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It looks like the Toronto-Buffalo sports connection with start and end with the Bills.  The Buffalo News reports that the Bisons will likely sign a player development contract with the New York Mets, instead of with the Jays.  A blog at Syracuse.com linking a blog of the Mets beat writer at the New York Daily News also suggests it's pretty much a done deal with the Mets and the Herd.  



A recent article from the Syracuse Post-Standard says the Chiefs chances of landing the Mets as their major league affiliate hinged on whether the Mets would be able to buy a piece of a team, which is owned by a bazillion stockholders (about 4,000 actually!) but as the Buffalo news article suggests, the stockholders weren't too keen on the idea.   Meantime, the Post-Standard's editorial staff is criticizing the Chiefs for not doing everything in their power to convince the Metropolitans to sign an affilation deal with them. 

It looks like there'll be a lot of pissed off folks in Syracuse if they do lose out on the Mets.  Where does that leave the Jays?  They could return to Syracuse but with the Chiefs stating their intention of looking for another affiliate, that seems unlikely.   I was warming up to the idea of the Jays being less than two hours away from their AAA afilliate (even in downtown Buffalo!) but it appears the Jays miserable track record in Syracuse and the much-criticized ownership/management of the Chiefs have conspired to prevent a Buffalo-Toronto merger from happening.   That would mean the Jays closest affiliates will now be Auburn and Lansing, four and five hours away respectively according to Mapquest.

If Syracuse hooks up with the Washington Nationals, could the Jays, according to a rotund man named Domino, be Walking to New Orleans or singing Viva Las Vegas?   Those suggestions courtesy of a Buffalo News blog.  The Dodgers are rumoured to be Leaving Las Vegas for Albuerquerque.  It looks like next year's Jays Triple A players will be collecting some frequent flyer miles.

Jays To Lose Out On Buffalo? | 19 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
John Northey - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 06:17 AM EDT (#192479) #
If this happens then the Jays dropped the ball on Buffalo. Buffalo makes so much sense for the Jays vs Syracuse but the horrid long term record in Syracuse probably made the Buffalo team go 'no [blinking] way'.

New Orleans might move again, given the mess that city keeps ending up in due to hurricanes, thus it might only suck for a short period. Plus, of course, since the Jays are on the road 1/2 the time it probably isn't as big an issue as it seems.
whiterasta80 - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 09:52 AM EDT (#192482) #

London Ontario will happily take them.  We have a nice stadium that gets no use whatsoever.

Alas that is probably a pipe dream

China fan - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 09:53 AM EDT (#192483) #
Ottawa would make a lot more geographic sense than New Orleans or Las Vegas as the AAA affiliate of the Jays.  And it would certainly rejuvenate Ottawa's interest in baseball.  Surely there would be thousands of people in Ottawa who would want a regular glimpse at Toronto's best prospects.  The stadium is acceptable.  Couldn't the Jays find a way to make Ottawa work?
rpriske - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 10:33 AM EDT (#192484) #
Agreed. An affiliation with the Jays would have saved the Lynx before and it can revitalize baseball in Ottawa again.
Excalabur - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 10:34 AM EDT (#192485) #
Unfortunately for the Short Term, NO and LV both play in the Pacific Coast League, which Ottawa is not on.  You think the frequent flyer miles are bad enough calling up prospects to the Show from Las Vegas?  Think again.

jeff mcl - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 11:42 AM EDT (#192488) #
I went to Lynx games in April back when I was an undergrad.  Single digit temps at first pitch dropping to near 0 as the game progressed, hot chocolate sales were brisk, less than 2 dozen spectators on hand...  Anyone here want Brett Cecil pitching in snow pants?  Lovely town and a great place to live, Ottawa, but totally inappropriate for for an affiliate in an April-Labour Day league.

As sucky as it would be relocating to Las Vegas, don't several Jays players maintain off season homes there?  And you should always be able to get a direct flight to anywhere...  Might be the least horrible short-term option.

#2JBrumfield - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 11:51 AM EDT (#192489) #

I wonder if the Jays will think about buying a new scoreboard for Alliance Bank Stadium as a show of good faith because going to New Orleans or Las Vegas doesn't make a lot of sense.  That might be the only way the Jays can get back into the Chiefs good graces because the team and local government don't appear to want to pony up for a new scoreboard right now.

 

Paul D - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 11:54 AM EDT (#192490) #
In terms of moving to Ottawa, let's remember that there's nothing Canadian cities like more than being reminded of how inferior they are to Toronto.
Jbar - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 12:25 PM EDT (#192492) #
Of course, the AA London Tigers didn't last very long...neither did that Independent League team.  The complete lack of parking down there is a major hassle...and London only seems to support the Knights with any degree of regularity.

Are the London Majors still around?  I guess they're about the only team that uses the site.

China fan - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 12:43 PM EDT (#192495) #
If the Ottawa fans are keen to demonstrate their superiority over those effete Torontonians, they can show us their superior ability to watch baseball in freezing April weather!
fozzy - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 01:17 PM EDT (#192498) #
Perhaps Montreal is looking for a team - indoor stadium, decent fan base, easily traveled to, not far to bring players up and down, and lots of interesting, uh, gentlemen's venues.

Plus, I heard Youppi isn't happy with the Habs :)

whiterasta80 - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 03:43 PM EDT (#192502) #

The parking is definately an issue, but one that could be worked around. The last time real baseball was in town the JLC lots (that aren't that far away) didn't exist.  Now parking is available within 2-3 blocks.  As for the teams, the Majors are still around for sure, not that its a big draw.  The Monarchs and the independent league team (the name escapes me) never had any success with the public simply because they didn't have an affilitation with any MLB organization.

The Tigers had a good run of 5 years as the Detroit affiliate, and even managed to split the town's loyalties in two during the height of the Blue Jays success.  Still, I doubt a AAA affiliate would survive in London (I was mostly kidding before), but if Auburn or Lansing ever decide to move on I believe that high A and AA would be supported here.

John Northey - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 05:06 PM EDT (#192506) #
Montreal was a good AAA city years ago and I suspect, given the fans who came out to see what was for all purposes a AAA team, they still would support AAA. However, the biggest problem is the stadium. I can't see the Big Owe being a good place for AAA ball as it would never be full and they made more from tractor pulls than from MLB ball let alone AAA ball. Still, that would be cool.
Rich - Tuesday, September 16 2008 @ 05:13 PM EDT (#192507) #
Syracuse is really the only viable option in my mind.  London sounds great - beautiful city, great old ballpark, close to Toronto, but it's wishful thinking.  Labatt Park, wonderful as it is, really isn't of the standard of a AAA ballpark these days.  There's no parking, no real amenitiies, and the dugouts and clubhouses are ancient.

Whoever suggested the Jays buy a scoreboard for Syracuse is brilliant.

3RunHomer - Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 07:55 AM EDT (#192523) #
When minor league locations where brought up eons ago, it was pointed out to me that the Jays can't just locate a team anywhere they want. Have to affiliate with one of the existing AAA teams. Or buy the team in order to move it like the Braves did.
FranklyScarlet - Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 01:35 PM EDT (#192527) #
I was told this week that the Blue Jays will have a team in Bowling Green, Kentucky next year?
We'll see if that pans out.
Moe - Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 02:55 PM EDT (#192534) #
Bowling Green? The Columbus Catfish (Tampa) will move there next year. That's class A. I was under the impression the Jays would stick with Lansing.
kinguy - Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 09:19 PM EDT (#192552) #
The Jays are signed to affiliate with Lansing through 2010.  They also have an agreement with Auburn until 2010 and New Hampshire through 2012. 

3RunHomer is correct...unless the Jays purchase a team and move it as the Braves did with Richmond (and Greenville and Macon before that), they can't put an affiliate wherever they want.  Each AAA team is guaranteed a MLB affiliate, some of which are more desirable than others, hence the round of musical chairs where the last one standing usually ends up with an affiliate they don't really want, for reasons of distance, poor ballpark, etc.

Additionally, each minor league has a "footprint" they try to keep their teams within to reduce travel times.  As I recall, that was one of the reasons London lost the Tigers AA team...there wasn't any real proximity to other teams and it was too much out of the way for teams to travel to London.

FisherCat - Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 11:26 PM EDT (#192559) #

I was told this week that the Blue Jays will have a team in Bowling Green, Kentucky next year?
We'll see if that pans out.

I had actually posted a couple of week's back that the owner of the Jays' AA affiliate in NH is the new majority owner of the team that will be relocating to Bowling Green.  BUT they will keep their current affiliation.

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