Frederick Keys on the chopping block

[Luke-OH]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/sports/baseball/mlb-minor-league-proposal.html

The Keys are one of the 42 proposed cuts in MLB's MiLB realignment plan. 

[tntoriole]

Not good for Frederick....in my part of the country, essentially all of the Appalachian League teams are on this list, thus the historic Appalachian League that began in 1911 and that used to have the Bluefield Orioles (the longest continuous minor league affiliation of any MLB team ended when the Orioles left to have their Rookie operations in Sarasota) will close forever.    

https://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/woodson-column-say-it-ain-t-so-major-league-baseball/article_f4861f72-f850-11e9-b052-d334f2bb455f.html

[MurphDogg]

I figured Hagerstown would be one of the teams to be cut, the Orioles would switch an affiliate to Aberdeen and either Delmarva or Frederick would become affiliated with the Nats.

Doesn't really make sense for Frederick to be on the chopping block, it is a larger community with a decent stadium and they have been 1st or 2nd in the Carolina League in attendance each of the last 5 years.

[Spl51]

I could be wrong, but to me there really is no need to have so many minor league teams and levels. It feels like there's 2 or 3 prospects on each of our minor league teams that's an actual prospect and not a warm body.

I don't care either way but the MLB really needs to be able to showcase upcoming talent and having such a sprawling minor league means that it's cost prohibitive to do so. MILB.TV REAAAALLY doesn't cut it. It's like watching broadcasts from 1980, an iphone could stream a better picture. Frederick doesn't even have a broadcast.

The only way fans can follow prospects is by actually going to games, which really doesn't cut it in this day and age. Personally I won't miss those teams, hopefully they can sustain themselves as independent leagues.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Spl51

[Satyr3206]

5 minutes ago, Spl51 said:

I could be wrong, but to me there really is no need to have so many minor league teams and levels. It feels like there's 2 or 3 prospects on each of our minor league teams that's an actual prospect and not a warm body.

I don't care either way but the MLB really needs to be able to showcase upcoming talent and having such a sprawling minor league means that it's cost prohibitive to do so. MILB.TV REAAAALLY doesn't cut it. It's like watching broadcasts from 1980, an iphone could stream a better picture. Frederick doesn't even have a broadcast.

The only way fans can follow prospects is by actually going to games, which really doesn't cut it in this day and age. Personally I won't miss those teams, hopefully they can sustain themselves as independent leagues.

You obviously haven't read anything about Branch Rickey.

[MurphDogg]

Looking through the list, it looks like every MLB team would lose at least 1 affiliate. If so, Frederick makes the most sense of the Orioles affiliates, but they are a successful team and would be better served replacing the Hagerstown Suns and becoming the Nats affiliate. It makes no sense to eliminate both teams in Western Maryland, especially since Frederick draws 4,000+ fans a game.

All things being equal, minor league teams that are closer to their Major League affiliates draw better.

If any Carolina League team should be axed, it is the Lynchburg Hillcats who  are last in the league in attendance, draw less than half the fans the Keys draw.

[Satyr3206]

I honestly think it's Manfred and his minions making another huge mistake.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Satyr3206 said:

I honestly think it's Manfred and his minions making another huge mistake.

They cut one affiliate from every team then they give everyone left a 5% raise and wait for the pats on the back.

[TonySoprano]

They've basically wiped out the NY-Penn League, disbanding 9 out of 14.  5 teams makes for awkward scheduling.  My assumption is Aberdeen gets promoted to A ball, leaving only 4 teams: Brooklyn (NYM), Hudson Valley (TB), Tri-City (HOU) and WV (PIT).

[MurphDogg]

5 minutes ago, TonySoprano said:

They've basically wiped out the NY-Penn League, disbanding 9 out of 14.  5 teams makes for awkward scheduling.  My assumption is Aberdeen gets promoted to A ball, leaving only 4 teams: Brooklyn (NYM), Hudson Valley (TB), Tri-City (HOU) and WV (PIT).

Yeah, the plan is to eliminate all short season leagues and the teams that aren't eliminated will be redistributed to other leagues.

[weams]

 

[Luke-OH]

15 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Yeah, the plan is to eliminate all short season leagues and the teams that aren't eliminated will be redistributed to other leagues.

Yeah, since the draft would be moved into August, players wouldn't debut their draft year, limiting the need for short season ball. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

Selfishly, I'd rather hack off Norfolk or Delmarva, as the entire "Frederick/Bowie/Baltimore/Aberdeen" section is within very reasonable driving distance. 

[ArtVanDelay]

Well this sucks as someone from Frederick.  I attend multiple Keys games a year and 1 or 2 in Hagerstown when Delmarva is in town.

[AnythingO's]

3 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/sports/baseball/mlb-minor-league-proposal.html

The Keys are one of the 42 proposed cuts in MLB's MiLB realignment plan. 

Do the Orioles get to appeal this? I would think they would want to keep Frederick, Bowie, Norfolk together to better support the fan base for Baltimore and sacrifice one of Aberdeen or Delmarva.