{"id":507,"date":"2005-07-17T19:07:00","date_gmt":"2005-07-17T19:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/2005\/07\/507.html"},"modified":"2005-07-17T19:07:00","modified_gmt":"2005-07-17T19:07:00","slug":"507-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2005\/07\/507-2\/","title":{"rendered":"PENNSYLVANIA MINOR LEAGUE SPECULATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

It looks like Baltimore’s AAA affiliate, currently in Ottawa, will be heading to the Lehigh Valley in 2008<\/b><\/a> (The Morning Call<\/i>). You may be wondering why this relevant to this blog?<\/p>\n

Well, I have a handful of friends from the Lehigh Valley who may be excited by this news. Of course, two of them have just moved on or will within a couple of months, but that’s not the main reason I am posting this — don’t worry, there is a Nats hook.<\/p>\n

Previously, it has been speculated on this blog<\/b><\/a> (and elsewhere) that Baltimore (I refuse to call them the Orioles since their owner is in denial about where they play; I want to give Charm City their propers<\/i>) may have coveted Harrisburg as their AAA affiliate. It would have made a lot of sense for them, since Harrisburg is straight up I-83 and barely an hour from I-695. Why they are electing to go to Allentown over Harrisburg seems odd, but there could be other reasons, perhaps because the city of Harrisburg owns the AAA-Senators, now a Nats affiliate, and Baltimore is not interested in that kind of ownership.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Harrisburg wants to upgrade to AAA and is planning on expanding the ballpark on City Island<\/b><\/a> to achieve that goal. With Baltimore seemingly out of the running for Harrisburg, the Nationals seem to be in a position to move their AAA affiliation to the capital of Pennsylvania. This strikes me as an excellent arrangement for the Nats, should they be able to pull it off. Harrisburg is barely two hours away, much more convenient than the current AAA team in New Orleans. Having Harrisburg nearby seems to be working out well for both sides, as the Nats have sent two players to rehab there and 1st round draft pick, Dutch Zimmerman<\/b> is making his presence felt. It seems like win-win. Will it happen? We shall see.<\/p>\n

Another interesting aspect of these possibilities are the obvious rivalries that will develop. The Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (I saw them in ’95) would be natural rivals with the Allentown team in a battle for Northeastern Extension supremacy. Throw Harrisburg in the mix and you have a cluster of three AAA teams in the eastern portion of the commonwealth. Of course, that would come at cost of the AA<\/b> rivalries between Altoona, Harrisburg, and Reading. I don’t know if there is much rivalry between those franchises, but on paper there should at least be some. <\/p>\n

So, in a more perfect world, the Nats would have AAA in Harrisburg playing Baltimore’s AAA team in Allentown and Philly’s AAA team in Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton.<\/p>\n

©MMX William F. Yurasko<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It looks like Baltimore’s AAA affiliate, currently in Ottawa, will be heading to the Lehigh Valley in 2008 (The Morning Call). You may be wondering why this relevant to this blog? Well, I have a handful of friends from the Lehigh Valley who may be excited by this news. 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