ducks
09-28-2006, 02:21 PM
Baseball: Missions to reveal new partner today
Web Posted: 09/27/2006 10:36 PM CDT
David King
Express-News Staff Writer
The Missions have scheduled a news conference today to announce the club is signing a player development contract with the San Diego Padres, a source close to the team said Wednesday.
The decision ends a six-year affiliation with the Seattle Mariners that produced two Texas League pennants and four playoff appearances, with a regular-season record of 428-404.
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Kevin Towers, the executive vice president and general manager of the Padres, will be at today's announcement at Wolff Stadium. Towers and a handful of executives visited with the Missions in San Antonio last week.
The Missions also were considering proposals from the Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team's two-year agreement with the Mariners expired at the end of this season.
Missions president Burl Yarbrough said the decision had been made, but he did not want to reveal the name of the big-league team.
"Let's just say we're excited," he said.
Parent clubs
San Antonio's Texas League team has been affiliated with eight big-league organizations in its history:
-St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles: 1933-42, 1946-58
-Chicago Cubs: 1959-62, 1968-71
-Houston Colt .45s: 1963-64
-Milwaukee Brewers: 1972
-Cleveland Indians: 1973-75
-Texas Rangers: 1976
-Los Angeles Dodgers: 1977-2000
-Seattle Mariners: 2001-06
The Missions also are close to signing a lease with the city that would allow the club to take over operations of Wolff Stadium, Yarbrough said.
"We're waiting on them (city officials)," he said. "We're very, very close, and we're headed in the right direction."
The ownership of the Missions, the Elmore Sports Group, is prepared to put up a state-of-the-art scoreboard and make significant cosmetic improvements to the 12-year-old facility when it takes over operations, Yarbrough said.
Elmore also owns the Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, the Padres' affiliate in the short-season Northwest League.
The affiliation decision marks the return of the Padres to the Texas League after a 12-year absence. They last were in the Texas League in 1987-94, when they had an agreement with the Wichita Wranglers. The Missions never have been affiliated with the Padres.
The Mobile BayBears of the Southern League have been the Padres' Double-A affiliate since 1997.
Three of the Padres' farm clubs made the playoffs this season — Class A Lake Elsinore in the California League and Fort Wayne in the Midwest League, and the Padres' team in the rookie-level Arizona League.
San Diego had four players on Baseball America magazine's postseason all-star teams: Lake Elsinore third baseman Chase Headley, Fort Wayne outfielder Will Venable, Eugene designated hitter Chad Huffman and Arizona League Padres outfielder Cedric Hunter.
The Padres have two South Texans in their minor-league system: Outfielder Luke Cannon from Texas State and infielder Seth Johnston from Boerne.
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http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/baseball/missions/stories/MYSA092806.07C.BBMmissions.padres.305a8d1.html
Web Posted: 09/27/2006 10:36 PM CDT
David King
Express-News Staff Writer
The Missions have scheduled a news conference today to announce the club is signing a player development contract with the San Diego Padres, a source close to the team said Wednesday.
The decision ends a six-year affiliation with the Seattle Mariners that produced two Texas League pennants and four playoff appearances, with a regular-season record of 428-404.
advertisement
Kevin Towers, the executive vice president and general manager of the Padres, will be at today's announcement at Wolff Stadium. Towers and a handful of executives visited with the Missions in San Antonio last week.
The Missions also were considering proposals from the Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team's two-year agreement with the Mariners expired at the end of this season.
Missions president Burl Yarbrough said the decision had been made, but he did not want to reveal the name of the big-league team.
"Let's just say we're excited," he said.
Parent clubs
San Antonio's Texas League team has been affiliated with eight big-league organizations in its history:
-St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles: 1933-42, 1946-58
-Chicago Cubs: 1959-62, 1968-71
-Houston Colt .45s: 1963-64
-Milwaukee Brewers: 1972
-Cleveland Indians: 1973-75
-Texas Rangers: 1976
-Los Angeles Dodgers: 1977-2000
-Seattle Mariners: 2001-06
The Missions also are close to signing a lease with the city that would allow the club to take over operations of Wolff Stadium, Yarbrough said.
"We're waiting on them (city officials)," he said. "We're very, very close, and we're headed in the right direction."
The ownership of the Missions, the Elmore Sports Group, is prepared to put up a state-of-the-art scoreboard and make significant cosmetic improvements to the 12-year-old facility when it takes over operations, Yarbrough said.
Elmore also owns the Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, the Padres' affiliate in the short-season Northwest League.
The affiliation decision marks the return of the Padres to the Texas League after a 12-year absence. They last were in the Texas League in 1987-94, when they had an agreement with the Wichita Wranglers. The Missions never have been affiliated with the Padres.
The Mobile BayBears of the Southern League have been the Padres' Double-A affiliate since 1997.
Three of the Padres' farm clubs made the playoffs this season — Class A Lake Elsinore in the California League and Fort Wayne in the Midwest League, and the Padres' team in the rookie-level Arizona League.
San Diego had four players on Baseball America magazine's postseason all-star teams: Lake Elsinore third baseman Chase Headley, Fort Wayne outfielder Will Venable, Eugene designated hitter Chad Huffman and Arizona League Padres outfielder Cedric Hunter.
The Padres have two South Texans in their minor-league system: Outfielder Luke Cannon from Texas State and infielder Seth Johnston from Boerne.
[email protected]
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/baseball/missions/stories/MYSA092806.07C.BBMmissions.padres.305a8d1.html