Chicago White Sox Invite Birmingham Barons to Return as Affiliate
December 9, 2020 - Southern League (SL) - Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Chicago White Sox extended an invitation to the Birmingham Barons to remain the organization's Class AA affiliate.
The White Sox released the following statement:
"The Chicago White Sox today invited the following four minor-league organizations to continue as the club's affiliates in Major League Baseball's new player development structure:
- Class AAA Charlotte Knights (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Class AA Birmingham Barons (Birmingham, Ala.)
- Class A Winston-Salem Dash (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
- Class A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Kannapolis, N.C.)
As part of MLB's plan to modernize the sport's player development system, all four minor-league organizations received an invitation for a Player Development License. Each club will consider the details of the license invitation before responding to the White Sox and MLB.
"We are extremely fortunate to enjoy strong and productive existing relationships with each of our four affiliates in Charlotte, Birmingham, Winston-Salem and Kannapolis," said Chris Getz, White Sox director of player development. "Issuing a license invitation to these four outstanding baseball communities is an important first step in Major League Baseball's process of reshaping the player development system. We have worked closely with MLB on this new structure with minor-league affiliates to ensure a successful and sustained partnership and future for all major and minor-league clubs, our players and the local communities.'"
The 2021 Barons season will mark 35 years with the White Sox, the longest-tenured affiliation in Sox history. Notable players include Hall-of-Famer Frank Thomas, Mark Buehrle, Jack McDowell, José Quintana, Bobby Thigpen and Robin Ventura all of whom made the jump from Birmingham to Chicago.
"We're excited and honored to receive the White Sox invitation to continue our partnership and look forward to reviewing the terms," said Jonathan Nelson, president and general manager of the Barons. "Over the years the Chicago White Sox have provided many great players and teams who have entertained our fans and positively impacted the Birmingham community."
"The Barons have enjoyed a great history in Birmingham for over 100 years and specifically for the last 34 years with the Chicago White Sox," said Randall Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham. "White Sox players and coaches have positively impacted our community for many years, and we're proud that our own Regions Field is recognized as one of the top ballparks in America. We're also excited that the White Sox have extended an invitation to continue their AA affiliation with the Birmingham Barons for years to come."
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Southern League Stories from December 9, 2020
- Chicago White Sox Invite Birmingham Barons to Return as Affiliate - Birmingham Barons
- Trash Pandas Offered Affiliation Contract with Angels - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- M-Braves Invited to Continue as Braves Double-A Affiliate in Pearl - Mississippi Braves
- Pensacola Blue Wahoos Invited to Become Miami Marlins Double-A Affiliate - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
