Not every MiLB team dumped by MLB in the sport’s reorganization has found a new home. For those teams, the end means a going-out-of-business sale and little else, as was the case with the Charlotte Stone Crabs (High A; Florida State League).
Take the sad end of the Stone Crabs: a going-out-of-business sale at Charlotte Sports Park last week. The Stone Crabs and the Florida Fire Frogs were casualties of the move from 160 MiLB teams to 120 teams for 2021 and beyond; simply put, no MLB team worked to keep either team in business, and given the lack of indy leagues in the area (as well as a lack of homes; neither team had access to ballparks), they ended up going out of business. And with the team notified it had to be out of Charlotte Sports Park by Jan. 6, the decision was made to hold a garage sale. From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune:
And with no summer activity involving the team at Charlotte Sports Park, soon-to-be unemployed Stone Crabs general manager Jeff Cook needed to clear his portion of the house.
Everything was arranged — at least at one point — on tables and on the floor inside the minor league offices at the stadium….
“How much do you want to give me?” was a familiar question, as customers dug into their pockets for the cash-only sales.
The Stone Crabs launched in the 2009 MiLB season when Ripken Baseball moved the Vero Beach Devil Rays to the renovated Charlotte Sports Park. The team was subsequently purchased by Caribbean Baseball Initiative, which also owns the Wichita Wind Surge (Class AA; Texas League).
As noted, the Florida Fire Frogs were also contracted in the MLB downsizing, That team was set to play in 2020 at North Port’s CoolToday Park as an Atlanta Braves farm team; previously the team had played at Kissimmee’s Osceola County Stadium and Space Coast Stadium in Viera. The loss of both the Stone Crabs and Fire Frogs means considerably less minor league baseball in Charlotte County and southern Sarasota County, with only the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the Bradenton Marauders in the general area, with an hour’s drive.
Here’s the most up-to-date information about the current affiliation status.
RELATED STORIES: ValleyCats join Frontier League; 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