technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. is_chrome_page => null
  3. article_body => "<p>Iowa Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen knew the gravity of the string of invitations coming Wednesday morning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>He opened Twitter and typed: \u201cA lot of tremendous talented, hardworking and loyal people in @milb have their jobs and livelihood impacted greatly today. If you still have a job, keep an eye and an ear open for those who don\u2019t and won\u2019t anymore. You never know how much you can help by simply listening.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>An hour and a half later, the Cubs officially put out good news for its top four affiliates: The organization was inviting the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Double-A Tennessee Smokies, High-A South Bend Cubs and Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans to remain affiliates in MLB\u2019s new player development structure. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>The Eugene Emeralds, which played short-season A ball before the restructuring, were the only former Cubs affiliate left off the list. But the San Francisco Giants invited the Emeralds to become their Class A Advanced affiliate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Cubs\/status\/1336719749502349312\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1607561297\" data-url-provider=\"Twitter\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>\u201cThere is definitely some sadness across minor league baseball today,\u201d South Bend Cubs president Joe Hart said in a phone interview.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>Prior to joining the South Bend Cubs, Hart served as the general manager of the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Florida State League. The Stone Crabs (High-A) were one of 11 full season teams that didn\u2019t receive invitations to join the minors in 2021, according to Baseball America. As the minors shrunk to 120 affiliated teams (the last team to make the cut has yet to be announced), they also eliminated short-season rookie ball.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BaseballAmerica\/status\/1336727785595920387\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1607561438\" data-url-provider=\"Twitter\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>\u201cWe're excited the Cubs are happy with us,\u201d Tennessee Smokies president Chris Allen said in a phone interview. \u201cWe love our relationship with the Cubs, so this is this is a good day for us. With that said, we know there's a lot of people in our industry that are having a bad day.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>The list of minor league teams isn\u2019t set in stone. The affiliates still have to accept the invitations, and the terms and conditions that come with the Player Development License. But few changes are expected. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pelicanbaseball\/status\/1336768670207455232\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1607561252\" data-url-provider=\"Twitter\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>Assuming all four Cubs invitees finalize their affiliations, not much changes in the Cubs farm system. South Bend and Myrtle Beach do swap classifications, and it has yet to be announced what league the Pelicans will play in. With the pipeline flowing the opposite direction, some familiar faces may return to South Bend.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>\u201cWe\u2019re excited and hopeful that a lot of those guys who won that championship for us during the \u201919 season will be back with us in 2021,\u201d Hart said, \u201cto hopefully retain the Midwest League championship.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>The Cubs affiliates were presumed to be safe from contraction months ago. The organization has put an emphasis on state-of-the-art facilities, and its affiliates have delivered, so much so that Single-A South Bend was ready to serve as the Cubs\u2019 alternate site this past summer. The Tennessee Smokies opened a new performance center two years ago, and now owner Randy Boyd is presenting plans for a new ballpark in East Knoxville. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/voiceofcohen\/status\/1336695640282320896\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1607561801\" data-url-provider=\"Twitter\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>So, when Cohen woke up Wednesday morning, he suspected&nbsp;an invitation was coming for the Iowa Cubs. They\u2019ve been a Cubs affiliate since 1981, the third-longest relationship between an MLB team and Triple-A affiliate. But this year has been famously unpredictable. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span><span><span>\u201cI'm thinking about those who have lost their jobs today and are thinking about what's next for them,\u201d Cohen told NBC Sports Chicago, \u201cbecause there are some of those people who have really paved the way for my career and so many people that I know. \u2026 It's been a bittersweet day, for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"app_promo_embed\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:block_content.full\" data-entity-type=\"block_content\" data-entity-uuid=\"84a634bd-85a1-4e39-9e2a-7d404e5646e3\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n"
  4. created => 1607561196
  5. changed => 1607581709
  6. status => true
  7. hero_image_credit => "USA Today"
  8. tags => null
  9. field_bean_single_col => null
  10. section => null
  11. orig_image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/bryant_k_USATSI_11146297.jpg","timestamp":1607562457}
  12. image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2020\/12\/09\/bryant_k_USATSI_11146297.jpg","timestamp":1607562457}
  13. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/video\/how-cubs-president-jed-hoyer-plans-develop-pitchers-and-hitters"
  14. is_mediaid => true
  15. mediaid => "mWOpA6fx2kjR"
  16. video_autoplay => null
  17. video_automute => null
  18. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  19. player_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/vplayer\/p\/BxmELC\/chicago_main\/select\/media\/mWOpA6fx2kjR?form=html&autoPlay=true"
  20. chrome_data => null
  21. description => "The Cubs invited the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Double-A Tennessee Smokies, High-A South Bend Cubs and Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans to remain affiliates in MLB\u2019s new player development structure."
  22. league => "MLB"
  23. league_id => "98"
  24. sport => "Baseball"
  25. sport_id => "5"
  26. image_credit => "USA Today"
  27. no_promo => false
  28. no_trending_in_body => false
  29. no_recirc => false
  30. no_trend => false
  31. short_title => "What contraction means for Cubs affiliates, MiLB"
  32. sponsorship_type => "presented_by"
  33. type => "article"
  34. alias => "\/chicago\/cubs\/what-contraction-means-cubs-affiliates-minor-league-baseball"
  35. title => "What contraction means for Cubs affiliates, minor league baseball"
  36. nid => "218531"
  37. author_0 => "Maddie Lee"
  38. author_0_id => "6421"
  39. mps => {"author_0":"Maddie Lee"}
  40. region => "chicago"
  41. region_id => "4"
  42. sponsor => "Wintrust"
  43. sponsor_id => "1296"
  44. team_id => "75"
  45. team => "Cubs"
  46. published => 1607560985
  47. article_type => "short"
  48. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/chicago\/cubs\/what-contraction-means-cubs-affiliates-minor-league-baseball.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2020\/12\/09\/bryant_k_USATSI_11146297.jpg"]}
Sponsored

/ by Maddie Lee
Presented By Wintrust
Sponsored

Iowa Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen knew the gravity of the string of invitations coming Wednesday morning.

He opened Twitter and typed: “A lot of tremendous talented, hardworking and loyal people in @milb have their jobs and livelihood impacted greatly today. If you still have a job, keep an eye and an ear open for those who don’t and won’t anymore. You never know how much you can help by simply listening.”

An hour and a half later, the Cubs officially put out good news for its top four affiliates: The organization was inviting the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Double-A Tennessee Smokies, High-A South Bend Cubs and Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans to remain affiliates in MLB’s new player development structure.

The Eugene Emeralds, which played short-season A ball before the restructuring, were the only former Cubs affiliate left off the list. But the San Francisco Giants invited the Emeralds to become their Class A Advanced affiliate.

“There is definitely some sadness across minor league baseball today,” South Bend Cubs president Joe Hart said in a phone interview.

Prior to joining the South Bend Cubs, Hart served as the general manager of the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Florida State League. The Stone Crabs (High-A) were one of 11 full season teams that didn’t receive invitations to join the minors in 2021, according to Baseball America. As the minors shrunk to 120 affiliated teams (the last team to make the cut has yet to be announced), they also eliminated short-season rookie ball.

 

“We're excited the Cubs are happy with us,” Tennessee Smokies president Chris Allen said in a phone interview. “We love our relationship with the Cubs, so this is this is a good day for us. With that said, we know there's a lot of people in our industry that are having a bad day.”

The list of minor league teams isn’t set in stone. The affiliates still have to accept the invitations, and the terms and conditions that come with the Player Development License. But few changes are expected.

Assuming all four Cubs invitees finalize their affiliations, not much changes in the Cubs farm system. South Bend and Myrtle Beach do swap classifications, and it has yet to be announced what league the Pelicans will play in. With the pipeline flowing the opposite direction, some familiar faces may return to South Bend.

“We’re excited and hopeful that a lot of those guys who won that championship for us during the ’19 season will be back with us in 2021,” Hart said, “to hopefully retain the Midwest League championship.”

The Cubs affiliates were presumed to be safe from contraction months ago. The organization has put an emphasis on state-of-the-art facilities, and its affiliates have delivered, so much so that Single-A South Bend was ready to serve as the Cubs’ alternate site this past summer. The Tennessee Smokies opened a new performance center two years ago, and now owner Randy Boyd is presenting plans for a new ballpark in East Knoxville.

So, when Cohen woke up Wednesday morning, he suspected an invitation was coming for the Iowa Cubs. They’ve been a Cubs affiliate since 1981, the third-longest relationship between an MLB team and Triple-A affiliate. But this year has been famously unpredictable.

“I'm thinking about those who have lost their jobs today and are thinking about what's next for them,” Cohen told NBC Sports Chicago, “because there are some of those people who have really paved the way for my career and so many people that I know. … It's been a bittersweet day, for sure.”

Download
Download MyTeams Today!