Minor League Baseball

[EnderDove]

I feel it should have it's own thread, why the heck not.

What minor league teams do any of you follow, or what games to you attend?

I used to go to Omaha Royals games all the time and went to one for the first time this afternoon, only about a fifteen minute drive to the stadium. No better way to spend an afternoon than at the ball park, especially to sit behind home plate for $8. Today the Royals actually looked like AAA instead of AA or A, too bad the KC Royals aren't doing so hot.

Also the stadium is great since they play all their games in Rosenblatt, CWS, yada yada. I will be going to some of those games hopefully.

So, what minor league games does anyone else go to?

[thejetstolehome]

there's an Independent League team a few towns up from me that i go to see every so often. Bridgeport Bluefish.

[LeftWideOpen]

i pay more attention to the prospects in the sox organization rather than the actual clubs, but i just got my tickets to "futures day" at fenway in august. Single price admission for 2 games: the A team Lowell and the AA team Portland. Only 10 bucks a ticket, too.

[kbauer]

I dont fallow the minor leagues enough. Ive made it a goal to catch atleast 2 Toledo Mudhens games before the summer is over. I havent been in it but Ive been around it and 5th 3rd Park looks like a really nice and fun place to watch a ball game. Also the Hens have won back to back International league championships and have caught fire and looking like they could maybe make a run for a threepeat this year.

[yoyoninjagirl]

being a baseball fan I SHOULD follow the minor leagues, but I never do... =(

[vandalroyale]

I follow the Royals farm system (Omaha, Wichita, Burlington, High Desert, Idaho Falls) alot, and also the Salt Lake Stingers when I'm home. Haven't been able to get into the minor league team in Portland though

[soundofthebrown]

Columbus Clippers!

Used to be the Yankees farm team, now its the Washington Nationals' farm team.

[soundofthebrown]

http://www.sportcardstadium.com/data/500/scan0001.jpghttp://www.instantreplaysportcard.com/items/00minors/columbus%20clippers2.jpg

[bigmike]

I'm big into prospects more then teams.

[kbauer]

http://www.sportcardstadium.com/data/500/scan0001.jpg


I have a '92 Fleer Jeter draft pick card in his high school uniform with like some kind of a mullet perm. Found it a few years ago chillin in an old shoe box of cards in my basement. Unfortunately its has a crease from being bent one of the corners is ripped and all the other edges are rounded off, still wonder what I could get for it.

So in Minor League news, Kenny Rogers pitched 3 shutout innings in a condition start for the Mud Hens.

[bigmike]

I have a '92 Fleer Jeter draft pick card in his high school uniform with like some kind of a mullet perm. Found it a few years ago chillin in an old shoe box of cards in my basement. Unfortunately its has a crease from being bent one of the corners is ripped and all the other edges are rounded off, still wonder what I could get for it.

So in Minor League news, Kenny Rogers pitched 3 shutout innings in a condition start for the Mud Hens.
He's going to probably pitch now for West Michigan since both Toledo and Erie are going to be out of town and there's no sense in having him fly down to play for Lakeland since the White Caps will be at home.

[kbauer]

thats gotta be so cool for these single A players when major leaguers go down there and play. i always think back to that single A player who took Clemens deep and how pumped he must had been hitting a homerun let alone just getting to bat against him.

[bigmike]

He can show them what substances to hide on themselves and not get caught.

[livethesounds]

anyone go to many minor league games? i've been to the round rock express games before (AAA Astros), plan on going to a few San Antonio Missions games (AA Padres) when i move up there.

[bigmike]

anyone go to many minor league games? i've been to the round rock express games before (AAA Astros), plan on going to a few San Antonio Missions games (AA Padres) when i move up there.
I went to a couple West Michigan White Cap games a few years ago. Also, we had the South West Michigan Devil Rays, their Low-A affiliate like 20 minutes from me but they pulled their affiliation. Before that they were the Battle Creek Yankees, the Yanks Low-A affiliate. Before that, they were the Michigan Battle Cats, the Astros Low-A Affiliate (John Buck, played there, some others, too). Now, they're the Great Lake Loons like 2 hours from me, which are the Dodgers Low-A affiliate and are housing Clayton Kershaw who's fucking DEALING right now. 2009, he'll be with the Dodgers and dominating. Dude's filthy, though I haven't seen him.

Also, we've got the Kalamazoo Kings, the lowest rank of pro ball basically, the Frontier League.

[livethesounds]

I went to a couple West Michigan White Cap games a few years ago. Also, we had the South West Michigan Devil Rays, their Low-A affiliate like 20 minutes from me but they pulled their affiliation. Before that they were the Battle Creek Yankees, the Yanks Low-A affiliate. Before that, they were the Michigan Battle Cats, the Astros Low-A Affiliate (John Buck, played there, some others, too). Now, they're the Great Lake Loons like 2 hours from me, which are the Dodgers Low-A affiliate and are housing Clayton Kershaw who's fucking DEALING right now. 2009, he'll be with the Dodgers and dominating. Dude's filthy, though I haven't seen him.

Also, we've got the Kalamazoo Kings, the lowest rank of pro ball basically, the Frontier League.

Yea i wonderd what happend to the Battlecats. That must have been like 5 years ago.

[bigmike]

Yea i wonderd what happend to the Battlecats. That must have been like 5 years ago.
The Midwest League came to Battle Creek, in 1995 after a franchise previously based in Springfield, Illinois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield%2C_Illinois) (1982-93) and Madison, Wisconsin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison%2C_Wisconsin) (1994) moved. The team was first known as the Battle Creek Golden Kazoos. Due to a trademark dispute and general fan dissatisfaction with the name (which is a nickname for the nearby city of Kalamazoo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalamazoo%2C_Michigan)), the name was changed to the Michigan Battle Cats on March 9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_9), 1995 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995).
The team was affiliated with the Boston Red Sox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Red_Sox) (1995-98) and Houston Astros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Astros) (1999-2002). The team changed its name to the Battle Creek Yankees after becoming an affiliate of the New York Yankees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees) in 2003. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays took over affiliation of the team in September 2004, changing the team name to Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. In September 2006, the team announced its affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers).
In January of 2006, it was confirmed that the Devil Rays would be sold to the non-profit Michigan Baseball Foundation and relocated to Midland, Michigan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland%2C_Michigan). The team has been renamed the Great Lakes Loons. The main reason the team is relocating is because of the lack of interest in the Battle Creek community. Even reduced tickets and a night when the fans actually were paid a dollar to come to that night's game failed to pique the interest of local residents.


from the Great Lakes Loons wikipedia page.

[kbauer]

No wonder why they didnt make it in Battle Creek that city is a shit hole.

[livethesounds]

from the Great Lakes Loons wikipedia page.

right on the money with that guess.

[bigmike]

Yes it is. Battle Creek fucking sucks. I want to make it over to Midland to see Clayton Kershaw pitch. Lefty, mid 90's, great slider. I missed seeing Maybin last year in WM, unfortunately. But at like $3.50 a gallon I doubt I'll make it out to Midland.

[livethesounds]

Yes it is. Battle Creek fucking sucks. I want to make it over to Midland to see Clayton Kershaw pitch. Lefty, mid 90's, great slider. I missed seeing Maybin last year in WM, unfortunately. But at like $3.50 a gallon I doubt I'll make it out to Midland.

3.50???? holy shit, its down to 2.95 down here.

[kbauer]

I just rememberd Ive been to a couple I think double A games for the Orlando or Kissimme Devil Rays I think they were called, at the Wide World Of Sports complex. Usually catch a Reds, Braves or Pirates spring training game with my dad and grandpa when we go down there on vacation because we usually go in late March. A few years ago we went in late April so we checked a couple of their games out instead.
I think they have a Braves affiliate in there now or maybe theyre sharing it.Thats seriously a nice venue though.

[bigmike]

3.50???? holy shit, its down to 2.95 down here.
You're closer to the oil refineries. Actually, prices just dropped like 15 cents in 2 days. So we're around $3.18-ish.

[kbauer]

Yes it is. Battle Creek fucking sucks. I want to make it over to Midland to see Clayton Kershaw pitch. Lefty, mid 90's, great slider. I missed seeing Maybin last year in WM, unfortunately. But at like $3.50 a gallon I doubt I'll make it out to Midland.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/concert_picture/Picture457-1.jpg

just because battle creek is shitty dosent mean that i havent endorsed their attractions.

Gas is down to 3.05 down here. Ive only been to Midland once for a hockey tournement and it didnt seem like there was much there but from what I hear its one of the few michigan cities thriving so good luck to them.

[katcherbball]

I've only been to one minor league game and it was the Lake Elsinore Storm. It was probably the most fun I've ever had at a ballgame.

[sweethypocrisy]

aaa toledo mud hens, on a hot streak right now, not having that great of a season coming off of the league championship last year.

[bigmike]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/concert_picture/Picture457-1.jpg

just because battle creek is shitty dosent mean that i havent endorsed their attractions.

Gas is down to 3.05 down here. Ive only been to Midland once for a hockey tournement and it didnt seem like there was much there but from what I hear its one of the few michigan cities thriving so good luck to them.
Yeah, Cereal City shut down (is that's what it's called?). They had a big auction and shit. So cherish that photo.

[kbauer]

aaa toledo mud hens, on a hot streak right now, not having that great of a season coming off of the league championship last year.

I checked the paper a couple weeks ago and I seen they had a losing record, seen yesterday that they had a 36-28 record. Damn.

[kbauer]

Yeah, Cereal City shut down (is that's what it's called?). They had a big auction and shit. So cherish that photo.


:-0

Im going to cry.

[livethesounds]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f394/concert_picture/Picture457-1.jpg

just because battle creek is shitty dosent mean that i havent endorsed their attractions.

Gas is down to 3.05 down here. Ive only been to Midland once for a hockey tournement and it didnt seem like there was much there but from what I hear its one of the few michigan cities thriving so good luck to them.

haha nice hat

[bigmike]

Proof that Battle Creek is an abomination of a city: The City's Vice Mayor or something, his son was arrested back in like March for shooting an AK off in his backyard for fun.

[livethesounds]

Proof that Battle Creek is an abomination of a city: The City's Vice Mayor or something, his son was arrested back in like March for shooting an AK off in his backyard for fun.


hahaha

[kbauer]

Fuck minor league baseball Im pissed. That was the only good thing about that shithole. Seriously it was really interesting, the people were really nice, informative and we actually had fun with it.

Also I lost my cell phone there last year, it still might be in the building!

[Split2nd]

I live kind of close to the Rancho Quakes, the Angels' A-ball team... haven't made it out to a game this year, not really any prospects I really want to see.

[kbauer]

Id suppose you would really have to love the game to closely fallow minor league baseball. Ofcourse the Major League is a bigger stage with better players so even if you live in a city with no immeadiate team you often end up adopting a major league team. Outside of keeping tabs on prospects there wouldnt be much to keep up with besides some pure, for the love of the game, baseball.
Still Im sure many double and triple A teams draw well.

[ForlrnPerplxity]

I made it to a Tulsa Drillers-Springfield Cardinals AA game last month, but Rasmus was held out of the lineup. dammit

[tec84]

nice! Tulsa Drillers. I was born in Tulsa.

we have the Pensacola Pelicans here, a Southern league team (no affiliations) and I've been to a good bit of Memphis Redbirds (AAA, St. Louis) games. I'm going to one this coming Friday, actually.

[Smithers]

i pay more attention to the prospects in the sox organization rather than the actual clubs, but i just got my tickets to "futures day" at fenway in august. Single price admission for 2 games: the A team Lowell and the AA team Portland. Only 10 bucks a ticket, too.

Hopefully you'll get to see Clay Buchholz pitch for Portland. The kid is a stud: 6-2, 85 1/3 IP, 115 Ks, 1.69 ERA

[LeftWideOpen]

Hopefully you'll get to see Clay Buchholz pitch for Portland. The kid is a stud: 6-2, 85 1/3 IP, 115 Ks, 1.69 ERA

yeah im praying hes still there and not in Pawtuckett. Same w/ Bowden ..I'll be happy to see either guy.

[bigmike]

With Lincecum, Hughes, Gallardo getting the call to the bigs or being hurt, Bucholz is the best pitcher right now in all the minors. Though, I believe Hughes still has his rookie status and gallardo as well (but that'll most likely be gone soon).