Yanks to buy AAA affiliate, stay in Scranton
ByThe AAA Yankee affiliate will stay in the Scranton area for years to come, the Yankees said late last week. At a press conference in Scranton on Friday, Randy Levine announced the team’s intentions to exercise its option to purchase the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise and keep the team in Scranton. “Let me say it on the record,” Levine said. “The New York Yankees are in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, intend to be in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, love being in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and want to remain in Scranton/Barre.”
Although the stadium needs to be significantly upgraded or replaced, club officials like having the team so close to the city and plan to work with Scranton to help fund a new stadium. Levine said the team is ready to pay “above-market rent for many, many years” to trigger a series of matching funds for a new facility from the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority. Just a two-and-a-half hour drive from the Bronx, Scranton is an ideal place for the Yanks’ AAA club.
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The Tyler Austin Watch
No welfare for sports teams I say.
Only for Wall Street and defense contractors.
Does this mean no more $14 seats behind the dugout?
No, those will now be $15.
Ticket prices will stay the same, but Hotdogs will now cost $11.25
No imitating other people please. It’s in the commenting guidelines.
imitating other posters (ie Benjamin Kabak) is a no-no, but imitating public persons (ie Oj Simpson, Stephen Hawkings) is okay if done in satire.
No, it’s not. Imitating famous people isn’t ok even in satire.
Wait, that wasn’t really Randy Levine and Bernie Madoff?
I feel so deceived.
TWSS
(golf clap)
I happen to like this move a lot. Once again, we are seeing how the Yankees are putting their money where their mouths are, and investing in the minor leagues. There is no doubt Scranton needs a new facility, and I hope they get it (Remember the drainage issue at Scranton earlier this year?). The Yankee goal is to win Championships, and having the best players, coaching, scouting, and yes, facilities available makes that job a heck of a lot easier.
Just sticking it to Joe Biden.
How many teams actually own their minor league affiliates, or even invest in them? Just curious.
To expand a little bit on my question. I’m wondering if any other team actually owns its AAA (or other) affiliates, or if this is a rarity, or maybe even a first. Sounds like a Hal Steinbrenner move figuring this is another way to increase profits. If so, expect other teams to follow the example.
I believe the Yankees own their Tamp affiliate too, and some other minor league teams are owned as well. I believe the Braves own at least one of theirs as well. (Other teams do as well, just don’t know any off the top of my head)
Good move by the Yanks.
There is a huge battle brewing over this as the franchise is owned by two counties (Lackawanna and Luzerne) and right now Luzerne county is suing Lackawanna county because they haven’t seen any profits from the team in the past few years. Also the county commissioners of Lackawanna county are thinking about suing the Multi-purpose stadium authority (which is the group that oversees the franchise) over the purchase option in the contract with the Yankees. If this sounds confusing it’s because it is and I can see no light at the end of the tunnel in this local government drama. Almost forgot but the Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell also proposed to give $20 million dollars to build a new stadium and he wants the two counties to sell the franchise to match the $20 million that he has for them. I’m sorry if I unloaded all of this on you but that is the drama unfolding in Northeast Pennsylvania.
The Yankees will just buy the 2 counties. They’ve got enough money.
yep, hopefully our corrupt northeast PA politics won’t ruin this, particularly the political officials that will make money off of this some way or another in luzerne and/or lackawanna counties