Brewers haven't had a rookie team change since 2003 when they moved Odgen to Helena.

 

I suppose they could stay with Colorado Springs for their rookie team to keep the ownership group happy and not get kicked to the curb in AAA. And it would be a great facility for a rookie level team (minus the pitching issues).

[patrickgpe]

So do the Brewers want their rookie+ team in Colorado Springs or will they be looking for other options there as well? Brewers haven't had a rookie team change since 2003 when they moved Odgen to Helena.

i think that is up in the air, Helena's PDA is expiring in 2018 too. Right now the only thing that we know is that the brewers will have their Low A team in Appleton and double A team in Biloxi in 2019.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

Is this the end of Helena? So what is the elevation difference between CS and Helena? How much longer are the bus rides?

 

This will be the end of Helena, according to the Elmore Sports Group as quoted in this article:

http://ballparkdigest.com/2017/06/21/elmore-sports-group-three-franchise-shifts-in-2019/

 

Other articles indicate that another Pioneer League team may attempt to relocate to Pueblo, CO, giving a travel partner for the team moving to Colorado Springs. (The team isn't mentioned, but reading between the lines makes me guess that Great Falls might be it.)

http://ballparkdigest.com/2017/04/04/pueblo-county-pitches-new-pro-ballpark/

 

Pueblo is considering a stadium project:

http://www.chieftain.com/news/pueblo/pueblo-county-commissioners-eye-downtown-baseball-stadium/article_467c55f6-75ab-5581-b35f-0f71f090b573.html

 

As for the difference in elevation, Helena is at 3,875' and Colorado Springs is at 6,035'. So there is a bit of a difference.

 

Not sure an actual time/distance for bus rides, but they would seem to increase, though that might depend on divisional alignment.

 

Edited: added statement about divisional alignment.

[bork]

Here are the current Pioneer locations.

 

http://billsportsmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/milb_2013_pioneer-league_segment_b.gif

[Jimbo]

It's always been a bucket list thing for me do an eight-day, eight-city tour of the Pioneer League.

[LouisEly]

I miss the Indianapolis affiliation. Even Nashville wasn't so bad. It seems like part of what makes it tough is that the Royals have dibs on Omaha and the Cubs on Des Moines.

 

Any chance Wichita works out in Milwaukee's favor? I know they're building a AAA stadium.

And the irony is, wouldn't it make sense for the A's to have their AAA affiliate in Fresno?

 

There must be something really bad about Fresno/their ownership that would make the A's want to put their AAA team 2000 miles away.

[trwi7]

I miss the Indianapolis affiliation. Even Nashville wasn't so bad. It seems like part of what makes it tough is that the Royals have dibs on Omaha and the Cubs on Des Moines.

 

Any chance Wichita works out in Milwaukee's favor? I know they're building a AAA stadium.

And the irony is, wouldn't it make sense for the A's to have their AAA affiliate in Fresno?

 

There must be something really bad about Fresno/their ownership that would make the A's want to put their AAA team 2000 miles away.

 

I don't think there's anything bad about Fresno. The Giants were with them since 1998 but Sacramento was closer. I would want to affiliate with Nashville over Fresno too, despite the distance if I was Oakland.

[nate82]

I miss the Indianapolis affiliation. Even Nashville wasn't so bad. It seems like part of what makes it tough is that the Royals have dibs on Omaha and the Cubs on Des Moines.

 

Any chance Wichita works out in Milwaukee's favor? I know they're building a AAA stadium.

And the irony is, wouldn't it make sense for the A's to have their AAA affiliate in Fresno?

 

There must be something really bad about Fresno/their ownership that would make the A's want to put their AAA team 2000 miles away.

 

A new facility helps in making that decision.