Minor League Re-alignment

[Andrew]

Just curious what your thoughts are on minor league re-alignment. Should we mirror the big leagues? Mix things up so DL affiliates are playing against IL affiliates (much like actual minor league baseball)? Re-align based on location? Draw names out of a hat? Any other ideas?

I think my preference would be to mix things up and re-align based on location, which would in turn help us come up with names for each division.

[Sully]

I wouldn't mind a random draw, or something to mix it up a bit.

[Clay]

With DH in all leagues... I think mixing it up would be fun.

Plus, I agree... regionalizing them could create the opportunity to name them properly.

[Jistic]

I don't think we make a move w/out Diesel's approval. He may have many rivalries in all levels that we don't know about.


Otherwise, yeah mix 'em for fun. Geographically, randomly, whatever.

[Clay]

Would the goal be to keep it in 4 divisions since a Wildcard really isn't useful or needed?

I'll take a look at potential geographical alignment as I have time.

[Lintyfresh85]

Why wouldn't we have a wild card in the minors? They do in real baseball.

And we'd have enough teams for it.

[Clay]

I think there's an argument for having it and not having it...

More games = More games of experience... but it's also risk for injury. In AAA, the playoffs are already skewed because they go into the September call-ups.

I personally think if we have Wildcard, we shoud still do it out of a 4 division structure.

[Clay]

First cut... which we know is the deepest.... not bad for AAA....

There are some assumptions being made... but this is just a 2 minute version... BTW - all of the names are just in there to give a perspective of where they are geographically...

MIDWESTERN DIVISION

Chicago Lions
Detroit Union
Fort Wayne Comets
Joliet Jackhammers
Des Plaines Golden Heroes
Allentown Talons

NOREASTER DIVISION

Trenton Liberty
New York Comets
Flushing Chiefs
Annapolis Admirals
Lynn Patriots
Portsmouth Atlantics
New Haven Bluefish

Note: One of these teams would need to move to the next division to make equal divisions of 6.

CONFEDERATE DIVISION

Martinsburg Badgers
Winston-Salem Warthogs
Memphis Railcats
Mobile Tides
Richmond Rams

WEST OF THE ROCKIES

Tucson Bulls
Boulder City Big Horns
Bakersfield Cannons
Silver City Outlaws
Gardena Card Sharks (Assuming this is Gardena, CA)
Portland Brawlers (Assuming this is Portland, OR and not Maine)

[liquidcrash]

I welcome this change.

[Carlos]

I'm all for it. Just make sure to put my minor league teams with all the bad ones.

[Lintyfresh85]

Looks fine to me.

[Andrew]

Good stuff. I think based on location, Annapolis would make the most sense to be moved to the Confederate.

[Jake]

love the idea.

[Spectre]

I like the mixing up idea so we have DL vs. IL at the minor level

[Clay]

So... if we did this....

If we make that switch... we could call one of the AAA Leagues... something Civil War related... Blue and Gray or something.... then make these teams from the North East the Union Division

UNION DIVISION

Trenton Liberty
New York Comets
Flushing Chiefs
Lynn Patriots
Portsmouth Atlantics
New Haven Bluefish

...and the teams from the South the....

CONFEDERATE DIVISION

Martinsburg Badgers
Winston-Salem Warthogs
Memphis Railcats
Mobile Tides
Richmond Rams
Annapolis Admirals


Certainly not historically accurate... but it is in the ball park and does create a nitch.

That would leave the other side of the coin as the Midwestern teams... and the West of the Rockies....

HMMMMMM... trying to think of what we could do with that.... maybe something with the Midwest Teams being Blue Collar, Industrial... and the West Coast/Western teams being...... I don't know...

Thoughts?

For reference:

WEST OF THE ROCKIES

Tucson Bulls
Boulder City Big Horns
Bakersfield Cannons
Silver City Outlaws
Gardena Card Sharks (Assuming this is Gardena, CA)
Portland Brawlers (Assuming this is Portland, OR and not Maine)


MIDWESTERN DIVISION

Chicago Lions
Detroit Union
Fort Wayne Comets
Joliet Jackhammers
Des Plaines Golden Heroes
Allentown Talons