The St. Louis Cardinals are returning to the State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) in the first major shift in the affiliation arrangements for 2013-2014, according to a published report.
It’s no secret there were tensions between the Spikes and former parent Pittsburgh Pirates this past season, with Spikes management complaining about the quality of teams being sent to Medlar Field. Despite those public issues, the Pirates and Spikes were still talking extension over the weekend — talks that broke down when the Pirates asked for a four-year deal and the Spikes wanting two, according to the Centre Daily Times.
So the Cards swooped in, returning to State College; the Cards was the first affiliate of the Spikes after the team moved from Sussex County, N.J. The Cards were unhappy with the prospect of returning to Batavia, and we were told there was also the chance the team could have passed on the NY-Penn League completely because the organization already fields a team in the rookie Appalachian League.
Look for the Pirates to sign a deal with the Jamestown Jammers (short season A; NY-Penn League); that team is potentially moving to Morgantown if a deal can be reached to play at a new West Virginia University ballpark, which could happen as soon as 2014, the second year of an affiliation deal.
Here’s a look at the current affiliate status.
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