Completely different discussion there. There are no HiA leagues near Texas. I think they loved their RR/CC lineup. CC is a great minor league affiliate and I'm not sure San Antonio would be a better AA option. New Orleans has swapped ML affiliates 4 times in the last decade. There must be something wrong with the facilities or the local management for that to be the case.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Houston">#Houston</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a>' Crane on moving AAA team from OKC to Woodlands-area: "Something closer (to Houston) could certainly enhance the brand."</p>— Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChronAstros/status/309759236647292928">March 7, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Houston">#Houston</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a>' Jim Crane made it clear The Woodlands is a legitimate relocation idea and has been discussed internally. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MLB">#MLB</a></p>— Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChronAstros/status/309759480093081600">March 7, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paul Clemens allows a leadoff single then strikes out the side to close it out. One of those victims was Anthony Rendon.
I could see Clemens being a nice bullpen piece... And hell no to moving the AA affiliate to San Antonio. Corpus has a great park and a great fanbase... why change on that front?
Crane said the Astros “like” their situation in Corpus Christi but the team is owned by a Nolan Ryan-led group. “That’s not necessarily the way we like to see that,” Crane said. “The Triple-A club is owned by a private equity company — that doesn’t make any sense.
But are Advanced A could be closer to our A-ball. I think the like CC too, and I'm sure the facilities aren't as nice in SA or NO, but they geographically make a lot of since for the Astros. In a perfect world they probably could have minor league franchises in Austin, SA, CC, & Baton Rouge/NO would probably be perfect, but unfortunately that isn't possible righ now given league locations. I like OKC, but it makes much more since for the Rangers/Astros to swap back.
can't say much - and what I will say is already confirmed above, but the Woodlands is a legitimate alternative to do something along the line of what Sugar Land did with the Skeeters, but on a grander scale.
I'd much rather see the AAA team in San Antonio vs. The Woodlands. If you want to recapture the south texas viewing market that the Astros used to have, then you need to be in San Antonio rather than The Woodlands. The other place I'd like to see the AAA could be New Orleans to better capture that market.
I tend to forget about the team in SA because everyone in SA forgets there's a team in SA. I'm well aware of that. It was merely a statement that it would be in the best interests of the team to have their HiA team in the Carolina League instead.
Totally agree. Like I said earlier, they're doing less and less to win over new fans and maintain the ones they have outside of Houston. Moving the AAA team to Greater Houston is a terrible idea. The Astros were huge in Central Texas because of the Express. Now, it's swinging much more towards the Rangers...because of the Express. Corpus is an Astros town...very much due to the Hooks (though they were before then, too). Heck, you could probably say DFW leaned Astros until the last 5 years.
It should do better though. I'm not in the know about these things, but I doubt the Padres affiliation is a reason for excitement for the fans. They were much more successful with a Dodgers affiliation.
Curious, I tried to research it and yielded no results, but how long is the SA contract with the Padres? Could be something worth keeping an eye on over the next couple of years. Also, Would they have to stay in AA? I know that RR used to be AA (so many abbreviations), so could there be a chance of the Astros acquiring a team and seeing them move from the AA to AAA? I know Crane is interested in a North Houston team, and I think it is a great idea. It is neat to have a cheaper option in the area, and I think that it wouldn't impact Astro attendance in the long run. It would more likely have fans that are up in north Houston grow fond of prospects and have those fans travel to Houston (I know people that saw an Astros game to see Hunter Pence after watching him play in AAA) to watch a game. I know someone mentioned it above me, but it is worth noting. Also, what about El Paso getting a team? They have an independent team (the Diablos) and they drew 3,696 fans per game as an independent team. Compare that to the Skeeters who drew 3,260 in their inaugural season... just a thought. I think that the RGV or El Paso region could be interesting. For the sake of mentioning it, the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings drew less than 500 fans a game from what I found. Yikes. Leaving OKC seems to be the best thing to do for the sake of geography. Whether North Houston, San Antonio, or El Paso, I would like to see an affiliate that is not in Texas move here, and OKC seems to be the logical choice. Dream scenario: Nolan Ryan rejoins the Astros which allows us to regain RR or find a way to get SA into the AAA.
Minor League contracts are renewed like every 2-4 years. I have no idea how minor league teams change league affiliations, which is what happens to move between levels. El Paso makes more sense for the Diamondbacks, IMO.
I think if you look into it, the Hooks play in a nicer facility than do the Missions. I think the amenities in New Orleans are comparable, but imo Whataburger Field and the view there are prettier.
Turrible <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Jordan Lyles has a 25.20 ERA in his first three starts of the spring, allowing 14 earned runs and 20 hits in five innings. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a></p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/310094308424441856">March 8, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a>' Porter coming out. Lyles out after two-thirds. Allowed six earned runs, seven hits. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MLB">#MLB</a></p>— Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChronAstros/status/310093074929942529">March 8, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
.2 IP, 7 hits, 6 r (all earned), 1 hr His era actually went up from 16.62 to 25.20. This does not help his case at all. Combined with Humber being on a nice run, Lyles only shot is as the 5th starter or long man. He has to turn it around quick or he'll be right back in OKC.
You can probably say goodbye to Sam Demel soon, too. Replacing Lyles, he went... .2 IP, 3 hits, 5 r (all earned), 2 bb, 1 hr. His era went from 32.40 to 42.43 Yikes
