Wow.

Before I read it, I swapped out 'Southern' for 'California' in my head - thinking they finally got some unexpected resolution on the Bakersfield/High Desert bit.

In other news, Escondido's city council approved the building of their new AAA park for the former Portland, temporarily Tuscon, San Diego affiliate. Scheduled to open in '13.

This is sort of sad. At one point Kinston was the smallest town with a full season team, maybe they still are. That's of course ultimately the cause of the team's problems -- you can only finish last in the Carolina League in attendance for so many years before someone's going to pull the plug on you. But it's still a bit sad to see a plucky underdog disappear and organized baseball move a bit further away from the small towns. Hopefully the people of Kinston will enjoy their team in 2011.

(A little googling shows that Kinston is the "smallest market" with a team. Don't know if that "market" includes Greenville, Goldsboro, and New Bern, but that ultimately wouldn't make a huge difference.)

This blows apart the release of new Kinston Indians uniforms and logos back on November 9.

This blows apart the release of new Kinston Indians uniforms and logos back on November 9.

Ok, here's the deal from the Kinston Free Press:

The wheels for the transaction were set in motion sometime around early October, McRae said, when Mudcats owner Steve Bryant called him to inquire about buying the Indians.

The Mudcats were being sold to Florida businessman Quint Studer, who owns a team in an independent league in Pensacola, opening the Mudcats’ 6,500-seat Five County Stadium for a new team.

The Pensacola News Journal reported last week that Studer was closing in on the purchase of a Double-A franchise, and sources with knowledge of the situation told The Free Press the Indians might be involved.

-- MWE

That's of course ultimately the cause of the team's problems -- you can only finish last in the Carolina League in attendance for so many years before someone's going to pull the plug on you.

Well, not entirely; they could have made a go of it under different circumstances. Kinston's not only a small market, but with an old ballpark with a physical plant that can take only so much patching (and I love Grainger Stadium to death, BTW) and a very depressed economy. Cam McRae and North Johnson did a tremendous job with that team.

-- MWE

i've never been to grainger - have long wanted to.
any triangle primates wanna join me on a road trip next spring?

in other the news, the indy pensacola pelicans will moved to amarillo.

any triangle primates wanna join me on a road trip next spring?

Count me in.

Good discussion in the N&O this morning, especially this:

Bryant cited stricter enforcement of a rule requiring team owners to charter a plane or put players up in a hotel for a day off in cases where the travel exceeds 500 miles. Only three of the Mudcats' nine Southern League opponents are within 500 miles.

-- MWE

With enough advance notice, I'm in for a trip to Kinston.

But who gets the Mudcats name and logo?

12/Walt: The team that used to be Kinston Indians. Same park, same ownership, just a different level/affiliation.

Also, the prez of the Carolina League has made mention that he wants 2 teams added for 2012 (so Kinston doesn't have to leave the league). While there are reasons why that league might expand and another high-A league might contract (see my post 2, for one thing), Kinston probably isn't reason enough.

vrhovnik: Well, it's December - you've been noticed.

One more thing on Pensacola, their indy league attendance has kinda stunk over the years. Good enough to hang around, but not near Southern League standards. I'm sure it'll increase, but...

And the Braves move out of Myrtle Beach too.

Anyone knows why? I just noticed the news item in passing.

And the Braves move out of Myrtle Beach too.

Anyone knows why? I just noticed the news item in passing.

I believe it's because the Ryan/Greenberg group owns that franchise and wanted to make it a Rangers affiliate. As a result, we in Lynchburg now get a Braves farm team (Pirates to Reds to Braves in three years), with a four-year agreement. It makes sense from a Braves perspective, since they have a rookie league team in Danville, just down U.S. 29, along the lines of the Nationals now having affiliates in both Syracuse and Auburn. (Ironically, though, Delta is ending direct flights from Lynchburg to Atlanta in January, substituting service to Roanoke.)

And the Braves move out of Myrtle Beach too.

Anyone knows why?

Didn't they move from Myrtle Beach to Rome, GA. If so, I think it is a cost cutting measure. Kind of like when AAA moved to Gwinnett,GA. The Braves' minor league team are all within the south. The teams not located in Georgia can be reached within a days drive. It just makes financial sense. It's a sign of the times. A month ago, the local Chattanooga News reported that the Burkes that own the Chattanooga Lookouts and Portland Seadogs were considering moving the Lookouts out of Chattanooga. I don't think it's going to happen. Hell, this was Willie Mays second stop in the minors and he went from Chattanooga to New York. But you know times are tough when established minor league franchises consider moving out of a great minor league baseball town like Chattanooga, Tennessee.