No invite from MLB
Team not offered invitation from any of 30 MLB clubs
The Tri-city Valleycats aren’t offered an affiliation with any of the 30 pro baseball teams next season./
The Tri-city Valleycats figured they had everything a Major League Baseball team would want in an affiliate. After all, they ’d successfully partnered with the Houston Astros for 18 seasons.
That wasn’t enough to make the cut when MLB extended invitations to 120 minor league teams on Wednesday.
After waiting a year for news on their future, the Valleycats weren’t offered affiliation with any of the 30 MLB teams next season under a revamped and contracted farm system.
“It’s disappointing and surprising at the same time,” Valleycats president and part-owner Rick Murphy said. “I think operationally, we did everything you could expect. We hit all the metrics. You look at the facility, the attendance, you look at the fan base, you look at the geography. You look at the market size and what we’ve been able to do for the last 18 years, and you would think it would have put us in a good position to be part of the 120.”
Since arriving in Troy in 2002, the Valleycats served as Houston’s New York-penn League affiliate, playing at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus. The Astros sent many prospects through Tri-city, and to date, 81 have reached the big leagues. TriCity won three NYPL championships and drew more than 4,000 fans per game for 11 straight seasons from 2008 to 2018.
MLB took over operation of the minors and is cutting from 160 affiliates to 120 in what major league officials say is an attempt to improve working conditions for minor league players and bring teams closer geographically.
Those 120 teams still must sign a Professional Development License, and there’s a chance a team could decline if they ’re uncomfortable with the terms — including travel, facility standards and length.
But it’s extremely likely TriCity ’s long run as a big league affiliate is over. The Valleycats said they ’re evaluating other options to keep professional baseball in the Capital Region and they ’ll have more details to announce in the “near future.”
Murphy said he was disappointed by the lack of communication, adding the Valleycats found out by seeing a chart on the Baseball America website. Asked why the Valleycats didn’t make the cut, Murphy responded, “You’re going to have to ask MLB.”
MLB didn’t directly respond when asked why Tri-city didn’t receive an invitation. A spokesman issued a statement that said, in part, “MLB is committed to preserving baseball in every community in which it is currently played.”
Some minor league teams are owned by their MLB parent club. The Valleycats are independently owned by a group led by Murphy and chairman Doug Gladstone.
“Obviously, if you own a minor league team and you’re a major league owner, you’re not going to cut that franchise out of the 120,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the Valleycats face a “significant devaluation” as a franchise because of losing their affiliation, but plan to keep playing. “That’s our goal, is to continue to have professional baseball here in the Capital Region,” he said.
Murphy said the team has had preliminary conversations with three independent leagues — the Atlantic League, the Frontier League and the American Association — and would probably have to join one by early January to play next season. Murphy said the Valleycats could decide not to play in 2021 — with the intent of returning in 2022 — rather than rush into a new league while it’s still uncertain whether fans will be allowed next season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Valleycats, along with the rest of the minors, didn’t play this year because of COVID -19.
The NYPL, a short-season league, will cease to exist under the new system. Several NYPL teams are joining the MLB Draft League, a summer wooden-bat league for college prospects. The Valleycats declined, saying they didn’t feel the MLB Draft League was an acceptable alternative given the team’s fan support and market.
The Valleycats were not on the initial list of franchises that were to be cut that was leaked to the New York Times last November.
But Tri-city ’s situation became more uncertain in recentmonths. Trying to find an affiliate, Sen. Charles E. Schumer made phone calls on the Valleycats’ behalf to the owners of the Astros, Miami Marlins (with part-owner Derek Jeter), Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals, Schumer spokesperson Allison Biasotti confirmed.
Murphy said he thought the Valleycats could have stayed with the Astros, given their longstanding ties. "We've received nothing but high marks from the Astros operationally," he said. "Their people actually loved this facility, so I'm surprised we weren't able to continue our relationship."
More locally, the New York Yankees and New York Mets were each set with their lineup of four affiliates. The Mets kept Double-a Binghamton, originally on the chopping block.
“I am very, very disappointed for Capital Region baseball fans and the Valleycats organization,” Schumer said. “For 18 years the Valleycats have delivered both good players and fan satisfaction that minor league franchises strive for. In return, fans turned out in droves always putting the team at the top of the league in attendance. The fans and the team deserved better. Still, baseball teaches us that if you keep swinging, a bitter disappointment one day can lead to success the next. And, I will keep advocating until affiliated baseball returns to the region.”
In June, the Valleycats extended their facility agreement with Bruno Stadium through the 2026 season. The team’s Gross Economic Output exceeds $55 million per year, combining the economic impact of one year of operations, visitor benefits and multiyear capital improvement totals, according to an economic analysis cited by Troy Mayor Patrick Madden’s office.
“I’m very disappointed to learn that Major League Baseball has discontinued its player development agreement with the Tri-city Valleycats,” Madden said. “We are pleased the team intends to continue playing in Troy for the foreseeable future.”
The three independent leagues the Valleycats are exploring recently became “partner leagues” of Major League Baseball with joint marketing and promotional opportunities.
Independent teams play a longer season — anywhere from 96 to 140 games — compared to the 76 contests per season the Valleycats played in the NYPL.
The Valleycats would also have to pay the players’ and coaches’ salaries in an independent league — a potential additional cost of at least $300,000, Murphy said. In affiliated ball, the MLB teams pay the players and coaches.
The last independent professional team in the Capital Region was the Albany-colonie Diamond Dogs (1995-2002).