Spurned by Major League Baseball in the big reorganization of Minor League Baseball, the Tri-City ValleyCats will join the independent Frontier League for the 2021 season and beyond.
This agreement will allow the ValleyCats to maintain professional baseball in the Capital Region. Tri-City had been a member of the Short Season A NY-Penn League, but not included among the 120 teams invited to be part of the new Minor League Baseball.
“We are excited to join the Frontier League and eager to start this new chapter in ValleyCats baseball. We feel that this opportunity is the best fit for our fans, franchise, and facility as we look to the future,” said ValleyCats President Rick Murphy. “We would also like to thank Commissioner Bill Lee, the entire leadership of the Frontier League, and the fifteen other teams for welcoming us as new members.”
The Frontier League plays a 96-game schedule, which will include 48 home games for the ValleyCats at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. The league features 16 clubs stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The season is set to begin in mid-May with a complete schedule to be announced in the near future. The New York Boulders will be the closest geographical team at just over 120 miles away.
“We are honored and excited to welcome the Tri-City ValleyCats to our
League,” Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee said in a press statement. “They enjoy a tremendous reputation in professional baseball for their strong ownership and exemplary management. The ValleyCats also have a great fan base. We are anxious for their fans to see Frontier League baseball. 2021 could not start better for the Frontier League than to have the ValleyCats join our family.”
“We are grateful for the continued support of our fans, partners, and the Capital Region community as a whole,” added ValleyCats General Manager, Matt Callahan. “We are thrilled to share this news and look forward to opening the gates for the start of the Frontier League season this spring.”
The ValleyCats will will continue to call Joseph L. Bruno Stadium home.
Here’s the most up-to-date information about the current affiliation status.
RELATED STORIES: Fresno guaranteed MiLB team through 2030; Mapping a baseball future outside of MiLB; Detroit retains Erie as affiliate: here’s why; Red Sox: We’ll fight to keep baseball in Lowell; Fresno agrees to Cal League move; 120-team MiLB lineup complete; No changes in Cardinals affiliates for 2021; Giants add Eugene to existing affiliates for 2021; Rangers return to Round Rock for 2021; Oakland adds Lansing to 2021 affiliate lineup; Pirates to bring back top affiliates; Mets confirm 2021 affiliate lineup; White Sox maintain farm system for 2021 and beyond; Cleveland returns top four affiliates for 2021; Cubs to return four affiliates for 2021; Dodgers: No change in 2021 team affiliates; Padres add San Antonio as new affiliate; Blue Jays choose Vancouver over Lansing; Astros add Asheville Tourists to three existing affiliates; Mariners see no affiliate changes in 2021; Brewers invite Nashville as new Class AAA affiliate; Nationals invite Rochester, Wilmington as new affiliates; Royals add Quad Cities, Columbia as affiliates; No changes in Boston Red Sox affiliates; No changes in Philadelphia Phillies farm system; Angels add Tri-City as affiliate, keep rest of system; Rays revamp farm system, adding Charleston and promoting Bowling Green; Twins revamp farm system with new St. Paul, Wichita affiliates; Braves add Augusta to affiliate lineup; D-Backs unveil 2021 affiliates; AA to Amarillo; Tigers announce 2021 affiliates: No change