Fresno, Grizzlies negotiate with Giants to keep affiliation

[Lark11]

Interesting read on "affiliation shopping" and the business of minor league baseball.


www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/15/4126041_giants-grizzlies-city-remain-in.html?rh=1

City of Fresno, Grizzlies negotiate with Giants to keep affiliation
BY GEORGE HOSTETTER AND NICK GIANNANDREA
The Fresno BeeSeptember 15, 2014


Fresno is still in the game to renew its legal ties to the San Francisco Giants, the city's chief executive said Monday, despite a move in Sacramento that supports rumors of a looming divorce between the Grizzlies and their 17-year parent club.

Mayor Ashley Swearengin said she met twice with top Giants officials Monday, pitching each time all the reasons the team should sign another Player Development Contract with the Fresno Grizzlies. The Sacramento River Cats, meanwhile, filed paperwork to become a free agent after a 15-year Triple-A baseball affiliation with the Oakland Athletics, The Sacramento Bee reported. It has been widely speculated this summer that the River Cats are targeting the Giants as their new top minor-league affiliate.

Swearengin said she had frank talks with Giants Chief Executive Larry Baer and Vice President/Assistant General Manager Bobby Evans.

"What we learned is that Fresno brings a lot to the table," Swearengin said.

Swearengin said Giants officials assured her it would be two weeks before the organization decides where its Pacific Coast League affiliate will be playing in 2015. River Cats spokesman Mark Ling told the Sacramento Bee a new affiliate for Sacramento could be announced as soon as today or Wednesday.

"Our organization remains committed to the San Francisco Giants. The timeline for open negotiation on a new player development contract begins (today) and we're aware of the possibilities in play," Grizzlies Executive Vice President Derek Franks said in a statement. "However, we continue to seek a renewal with the Giants. Baseball in the Central Valley has deep-rooted heritage and Chukchansi Park continues to be a first-rate facility for Triple-A baseball. We look forward to opening our 18th season of Triple-A affiliated baseball on April 9, 2015, in Downtown Fresno."

The Giants and the Grizzlies for nearly two decades have been partners through a Player Development Contract. The former provides the players, the latter delivers the setting. The Grizzlies are owned by Fresno Baseball Club LLC.

Such contracts generally are for two years. The latest Giants-Grizzlies two-year deal expired this month. Other Triple-A player development contracts across the nation are over, as well.

The chatter throughout the industry has been that the Giants are leaning toward signing a PDC in Sacramento. This almost certainly would set in motion a series of events that would deliver another Major League affiliate to Fresno by the spring. Published reports Monday indicated the Dodgers will switch their affiliate from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City and that the A's are eyeing Nashville, which will play in a new stadium next season.

The Milwaukee Brewers, potentially displaced by the A's in Nashville, and the ousted Astros, who had been in Oklahoma City, are possible new affiliates for the Grizzlies.

Such an outcome probably would further roil the political waters at Fresno City Hall. Critics still haven't forgiven city officials for building a nearly $50 million baseball stadium, one deemed too big and too debt-ridden for the market. Losing the Giants' connection in a city full of Giants fans would only add more fuel to the fire.

There are three key players in the current Giants-Grizzlies drama.

The Giants are in position to play Sacramento against Fresno.

The Grizzlies/Fresno Baseball Club very much wants a new lease at Chukchansi Park, one with an annual rent considerably lower than the approximately $750,000 now paid.

City Hall has no direct say in Giants-Grizzlies talks on a PDC but might do a lot with the lease and the stadium itself to make those first two players view life in Fresno through a rosier lens.

That's what the mayor was doing with Giants officials on Monday.

Swearengin said the Giants want a stronger police presence around Chukchansi Park on game days. She said City Hall can do that.

The mayor said the Giants are concerned with a 12-year-old stadium starting to show its age. She said City Hall will review the Giants' must-do housekeeping list with sincerity and energy.

Swearengin said the Giants aren't pleased with Fresno's air service on days the Grizzlies leave for a road trip. She said the city's Airports Department will try to please the parent club.

Swearengin also said the Giants want a more vibrant downtown to enhance the stadium experience. She said the effort to turn Fulton Corridor into something dynamic is on the horizon.

And what about a revised stadium lease that might reinvigorate Fresno Baseball Club owners or lead to new Grizzlies ownership?

"We made it clear," Swearengin said, "we want the team to be successful in Fresno."




Current Pacific Coast League affiliations

Albuquerque Isotopes - Los Angeles (signed through 2014)

Colorado Springs Sky Sox - Colorado (signed through 2014)

El Paso Chihuahuas - San Diego (signed through 2016)

Fresno Grizzlies - San Francisco (signed through 2014)

Iowa Cubs - Chicago (NL) (signed through 2016)

Las Vegas 51s - New York (NL) (signed through 2016)

Memphis Redbirds - St. Louis (owned by St. Louis)

Nashville Sounds - Milwaukee (signed through 2014)

New Orleans Zephyrs - Miami (signed through 2016)

Oklahoma RedHawks - Houston (signed through 2014)

Omaha Storm Chasers - Kansas City (signed through 2016)

Reno Aces - Arizona (signed through 2016)

Round Rock Express - Texas (signed through 2018)

Sacramento River Cats - Oakland (signed through 2014)

Salt Lake Bees - Anaheim (signed through 2016)

Tacoma Rainiers - Seattle (signed through 2014)


Current International League affiliations

Buffalo Bisons - Toronto (signed through 2016)

Charlotte Knights - Chicago (AL) (signed through 2020)

Columbus Clippers - Cleveland (signed through 2016)

Durham Bulls - Tampa Bay (signed through 2018)

Gwinnett Braves - Atlanta (owned by Atlanta)

Indianapolis Indians - Pittsburgh (signed through 2016)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs - Philadelphia (signed through 2016)

Louisville Bats - Cincinnati (signed through 2016)

Norfolk Tides - Baltimore (signed through 2018)

Pawtucket Red Sox - Boston (signed through 2014)

Rochester Red Wings - Minnesota (signed through 2016)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders - New York (AL) (signed through 2018; owned by New York (AL))

Syracuse Chiefs - Washington (signed through 2018)

Toledo Mud Hens - Detroit (signed through 2016)


Current length of affiliations in Triple A

Arizona-Reno 6 years

Atlanta-Gwinnett 6 years (before that, it was Richmond for 43 years)

Baltimore-Norfolk 8 years

Boston-Pawtucket 42 years

Chicago Cubs-Iowa 34 years

Chicago White Sox-Charlotte 16 years

Cincinnati-Louisville 15 years

Cleveland-Columbus 6 years

Colorado-Colorado Springs 22 years (only AAA affiliate Rockies have had)

Detroit-Toledo 28 years

Miami-New Orleans 6 years

Houston-Oklahoma City 4 years

KC-Omaha 46 years

Angels-Salt Lake 14 years

Dodgers-Albuquerque 6 years (also 1972-2000, then 8 years in Vegas)

Milwaukee-Nashville 10 years

Minnesota-Rochester 12 years

Mets-Las Vegas 2 years

Yankees-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8 years

A's-Sacramento 15 years

Philadelphia-Lehigh Valley 7 years

Pittsburgh-Indianapolis 10 years

San Diego-El Paso 1 year

Giants-Fresno 17 years

Seattle-Tacoma 20 years

St. Louis-Memphis 17 years

Tampa Bay-Durham 17 years (only AAA affiliate Rays have had)

Texas-Round Rock 4 years

Toronto-Buffalo 2 years

Washington-Syracuse 6 years

[Lark11]

I'm a little surprised that the A's don't place more emphasis on keeping their triple-A team in the region. Given that the A's are, or should be, constantly battling for marketshare with the Giants, I would think maintaining a presence in Sacramento would be desirable, especially given how successful the River Cats have been for the A's. As I recall, the River Cats have been voted the top minor league organization in the recent past.

www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/River-Cats-and-A-s-part-ways-5757705.php

River Cats and A's part ways
Susan Slusser
Published 6:39 pm, Monday, September 15, 2014

The Sacramento River Cats filed to end their affiliation with the A's on Monday, according to multiple sources, ending a 15-year relationship between the teams. Sacramento is expected to sign an agreement with the Giants, potentially as soon as Tuesday. The A's top option for a new Triple-A franchise appears to be Nashville.

Other available Pacific Coast League cities are Fresno — the Giants' longtime affiliate — plus Albuquerque, Colorado Springs and Oklahoma City.

The River Cats won seven PCL titles while affiliated with the A's, and led the minors in attendance eight times.

Nashville will open a stadium in 2015. Though the A's no longer would benefit from the close proximity of a Triple-A franchise while at home, Nashville's central location would enable the team to call up players more quickly while on the road, and injured major leaguers still could go to nearby Class A Stockton for rehab assignments.

[kinsm]

Oakland should relocate.

[kinsm]

Sept 17, 2014 14:52:18 GMT -5 Lark11 said:

I'm a little surprised that the A's don't place more emphasis on keeping their triple-A team in the region. Given that the A's are, or should be, constantly battling for marketshare with the Giants, I would think maintaining a presence in Sacramento would be desirable, especially given how successful the River Cats have been for the A's. As I recall, the River Cats have been voted the top minor league organization in the recent past.

www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/River-Cats-and-A-s-part-ways-5757705.php

River Cats and A's part ways
Susan Slusser
Published 6:39 pm, Monday, September 15, 2014

The Sacramento River Cats filed to end their affiliation with the A's on Monday, according to multiple sources, ending a 15-year relationship between the teams. Sacramento is expected to sign an agreement with the Giants, potentially as soon as Tuesday. The A's top option for a new Triple-A franchise appears to be Nashville.

Other available Pacific Coast League cities are Fresno — the Giants' longtime affiliate — plus Albuquerque, Colorado Springs and Oklahoma City.

The River Cats won seven PCL titles while affiliated with the A's, and led the minors in attendance eight times.

Nashville will open a stadium in 2015. Though the A's no longer would benefit from the close proximity of a Triple-A franchise while at home, Nashville's central location would enable the team to call up players more quickly while on the road, and injured major leaguers still could go to nearby Class A Stockton for rehab assignments.

Sacramento signed with the Giants. Nashville signed with the A's. Fresno signed with the Astros. Oklahoma City signed with the Dodgers. Albuquerque signed with the Rockies. And Colorado Springs signed with the Brewers.

[Lark11]

m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/95294532/houston-astros-moving-triple-a-affiliate-from-oklahoma-city-to-fresno-california

Astros moving Triple-A affiliate to Fresno
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com | @brianmctaggart | 42 minutes ago + 9 COMMENTS

HOUSTON -- Admitting that the Dodgers' swooping into Oklahoma City to buy a stake of the Triple-A RedHawks -- sending the Astros looking for a new affiliate -- was a surprise, president of business operations Reid Ryan said on Thursday that the club has found a suitable landing spot in Fresno, Calif.

The Astros have signed a two-year player-development contract with the Fresno Grizzlies, who previously had a 17-year relationship with the San Francisco Giants. Houston will move its Triple-A operations beginning next year, with the contract expiring following the 2016 season.

"Folks know we have a really good system, so we know we have a lot of interest, and at the end of the day, Fresno was a pretty good fit," Ryan said.
Fresno, which plays in the Pacific Coast League's Northern division with Reno, Sacramento and Tacoma, replaces Oklahoma City, which had served as the Astros' Triple-A affiliate the previous four years. The Dodgers' purchase of Oklahoma City started a seismic shift that saw six PCL clubs switch affiliates.
Fresno becomes the ninth Triple-A affiliate in Astros history, joining Oklahoma City (1962-72, 2011-14), Round Rock (2005-10), New Orleans (1997-2004), Tucson (1980-86), Charleston (1977-79), Memphis (1976), Iowa (1975) and Denver (1973-74).

"We are very pleased to bring the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate to Downtown Fresno," Chris Cummings, the Grizzlies' managing general partner, said in a statement. "Our efforts have brought an organization holding the most talented farm system in all of baseball, ensuring that fans will be seeing incredible talent at Chukchansi Park that is one step away from playing in the Majors."

Tony DeFrancesco, who's spent the last 11 years managing in the PCL, including seven in Sacramento (2003-10) and the last four in Oklahoma City, is pleased.

"It's good," DeFrancesco said. "The ballpark's really nice. The weather is going to be nice. It's going to be warm in the middle of the summer, but it's a good place for travel and getting around the league."

The affiliation shuffle happened quickly and ultimately left the Astros choosing between Fresno and Colorado Springs after other teams had filled spots. There were concerns about the weather and high altitude at Colorado Springs, which helped drive the Astros farther west.

The Astros figure to have a wealth of young arms coming through Triple-A the next few years, and Colorado Springs wasn't deemed a suitable pitching environment. Houston's Class A affiliate in Lancaster is already known as a hitter's haven.

"We wanted to have our place that was really a fair park and was a good indicator of what these guys were going to be doing when they come up," Ryan said. "We have so much pitching in the system right now, and we felt like having a stadium that was more like Fresno, where the weather was a little more consistent and it wasn't cold at the start of the season and it wasn't at altitude. That was a better fit for us.

"When you looked at the fact that we could send [Minor League] rovers, we could send guys to California, they could pick up Lancaster, they could pick up Fresno and sort of get a two-for-one with our scouting and player development, that was a win. Also, the fact we're now in the AL West, and if you need somebody when you're out there with Seattle, the A's or the Angels, it's real easy to move guys in and out. When we looked at kind of what other cities were available, we felt it was the perfect fit for us."

The Grizzlies have finished in the top half of the PCL in attendance for the last 10 seasons, bringing in more than 460,000 fans to Chukchansi Park, which is located downtown. The park opened in 2002 and seats 12,500. It features a semi-irregular field shape, with dimensions measuring 324 feet down the left-field line, 385 in left-center, 400 in center and 335 feet to the right-field foul pole.

The Astros' Triple-A operations could eventually wind up back in Round Rock, which is owned by the Ryan family and Houston businessman Don Sanders. But Ryan-Sanders Baseball signed an extension with the Rangers through 2018 just before Nolan Ryan left Arlington for Houston.

"It's no great secret I would love to work with my family," Reid Ryan said. "We have a very close relationship. When you start playing that game, it's a bad game to play. As we talked to people, it was a concern with everybody that was out there.

"What I like about Fresno is, they said, 'You guys have a great system and we have a tradition of baseball here. We want a winner, and we know your system has a lot of players. We really want you guys.' They made a hard push for us and made us feel really good."

The Astros have discussed putting a Triple-A team in the northern suburbs of Houston, but that would be years down the road, if it happens. They would have to get a municipally funded stadium built, and buy and relocate a current Triple-A club.

Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[Lark11]

I don't understand the A's. The Giants are drubbing the hell out of them because they had the stones to build a privately financed ballpark. The A's sit around and complain that they can't move into the Giants territory. This article makes it clear that the Giants view Sacramento as another opportunity to grow their brand. The Giants view their franchise as a brand, much like the Yankees and BoSox. The A's are just pathetic from a business standpoint, brilliant from a baseball operation standpoint.


www.sacbee.com/2014/09/18/6718830/marcos-breton-how-the-river-cats.html


Marcos Breton: How the River Cats gambled to become the Giants’ AAA team
By Marcos Breton
[e-mail]
Published: Thursday, Sep. 18, 2014 - 6:55 pm


In the end, it worked out exactly as the Savage family wanted: The River Cats, their family business and Sacramento’s AAA baseball team, will be affiliated with the San Francisco Giants – ending a 15-year partnership with the Oakland A’s.

But by the time the closely followed switch was announced Thursday morning to the cheers of Giants fans and the scorn of some A’s fans, the Savages had endured a nerve-wracking 48 hours trying to close the deal.

“It’s going to pay off for us, but it was a real risk,” said Jeff Savage, president of a River Cats franchise founded by his late father, Art.

Until Tuesday, baseball rules barred Savage and his mother, Susan, the River Cats’ CEO and majority owner, from telling anyone what they were thinking.

And it was only on Tuesday that the rules allowed the Savages to call the Giants without the fear of being sanctioned for tampering with what had been an exclusive arrangement between San Francisco and Fresno.

Big-league teams use their AAA affiliates as the last stop for players before they are called up to the majors. Since 2000, the River Cats had always renewed their affiliation with Oakland long before it expired. But that didn’t happen this year. When the A’s came calling last spring, the Savages decided to wait. They had been hearing from enough of their patrons already that the Giants’ fan base in Sacramento was much bigger than Oakland’s.

“Our fans were overwhelmingly leaning toward the Giants or they didn’t care which big-league team we were affiliated with,” Jeff Savage said.


Then last spring, The New York Times published an interactive map based on Facebook metrics that showed the Giants to be the overwhelming favorite of baseball fans from Fresno to southern Oregon and to most of Nevada. The Giants’ TV ratings also are far higher than the A’s in Sacramento and beyond.

Jeff Savage said he and his mother felt they owed it to their fans – and to the franchise that Art Savage had built – to explore going with the Giants.

But there were two major obstacles: First, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in late May that the River Cats had rebuffed the A’s request to renew early. Citing anonymous sources, the Chronicle raised the possibility of an affiliate switch to the Giants.

Because major- and minor-league baseball do not want franchises openly coveting one team while still under contract to another – rules enforced with stiff fines – the Savages had to stay quiet when the Chronicle story broke.

They were pilloried by a segment of A’s fans on social media sites. There is bad blood on the part of some A’s fans toward the Giants for many reasons, including: the Giants gleaming stadium compared to the old one the A’s play in; the Giants blocking the A’s path to a more lucrative home in San Jose; the Giants winning two World Series since 2010 and the A’s not having won one since 1989 – when they beat the Giants.

Some A’s fans even see Giants as a kind of evil empire of rich snobs that looks down on blue-collar fans with the A’s.

“I couldn’t talk about it with our season-ticket holders, who I love,” Jeff Savage said of the potential to move to the Giants. As for the catcalls from fans and the persistent media calls that weren’t returned until now, “That was really challenging.”

The Savages called the Giants shortly after midnight Monday. Later Tuesday morning, a Giants contingent led by team CEO Larry Baer paid the Savages a call.

The meetings were intense and lasted most of Tuesday. With the clock ticking and other teams making deals to switch affiliations, the danger for the River Cats was clear: If somehow the Giants decided to stay in their longtime home in Fresno, the River Cats faced the prospect of losing the A’s, missing out on the Giants and being left to make a deal with big-league teams that had no connection to Sacramento fans.

If that had happened, the Savages would have angered their A’s fan base while failing to deliver the Giants to Giants fans who were led to believe by media speculation that the San Francisco club was planting a flag in Sacramento.

The most stressful time came Tuesday night, when no deal with the Giants had been struck. It was clear the Giants were interested, but they were also very sensitive to longtime partners in Fresno.

“Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin went out of her way in the last five years to show Fresno’s commitment to the Giants,” said Bobby Evans, a Giants assistant general manager.

“Her leadership was very persuasive, and it was very difficult for us to leave.”

Ultimately, the Giants felt they couldn’t pass up a chance to locate their AAA team less than 100 miles from AT&T Park.

“Sacramento is strategically located to our ballpark,” Evans said. “And we were very impressed with the River Cats, their ownership group.”

The Giants and River Cats agreed in principle to a 2-year deal late Wednesday, but the Giants felt strongly about giving Swearengin and the owners of the Fresno Grizzlies a heads-up before the deal went public.

It was signed Thursday morning, and both the Savages and the Giants were happy and relieved to get it done. The A’s moved their AAA operations to Nashville, Tenn.

“What we want to do is to take every element we use to market the Giants and make it part of our presence in Sacramento,” Baer said Thursday. The Giants are known as a marketing powerhouse, and Baer said the team might open stores that sell Giants merchandise in Sacramento.

“Sacramento has always been a hotbed for the Giants,” Baer said.

He added that Sacramento would begin to see current and former Giants players making regular appearances in the capital region. The Giants have a hugely successful program that provides uniforms, equipment and playing fields to at-risk kids called The Junior Giants. Two of the bigger Junior Giants chapters are in Sacramento and West Sacramento, and Giants officials say they have more than 20,000 kids playing under the Junior Giants banner in Northern and Central California.

Both Baer and Jeff Savage expressed a hope that the Giants would be able to play occasional exhibitions at Raley Field. Though the River Cats benefited from successful teams stocked with A’s prospects, the Giants minor-league outfit has sent many heralded players to the big leagues as well.

Currently, there are 15 former Giants prospects on the big-league roster, including stars such as Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Sergio Romo.
One of the most recent and successful graduates of the Giants system is catcher Andrew Susac, a Roseville resident and Jesuit High School graduate.

“When (Posey) was in Fresno, he lit us up,” Savage said. “All the homegrown talent that has gone through the Giants system is pretty impressive.”

The River Cats name will not change, and Giants officials will be introduced to the Sacramento media at a 10 a.m. news conference Friday at Raley Field.

Savage spent part of Thursday reminding fans that the organization they’ve known since 2000 will remain the same, except that different players will be on the field.

“We’re still going to be about providing affordable, family-friendly entertainment,” Savage said.

“We had a lot of pent-up nervousness for a long time. It was very stressful, but we are very excited … I think the Giants can help us and we can help the Giants expand their footprint in Sacramento.”

Read more here: www.sacbee.com/2014/09/18/6718830/marcos-breton-how-the-river-cats.html#storylink=cpy

[Lark11]

muskat.mlblogs.com/2014/09/18/918-cubs-move-to-south-bend/

9/18 Cubs move to South Bend

The Cubs announced a partnership with South Bend to host their Class A Midwest League affiliate, leaving Kane County after two seasons. The deal with South Bend runs through the 2018 season.

“It’s tough to disappoint those people [in Kane County] and leave but I wouldn’t be doing my job if we weren’t doing the right thing for our players,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Thursday. “One area we don’t mess around with is player development. Our success will be impacted in large part by how we develop our young players and get them ready for the big league level.”

South Bend had been the Diamondbacks affiliate from 2007 through this season.

The Cubs had moved to Kane County because of its proximity to Chicago, and even though the Cougars ownership had promised to make changes that met the Chicago team’s specifications, it wasn’t enough to stay. Epstein knows the news wasn’t well received in Kane County.

“I don’t think in this industry you can avoid looking like ‘bad guys’ and just have to roll with it and make sure you’re making decisions for the right reasons and in this case, we have to do what’s best for our prospects and the organization moving forward,” he said.

South Bend will announce new names, logos and uniforms on Sept. 25, as well as some renovations planned for the facility. The South Bend Silver Hawks won five Midwest League titles and 12 division titles in 26 seasons as an affiliate of the D-backs and the White Sox. The Cubs Kane County team won a franchise record 91 games this year, and went unbeaten in the playoffs to win the Midwest League championship.

Epstein complimented the ownership and staff at Kane County, saying they did a “first class job.”

“The South Bend renovation offers a facility that we feel will make a profound difference for our prospects and that was the key factor in the end,” Epstein said.

– Carrie Muskat