Now that the city of Sugar Land has entered a 90-day exclusive negotiating window with the Lancaster Pa.-based ballpark developer Opening Day Partners with the intention of bringing baseball to the city for opening day 2012, one thing is becoming clearer:
If a team does come to fruition, it won't be affiliated with a Major League baseball team.
Click here to read the full story from the Houston Chronicle's Zachary Levine.
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I don't understand why....
city council is forcing minor league baseball down Sugar Land's throat. If we're going to do it, lets do it right.
Don't even bother
"For now, it seems clear it will not be a team affiliated with a major league club. Sugar Land is part of the territory controlled by the Astros, so they can block any move of a competitor's minor league club, and they are not inclined to bring one of their own affiliates to the area, according to Thompson and Opening Day Partners chairman Peter Kirk."
Astros already have first class facilities in Corpus and Round Rock...they won't leave those two spots.
Astros own the territory, so they will block any other MLB franchise from putting their affiliate here.
That leaves independent leagues only. The Chron article referenced the Atlantic League. That won't happen. Those teams are all based in the Northeast and travel costs would hinder that option.
The American Association was also mentioned. The caliber of that league is roughly the same as affiliated AA baseball.
Look SL, I want baseball here, but not inferior baseball. Independent ball is filled with guys that are past their prime or never had one. It's not filled with 20something year old kids trying to move up the ladder to AAA and the MLB. We're all better off going to Rice, UH, or supporting local high school baseball.
Amen
IMHO the rush to build a baseball stadium is an expensive photo-op. It will look great on opening day 2012, but what will it look like during midweek games? What will it look like when the novelty runs out? What will it look like when the team has a losing record?
Independent baseball is a bad deal. IMHO it is worse than AA. At least AA has stars that within a year or two will be playing in the majors. It is at best A ball, but full of nobodies...has beens and lifers.
Shame on the Astros for not wanting to grow baseball in the Houston area like the Rangers have done in DFW with the Frisco affiliate. IIRC Round Rock's affiliation is set to expire. The Astros could work some trades...send AAA to Corpus and bring AA to Sugar Land.
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