Affiliate Renewals: Ballpark Digest Reports -- West Virginia

[Mass Haas]

Kevin of the site noted above stands behind his reported signing based on "old-fashioned reporting".

 

Look for the West Virginia renewal announcement in the next couple of days, if not sooner.

[pogokat]

to refute what you said earlier Jim

 

Grayson stadium in savannah is not a good ball park at all...like Golden park in Columbus, it's a 100 year old facility...unlike golden park, it wasnt refurbished for the 96 olympics...both stadiums are in iffy parts of town and the columbus team, as those who follow minor league baseball should know, is the least supported minor league baseball team in america...

 

if the brewers have truly resigned with WV, good...it can't be worse than those other two places...

[bork]

If the report is true, it will be nice to have some affiliate stability. It seems like we've been on the affiliate carousel over the past decade. We haven't kept all our affiliates for more than 2-3 years since the mid-90's.

[plowjockey]

Yankees leaving Columbus suprises me. If I recall correctly, they had been there a long time.

[colbyjack]

Ditto on the affiliate stability point. I think it's a wise move for WV to re-up with the Brewers, even if they seemed to be looking for a parent-club that has more national, or even regional, appeal. While they didn't make the playoffs this year, or last, they have had some pretty good prospects pass through, and should continue to have solid prospects pass through as long as the Brewers keep up with their scouting & player development successes.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...Charleston

 

Brewers to stay in Charleston

Milwaukee, Power sign contract for two more years, sources reveal

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

The West Virginia Power has renewed its Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Milwaukee Brewers for the next two years, sources said Tuesday.

 

The teams completed their second season together in September. Their partnership began two years ago, when the former Charleston Alley Cats severed ties with the Toronto Blue Jays after four seasons.

 

Milwaukee moved its Class A operation to the South Atlantic League and Charleston from the Midwest League and Beloit, Wis.

 

The Power finished 2006 with a 74-62 record, including a 39-30 mark in the first half.

 

"We're excited," Power General Manager Andy Milovich said.

 

"We have had a great relationship with the Brewers the past two years."

 

Milovich said officials for the Charleston-based club also considered signing a PDC -- the agreement between minor league teams and their major league affiliates -- with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He said they spoke with representatives from all of those teams.

 

Milovich said his organization also could have signed with the Washington Nationals, but there were no discussions between the parties.

 

"The Brewers had expressed an interest in staying in Charleston from the get-go," Milovich said. "We had expressed an interest in maintaining our relationship with the Brewers, but we felt we would be doing ourselves and our community a disservice if we didn't take the time to see what was out there before we made a commitment."

 

Milovich said minor league teams can renew their contracts with their Major League affiliates during the season.

 

If they don't, he said, they have one week to inform Minor League Baseball officials that they want to "explore other options and see who is available."

 

Milovich said Minor League Baseball officials will tell them the Major League teams that are available after the deadline, then they will have a two- to three-week window to talk to those clubs.

 

If they don't reach agreements with clubs by the end of September, he said, the Commissioner's Office from Major League Baseball will assign affiliates to them.

 

"If you extend your PDC during the course of the season without going through the process of seeing who is available, you never know what possibilities might be out there," Milovich said.

 

The Power chose the Brewers because they "had the strongest interest in our franchise and our community," Milovich said. "So, it made sense to stay with them."

 

Milovich also praised Milwaukee for sending its high-ranking officials, scouts and roving instructors to Charleston as often as it did last season. He said that shows the parent club cares about providing its affiliate with talented prospects and developing them during their stay.

 

"That," Milovich said, "really made a statement to us."

 

The extension was good news for Milwaukee, which is the fifth parent club for the Charleston-based franchise since it returned to Class A in 1987 as a co-op team.

 

"We wanted to come back," Milwaukee Player Development Director Reid Nichols said. "I understand we didn't have the greatest season this year. I understand West Virginia's front office making every effort to field the best team for the community.

 

"They had the opportunity to talk to other clubs, but they felt like we were the best fit based on our efforts there in the community and on the field.

 

"This is just a continuation of a good relationship."

 

Last season featured many milestones and accomplishments for West Virginia, which is operated by Palisades Baseball Inc., a one-third owner with groups from Charleston and Huntington.

 

The team drew an average of 3,746 fans per game to 2-year-old Appalachian Power Park in 2006. That is an increase of 214 from 3,532 in 2005, its first season at the East End facility that replaced 55-year-old Watt Powell Park.

 

Outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Darren Ford broke the team records for hits and stolen bases, respectively.

 

Cain, infielder Mat Gamel, catcher Angel Salome and hitting coach Mike Lum earned SAL All-Star selections.

 

Pitchers Derek Miller and Joe Thatcher were promoted along with infielders Ryan Crew and Ned Yost IV, who is the son of Milwaukee Manager Ned Yost III.

 

"We're looking forward to a better season with similar performances from new players (in 2007)," Nichols said.

 

The two clubs below West Virginia in the Milwaukee system are Phoenix of the Arizona League (rookie) and Helena of the Pioneer League (rookie). The three above it are Brevard of the Florida State League (Class A Advanced), Huntsville of the Southern League (Class AA) and Nashville of the Pacific Coast League (Class AAA). Nashville was 76-68 in 2006, Huntsville 67-71, Brevard 64-65, Helena 34-42 and Phoenix 21-35.

[magic8ballsayz]

The Brewers finally put out a press release confirming all the information. I for one am pleased to see top to bottom organizational stability.

 

Press Release

[pogokat]

Hickory would have been awesome, but i'm ecstactic about them staying in WV too...expect many an update from the first half of the season...until i inevitably move out of NC

[wvpowerblkwel]

I remember seeing some talk towards the end of the season about some interest in taking an ad in the minor league parks....if you guys want a point man in WV, I'll be happy to work on it. Maybe an ad in the park as opposed to the game program? LMK if you need a volunteer...hopefully with these guys committing to a couple years, next year they might want to build a little equity in the brewers!