Our Minor League Parks

[comish4lif]

PW County allocates $400K - County Exec Corey Stewart still wacky:

"I don't think the Washington Nationals, frankly, enjoy having a successful minor league team inside their market, and I think they are simply trying to use field conditions as an excuse."

So... he's implying that the MLB Club is intimidated by the P-Nats? 

http://wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2476582

[Lintyfresh85]

There may be merit to that claim. Heard rumblings around The Diamond from a very connected source that the reason Richmond didn't flip to a Nats affiliate this past offseason was due to the Nats worrying fans would go watch the AA team and not pay for MLB tickets/watch games on MASN.

[PatsNats28]

lolwtf

[PANatsFan]

There may be merit to that claim. Heard rumblings around The Diamond from a very connected source that the reason Richmond didn't flip to a Nats affiliate this past offseason was due to the Nats worrying fans would go watch the AA team and not pay for MLB tickets/watch games on MASN.

The fans 2 hours away maybe. Otherwise that's a load of crap. I'd ride the metro for 30 minutes over driving to Richmond even if Richmond won every game.

[PANatsFan]

PW County allocates $400K - County Exec Corey Stewart still wacky:  So... he's implying that the MLB Club is intimidated by the P-Nats? 

http://wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2476582

Nyan

[blue911]

Bowie is half the distance and a higher level

[Lintyfresh85]

The fans 2 hours away maybe. Otherwise that's a load of crap. I'd ride the metro for 30 minutes over driving to Richmond even if Richmond won every game.

I'm sure a member of the Squirrels front office lied to me for the hell of it.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm sure a member of the Squirrels front office lied to me for the hell of it.

Curious - how much closer is richmond than Harrisburg?  1/2 hour, if that?  when did the Nats extend the agreement with harrisburg?  could they have flipped to richmond this year? 

[comish4lif]

Bowie is half the distance and a higher level

But, it's an Orioles affiliate.

[tomterp]

Bowie is half the distance and a higher level

And they have an excellent park too.  Recent series with the the Senators drew 12k. (3 games)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Is Bowie like Kursk, a salient to be unsuccessfully attacked, or like Stalingrad, an overstretch to be isolated and destroyed?

Tune into the MLB History Channel, where Kevin Millar interviews General Barry McCaffery. Highlights below:

Kevin:  You know, some times you just have to cowboy up out there.

Barry:  WTF are you talking about?

[houston-nat]

Is Bowie like Kursk, a salient to be unsuccessfully attacked, or like Stalingrad, an overstretch to be isolated and destroyed?

Tune into the MLB History Channel, where Kevin Millar interviews General Barry McCaffery. Highlights below:

Kevin:  You know, some times you just have to cowboy up out there.

Barry:  WTF are you talking about?

[PANatsFan]

Curious - how much closer is richmond than Harrisburg?  1/2 hour, if that?  when did the Nats extend the agreement with harrisburg?  could they have flipped to richmond this year? 

Harrisburg is 90 minutes from the MD border. Richmond ain't closer, and Harrisburg is in O's territory, so that arrangement needs to be extended in perpetuity.

[Evolution33]

Richmond should be 90 minutes away, but on weekends can take up to three hours to get to depending on beach traffic. 95 is a freaking nightmare on Saturdays during the summer if you try and drive on it after 8 am. When choosing minor league parks to visit on weekends I don't have Nats games I ruled out Richmond because of the traffic. It is just too difficult to get ot. I would much rather drive the two hours up 270 and 15 to Harrisburg than the God knows how long in bumper to bumper traffic to Richmond.

[mitlen]

Richmond should be 90 minutes away, but on weekends can take up to three hours to get to depending on beach traffic. 95 is a freaking nightmare on Saturdays during the summer if you try and drive on it after 8 am. When choosing minor league parks to visit on weekends I don't have Nats games I ruled out Richmond because of the traffic. It is just too difficult to get ot. I would much rather drive the two hours up 270 and 15 to Harrisburg than the God knows how long in bumper to bumper traffic to Richmond.

I always go the "back way" from Loudoun CO.   It's about 15 miles longer but shorter in time and much more scenic.   When you get to Richmond, your fingers don't have to be pried off the steering wheel.

[PatsNats28]

Is Bowie like Kursk, a salient to be unsuccessfully attacked, or like Stalingrad, an overstretch to be isolated and destroyed?

Tune into the MLB History Channel, where Kevin Millar interviews General Barry McCaffery. Highlights below:

Kevin:  You know, some times you just have to cowboy up out there.

Barry:  WTF are you talking about?

Kursk, the location of the greatest tank battle (that never happened).

[PANatsFan]

I'm sure a member of the Squirrels front office lied to me for the hell of it.

Nope, delusional self promotion. Like I said, it would draw fans from the Richmond area away from Nats Park, no question. But a DC resident would have to be an insane person to miss Nats games for a winning AA team 2 hours away.

[Lintyfresh85]

It wass the president of the Squirrels... But ok, I guess you know more about the situation than he does.

[Evolution33]

According to Google Maps it is 107 miles from D.C. to Richmond and 117 from D.C. to Harrisburg. Does 10 miles really make that much of a difference, and Metro Bank Ballpark is better than the Diamond.

[Lintyfresh85]

According to Google Maps it is 107 miles from D.C. to Richmond and 117 from D.C. to Harrisburg. Does 10 miles really make that much of a difference, and Metro Bank Ballpark is better than the Diamond.

For whatever reason, the people with the Nats that run affiliate designation believe it to be a big enough difference not to make the switch.

[comish4lif]

Curious - how much closer is richmond than Harrisburg?  1/2 hour, if that?  when did the Nats extend the agreement with harrisburg?  could they have flipped to richmond this year? 

The Nats re-upped their affiliation with Harrisburg after the 2010 season (last fall), Richmond was also open at that time. I'd guess that the Nats chose to stay in the completely renovated facility in  Harrisburg rather than go to the Diamond in Richmond - which was undergoing renovation at the time. Not sure how the 2 facilities compare to each other. I haven't been to either since the renovations.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Were there an AAA afffiliation and a decent ballpark in Richmond, I'm guessing the result would be different.  I just don't see why ceding territory to the Os and breaking a long running relationship in Harrisburg makes what you are saying the but for reason for not taking up a chance to affiliate with Richmond.  Maybe it was expressed in a package of reasons, but it does not seem to be that realistic a concern.  You'd think they'd make up for the attendance hit in MASN views.  But I don't doubt that was said to you.

[Lintyfresh85]

The Nats re-upped their affiliation with Harrisburg after the 2010 season (last fall), Richmond was also open at that time. I'd guess that the Nats chose to stay in the completely renovated facility in  Harrisburg rather than go to the Diamond in Richmond - which was undergoing renovation at the time. Not sure how the 2 facilities compare to each other. I haven't been to either since the renovations.

Richmond actually has seen a renaissance under the new management. The park, team shop and everything involved with the organization is better than what the Braves left it.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Richmond actually has seen a renaissance under the new management. The park, team shop and everything involved with the organization is better than what the Braves left it.

You'd expect the group that bought out Norwich and moved the franchise to have a real business plan for Richmond.  Sounds like they are following through.

[PANatsFan]

It wass the president of the Squirrels... But ok, I guess you know more about the situation than he does.

I understand basic logic and economics. Is it possible he was referring to fans from central and southern VA and not DC area residents, sheesh?