From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
CASHMAN FIELD
Las Vegas, Nevada
is reporting the New York Mets will purchase
the (AAA) Syracuse Chiefs.
According to Weiner, a tentative deal will allow the Mets to assume control of the Chiefs when the player development contract between Syracuse and the Washington Nationals expires after the 2018 season. The timing also coincides with the expiration of the New York Mets development contract with the Las Vegas 51s.
New York Mets: This May Be The Best News Fans Have Heard All Year.
Sandy Alderson seemingly has 99 problems, but the Las Vegas 51s will soon no longer be one of them.
If this deal goes through, it will end a six year player development contract with Las Vegas (after next season), that has felt more like exile.
The Mets and Norfolk Tides parted ways in 2006 after a near 50-year affiliation dating back to 1969. Most fingers pointed at former general manager Omar Minaya for souring that relationship. Among the charges brought by Norfolk against Minaya were his apathy towards the club.
The Mets were then forced into signing a development contract with the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Pacific Coast League, for lack of better options, during the 2007-2008 seasons.
Amazingly, the perfect scenario presented itself in 2009 when the Buffalo Bisons ended its 14-year PDC with the Cleveland Indians. Signing with Buffalo got the Mets back in the International League, and meant their triple-A affiliate would now be in the same state as their double-A Binghamton affiliate, their short-A Brooklyn affiliate, and the parent club in Queens.
Unfortunately, the outwardly ideal relationship deteriorated rather quickly. Buffalo's front office was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Mets organizational pool of sub-par talent, just as the Madoff scandal was blowing up in ownership's face, which in turn triggered the parent club's precipitous decline in the standings.
It's also widely believed Sandy Alderson didn't help matters much upon taking over for Omar Minaya after the 2010 season. Buffalo felt both general managers acted apathetically towards the Bisons' own business interests.
Sound familiar?
By 2012, Buffalo had enough of the Mets front office and hastily ended their four year agreement in favor of signing a new player development contract with the nearby Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2012 Open Period in turn offered the Mets little and no options, except for joining with the very affiliate Toronto left behind, namely the Las Vegas 51s. Said another way, Toronto's former untenable situation now became the Mets new untenable situation.
Despite (Paul DePodesta and) Sandy Alderson being old hats of the Pacific Coast League, none of this was received very well by Mets fans of the greater New York City metropolitan area.
Jet lag has always been a minor inconvenience while operating out of Las Vegas since 2013, but it has not been the logistical nightmare, in terms of flying players in/out of the pacific time zone, Mets fans originally envisioned. It still makes little sense, however, for an east coast team to have their triple-A affiliate based 2,500 miles away in the Nevada desert.
That being said, it's Nevada's climatic conditions, and Cashman Field itself, that pose the greatest challenge, or dare I say obstacle, for Mets prospects to overcome.
Nevada's arid climate makes it difficult for pitchers to keep their fingers moistened. This in turn compromises their ability to effectively control breaking pitches. That in turn causes pitchers to rely on their fastball more, and challenge hitters by living over the middle of home plate more than they'd prefer.
Conversely, playing conditions in Las Vegas clearly favor hitters. A higher percentage of fly balls tend to drift over the walls for home runs, while ground balls skip through Cashman Field's sun baked infield more quickly than at other fields.
Where it concerns the oppressive heat, it's inescapable. I've listened to night games that are too often played in 90-plus degree temperatures.
Las Vegas has been under new ownership for a few years now, and the contentiously debated construction of a sorely needed modern stadium is finally being put to a vote next Tuesday.
Cashman Field has long been notorious for lacking modern training facilities and player amenities. And as a Mets fans, I always found this an unacceptable condition for the organization's prospects to endure.
The Norfolk Tides, the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Buffalo Bisons, and the Las Vegas 51s, are all independently owned franchises, which in certain instances clashed with the parent club. The Mets, however, will own the Syracuse Chiefs, which should put them on a path towards long term stability at the triple-A level - something the organization has lacked since their acrimonious divorce a decade ago with Norfolk.
Looking back, the Mets have actually enjoyed a good relationship with Sin City. The affiliation has certainly been good for the Las Vegas 51s, and it's certainly been enjoyable for me.
Because of the time zone difference Las Vegas games usually start right after Mets games, which I'll continue taking full advantage of next season. I've come to really appreciate listening to 51s announcer Russ Langer through the years calling games. He effectively became a part of my summer night soundtrack. And I will continue listening to Russ Langer call 51s games beyond next season.
Otherwise, relocating their triple-A affiliate to Syracuse is welcome news, and a great move by the Mets.
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