Southern League

[Anonymous]

All I can say is WOW! A new look to an old friend. OurSports Central looks different. Once I learn my way around, I think I'm going to like the new look.

Let's start the discussion. Much like OSC, the Southern League will have a different look to it in 2004 with the addition of Montgomery, Alabama. The city has not had a team in the league since 1980 when the Montgomery Rebels moved to Birmingham. This puts four teams from the Southern League in the state of Alabama.

While I don't particularly care for the nickname Biscuits, I do think the franchise will do well. I wish nothing but success for all connected with the team.

I am of the belief there will be another change in the Southern League in the next few years. With the new ballpark in Jacksonville, I think it is only a mtter of time before Class AAA baseball courts the city.

If so, anybody out there got any ideas what city would make a good home for the Class AA Southern League franchise?

Thanks,

Joe In Birmingham

[Anonymous]

Greensboro, NC. It currently hosts a South Atlantic League team, but its ownership group has always had its sights set on a more advanced level of baseball. The affiliation contract with the Marlins is up after next year, not coincidentally its last in venerable War Memorial Stadium. Its new downtown ballpark is plenty big for AA ball.

And by the way, the South Atlantic League is way, way overextended. It's more like the East of the Mississippi League. If I were the Greensboro owners, I'd want out of that league to escape those travel costs. Greensboro to Lake County, Ohio? Forget it. The only rationale I can think of is the rest of the league gets good money from those newer clubs in northern Ohio, Lexington and Jersey.

[AZSCUMP9]

It appears that due to ineptness and political bungling, Greenville SC and the Braves are done. They signed a one year extention for Memorial Stadium thru 2004 on the condition that a stadium be built. They had a great downtown location that was gonna be shared with a high school and all seemed in place. Carl Scheer and his group were planning it and it looked like a go. But some whiny parents didn't want Little Billy having to share a stadium with a minor league team. A study showed that only 2 dates in 2003 would have been conflicting. And a church that would have had the stadium as a neighbor is not happy. So long sad story short, school district is not gonna sell the land to the developers and we are back to step one. No new stadium no team. Memorial Stadium is in dire need of upgrade(lights are not even AA standard) so it seems Braves are gonna be looking to move team in 2005.

[Awild102]

The Braves use Cracker Jack Stadium at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando for Spring Training. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays had a AA Southern League affiliate in Orlando until this year. Wouldn't it make sense for the Braves to use their Spring Training facility in Orlando for their AA team?