I've discovered that the Marlins' player development contract ends this year wih the Carolina Mudcats of the AA Southern League.

 

While ideally they would re-sign to give us a pitcher-friendly park in the high minors and a high affiliate on the east coast for rehab starts, and them a competitive team with top prospects.

 

But if that doesn't hapen here are the other AA possibilities for the Marlins:

- Jacksonville Suns. Current Dodgers affiliate, nice new pitchers park. Nice looking, but right next to the Gator Bowl/Alltel. How soon will they get fed up with Dodgers development-first at expense of a winning ballclub? Hopes to jump to AAA one day. This is one to keep an eye on.

- Tennessee Smokies. AA El Paso will be moving to Springfield, MO next year as the St. Louis Cardinals affiliate. The current Cardinals' AA affiliate the Tennessee Smokies have a nice park, but it is the hitter's park of the Southern League.

- Erie Seawolves / Bowie Baysox / Ottawa / Montreal / Jersey / Central PA. There's been so many rumors. Erie to Lancaster-York or Jersey. Expos-to-DC/Norfolk, AA Harrisburg/Bowie/to Ottawa, AAA Ottawa to Montreal. AAA Ottawa to Harrisburg. Who knows what's up, but you can't pass on Ottawa or Montreal, well maybe there's too much bad blood between the Marlins and Montreal.

- Tulsa Drillers. Long-time Rangers affiliate, switched to Rockies in 2003, one of the most hitter-friendly AA parks around.

 

 

Also the Jamestown Jammers of the short season-A New York-Penn League is one of the teams that may be brought and moved to State College, PA in a few years. They are likely to pair up with the Phillies (now in Batavia, also one of three (Jamestown, Batavia, Oneonta) that will be brought and moved) or the Pirates (now in Williamsport). Anyone know when the PDC with them expires?

 

Good news is that low-class A Greensboro is signed with the Marlins through the 2008 season carrying us over through thier brand new stadium. And what a stadium it will be. Check it out. http://www.ballparkwatch.com/stadiums/new/greensboro.htm

The team should stay in Carolina where it belongs. :whistle

Bring them back to the Eastern League. I want to see the Marlins AA team beat up on the Sea Dogs every time they play. :mad :

If I had "too much money" (or even enough) I would love to invest in a minor league team. There is some money to be made there, but, more importantly, wouldn't it be fun!

stay in Carolina

I would love to see Jacksonville get something with the Marlins. I used to live there and I would go to Wolfson park all the time to see the then Expos talent that came through there. Admin Walker, Marquis Grissom, Delino Deshields, some guy named Randy Johnson. There was a lot of talent then and it was fun. They always drew well too. And now, they have totally renovated that stadium and it looks very, very nice.

 

Plus, it would help us dig into the Braves market which North FL desperately needs to do before it becomes Georgia.

Carolina's done well for us- keep'em there.

http://www.ballparkwatch.com/stadiums/new/greensboro.htm

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:thumbup :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy

- Tennessee Smokies. AA El Paso will be moving to Springfield, MO next year as the St. Louis Cardinals affiliate. The current Cardinals' AA affiliate the Tennessee Smokies have a nice park, but it is the hitter's park of the Southern League.

 

wouldn't that be something a team moving to springfield were the simpsons live belonging to the fish and the team that "used to be" in springfield "isotopes" also owned by the fish. :lol

i'm all for the marlins relocating to the texas league.

speaking of the 'topes. has anyone noticed in SI the gatorade ad with baseball player sliding into third and the gatorade formula behind him that the home team are the isotopes at isotopes park?

Here is what I see,

 

Marlins sign with Jacksonville to create a closer AA team and draw in the North Florida market, and move the A team to the Texas League.

BTW, Jacksonville has a new ballpark that replaced Wolffson several years back. The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville are very nice.

Next to Alltel Stadium in Downtown Jacksonville.

 

Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville Fast Facts

 

 

Built: 2003

 

Capacity: 11,000

 

Playing Surface: Grass

 

Dimensions:

Left Field - 321'

Center Field - 420'

Right Field - 317'

 

2003 attendance: 359,979 (Suns single-season attendance record, second-highest in Southern League history; an average of 5,454 per game.)

 

 

Has nearly 6,000 stadium-style chairs and can accommodate more than 11,000 fans with berm and bleacher seating.

 

 

Has 12 luxury skyboxes and four sky decks, each of which having private seating.

 

 

Total estimated cost is $34 million, paid for by Jacksonville residents as part of a tax approved in 2000 to fund the ?Better Jacksonville Plan,? an initiative to improve the city?s infrastructure. The adjacent Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena is also funded through the plan, which was completed in November 2003.

 

 

Boasts the longest distance between home plate and center field in the Southern League -- 420 feet.

 

 

Claims to have the largest roof constructed on an open-air facility in the minor leagues.

 

 

Is completely wheelchair accessible, including the dugouts, camera wells and playing field.

 

 

Features a souvenir shop, first aid facility, various seating levels and perspectives, an ample number of restrooms and concession areas, wide concourse and seating aisles and a state-of-the-art video scoreboard in left center field.

baseball grounds of jacksonville? genius name!

Please stay in Carolina so I can watch the Marlins affiliate on C-SET next year.

I would love to see Jacksonville get something with the Marlins. I used to live there and I would go to Wolfson park all the time to see the then Expos talent that came through there. Admin Walker, Marquis Grissom, Delino Deshields, some guy named Randy Johnson. There was a lot of talent then and it was fun. They always drew well too. And now, they have totally renovated that stadium and it looks very, very nice.

 

Plus, it would help us dig into the Braves market which North FL desperately needs to do before it becomes Georgia.

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me too JL, actually they draw pretty well I think, & the new park looks great.

Please stay in Carolina so I can watch the Marlins affiliate on C-SET next year.

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You could hope CSS (Southern League's TV home) gets picked up by Time Warner in this upcoming expansion they plan. Miami will get CSS added soon so they can watch Southern League games. CSS is Comcast/Charter Sports South.

Here is what I see,

 

Marlins sign with Jacksonville to create a closer AA team and draw in the North Florida market, and move the A team to the Texas League.

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um........

 

 

 

The Texas League is AA baseball.

Here is what I see,

 

Marlins sign with Jacksonville to create a closer AA team and draw in the North Florida market, and move the A team to the Texas League.

524533[/snapback]

 

 

 

um........

 

 

 

The Texas League is AA baseball.

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my mistake, I relized that after I said it. I meant back to the Midwest League.

A lot of the midwest parks are falling apart and they don't offer the facilities of the South Atlantic league.

gotta say, i miss the portland sea-dogs. ultra-cool. but, if they're leaving carolina, i'd have to say jacksonville would be my top spot, to get some northern florida exposure. anything that cuts into braves territory is a good thing.

gotta say, i miss the portland sea-dogs. ultra-cool.

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Yup. It's a shame to see how much they've deteriorated since they left. The left field wall was taken down and repaced with a cheap-looking 37-foot wall (the "Maine Monster"), complete with Citgo sign and Coke bottle on top. The scoreboard was moved from CF into the monster with a Fenway-like counter where the other one was. Because of the Monstrosity, an extra layer of signage was added to the RF wall, which looks ugly. They added the "Ford Board", a portable video wall with a giant Ford logo on top, which is only good for showing Red Sox highlights. Everything is red red red, and the logo/uniform/everything that used to have teal was changed. They go overboard on their ties to the Red Sox to the point that it isn't a fun experience to go anymore. (Even a Red Sox fan said it was too much.) They're trying to be too Fenway and "Major League"; they're really AA! :banghead I wish the Marlins were more aggressive when the contract ran up. Although I guess I don't blame them for trying, because the switch to the Red Sox was already (illegally) a done deal by the mid-season 2002. Needless to say, I've only gone to 4 games since the switch, and they were either playing Trenton (Yankees AA) or I had a job to do there (with a radio station). I still wear teal Sea Dogs stuff, but if anyone asks, I say I hate the "Red Dogx" era.

 

 

 

:blink: