Future of the Atlantic League...

[ca]

if metro houston puts a team in the aa then where do they put team # 12 assuming this se tx team is a new team

[GoCyclones!]

Sorry, dude, don't know much about the AA. Try Googling it and see what you come up with. I think that's still a couple years away though. I'm all about the Atlantic League, baby!

[GoCyclones!]

I found this an interesting tidbit regarding the new Sugar Land team:


In the last month Houston has been the seat of intrigue in the baseball world after Peter Kirk signed an MOU with Sugar Land to develop a new ballpark and bring in pro baseball. After the Houston Astros killed any plans for an affiliated team in Sugar Land, officials there turned to the indy market and signed the deal with Kirk. (More details of that deal are emerging: we're told Kirk plans on putting an independent Atlantic League team in Sugar Land, flying the team and opponent in and out for games.) We're also told Kirk intimated he could bring in an affiliated team -- and the Astros are reevaluating their opposition to affiliated ball in Sugar Land.

[GoCyclones!]

Wow, there's quite a bit of buzz regarding the Atlantic League and Sugar Land, TX. Miles Wolff himself said if he were a betting man he'd bet on the AL in Sugar Land. Peter Klein mentioned it could be first of four teams in an AL West Division. Could be ready to go by 2012. Sounds interesting!!

[GoCyclones!]

Sorry, Peter Kirk (Opening Day Partners) I meant not Klein

[Texasrangers13]

So then what would the other 3 markets be...

Sugar Land
???
???
???

[GoCyclones!]

I have no idea. Good question, dude. I would imagine they'd be bus rides to Sugar Land. Galveston and Beaumont have hosted teams in the past. I don't know enough about those areas to guess whether they can support a team again. I would expect something else within the metro Houston area. The metro Dallas area seems pretty saturated with teams. Baton Rouge is an open market several hours away. Quite a trip though.

[lamearmjr]

Maybe if they could convince Amarillo to leave the ULB that would be a great addition. The only way you go Dallas is if its very far East Dallas, then that may work. Heres an idea, maybe inter-league games with soon to be ATL West teams and AA South Teams? Honestly though, SL needs to go with the AA, travel costs would eat them alive. Ok say they do go with the ATL and there are 3 other teams in the west divison, that will be alot of games against the same few teams, with an unbalanced schedule. Oh and I hope they dont want fans to ever follow them on the road. While the AA gives teams much closer, fewer miles, and maybe not the top indy league but without doubt the second best.

[GoCyclones!]

I hear ya, a move to the AA would make more sense but I think it's doable. I mean, if the GBL is playing games in Hawaii now, I think this can work. But I understand your point that it does defeat the purpose of keeping costs low. I think the thing it has going for it is Peter Kirk. He seems to have a good vision and a golden touch. So if he sincerely believes it's a good idea, I trust it.

I think he sees it as there are limited expansion opportunities in the northeast. There 20 pro baseball teams within three hours of NYC, not to mention a couple of collegiate league teams. While there are couple of more places to build like Yonkers, NY and Nassau County, there aren't a whole lot of opportunities for the league to expand left. It does sound a little out there, but I admire Kirk as a visionary.

[GoCyclones!]

It seemed to escape my notice that Frank Boulton became the primary owner of the Newark Bears. No announcement was made. Just thinking out loud, but I wonder if the new team in Loudoun County, VA will be a relocation rather than expansion. The league is thriving but there are two struggling franchises. I go to quite a few Bears games, despite the big names on the roster, some nights you may find larger crowds at little league games. Makes one wonder how much longer they can survive like that...

I just want to show some love for PatriotsBaseball.com. Very informative site with player interviews, including one where Ryan Freel, in the bigs for several seasons, called Travis Anderson the best hitting coach he's had. Freel is an interesting dude. I think he just loves playing baseball. I was at the Pats game last Saturday. When Freel got his first hit of the season, an RBI single, he raised his first in the air and then asked for the ball. I was amazed. Imagine Somerset's lineup with Jack Cust hitting cleanup...he's from the area. Not playing a whole lot now in Sacramento. I don't think it's farfetched!