Jim Bowden is loser in Richmond

(owner Mark Lerner, President Stan Kasten and GM Jim Bowden) flew up to Syracuse to check out the facilities, ask questions and try to make their pitch Washington makes sense for us," said John Simone, the Chiefs' GM.

Simone said that Syracuse particularly liked Washington's minor league system,
Simone also acknowledged that the Mets were always Syracuse's top choice. But the Mets picked Buffalo in 2007 …there is increased buzz from Syracuse noting that the Mets triple-a affiliate will leave New Orleans at the end of this season, and move to Syracuse…

…all sorts of people continue to tell me that staff up in Syracuse have already been notified of the change…of course, from what i can gather, that’s news to people in New Orleans, who feel very comfortable with the one full year left on their current deal with the Mets…

…one thing i do know, the people of Syracuse are already quite cozy with the colors blue and orange, so that should make for easy marketing… On Sept. 19, 2006, Mets general manager Omar Minaya and senior executive vice president Jeff Wilpon spent the morning in Scranton, Pa., and New York Yankees officials spent the afternoon. Both teams wanted to be in Scranton, and Scranton chose the Yankees in 2008 What started as a dream has become a team," said county commissioner Bert Nasuti, who led the effort to bring minor league baseball to Gwinnett.
the city being left behind would be an ideal place for the Nationals to put their top farm club. Could the Nationals sign a two-year deal with New Orleans (the shortest allowable length of time for an affiliation contract), buy the club and move it to Richmond for the 2011 season on September Senator Chuck Schumer spoke with Mets owner Jeff Wilpon Tuesday night about the team’s plans for its minor league team, and while Schumer says there’s a 90 percent chance the Mets will relocate upstate, Syracuse is in a close fight with Buffalo for the Mets on 09-04-08 Schumer's statement:

"I spoke with Jeff Wilpon, who is in charge of the Mets' relationship with farm teams, and there is good news here. It is virtually certain that the Mets will not renew their relationship with their farm team in New Orleans, and there is over a 90 percent chance that they will affiliate with a New York State team, which would be a huge win for Upstate New York.

"The competition is between two great cities -- Syracuse and Buffalo -- and franchises in both cities must make their best case to Mets management over the coming days and weeks on 09-06-08
Onondaga County and local business groups say they're ready to help organize a red-carpet greeting or do whatever it takes to help the Chiefs land the Mets. They're just waiting for the Chiefs to ask.

But the Chiefs say they favor a more low-key approach that team officials believe will be just as effective as red carpets or marching bands.

Chiefs general manager John Simone said he is planning a quiet meeting with the Mets Sept. 18, the first day the Mets can talk to Syracuse and Buffalo. on 09-09-08 A strike for the Syracuse Chiefs Tuesday. Onondaga County's facilities committee chose not to vote on bonding $1.3 million dollars for a new scoreboard at Alliance Bank Stadium. Team manager John Simone was disappointed by the delay.

"We had a very good season this year and hope to keep improving on it, hopefully with what major league team comes here and all the improvements to be made in the facility and the fan experience of a new score board will make it even better," said Simone.

on 09-10-08 The Daily News has learned that the Mets are trying to buy a portion of the Syracuse franchise. on Thursday September 18, 2008 Officials from the Washington Nationals major league baseball team visited Syracuse this afternoon to discuss moving its Triple-A team here.

The contingent, which included several of the National's top executives, arrived at Alliance Bank Stadium at 1:30 p.m. today.

They toured the clubhouse, looked at the grass and at 2 p.m. met with Syracuse Chiefs officials
But it looks like the Mets are heading to Buffalo on Tuesday September 16, 2008 the New York Mets will send their top prospects to Buffalo, not Syracuse. Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports that the Mets will go to Buffalo's Dunn Tire Park because of a sequence of events in the past week.
With the moratorium on discussions having ended at 12:01 a.m. on 09-18-08 the Buffalo Bisons and Syracuse Chiefs officially began courting the Mets New York Mets to move their Triple-A affiliate on
09-19-2008
According to The Buffalo News, the Mets’ triple-A affiliate in New Orleans will be moving to Buffalo in 2009.

The team has called a press conference for Monday to apparently name the Mets as the new parent team to the Buffalo Bisons. the Wilpon Omar Minaya and Sen. Charles E. Schumer become heros This is very good news for sports fans in Western New York,” Schumer said. “The marriage between Buffalo and the Mets looks like it’s a great one and I believe it will last a long time. The Mets are a great organization and so are the Bisons. The merger of the two will create even better minor-league ball I’m just glad the Mets stayed in Upstate,” Schumer said. “Once I learned Buffalo would be available, all I told the Wilpons was, ‘Do it in New York and pick whatever bid you’re comfortable with.’”

on 09-20-08 NewsChannel 9 has learned the Syracuse Chiefs will take on the Washington Nationals as the city's new Major League affiliate.

The Chiefs' board of directors made the decision Saturday after a visit from the Florida Marlins.

The Nationals were in town for a tour of Alliance Bank Stadium on Thursday.

A press conference announcing the pairing is expected to take place Monday morning.

Central New York's preferred affiliate, the New York Mets, took a pass on the Chiefs earlier this week and opted to go further west with the Buffalo Bisons. That marriage was announced Friday on 09-22-2008 The Indians' GM raved about one of his Minor League affiliates, the Buffalo Bisons. Minaya listened to Shapiro's stories about owner Bob Rich, the way the players were treated and the amount of talent in upstate New York.

So, to answer Wilpon's question, "Where's the best place to develop our players?" Minaya stood on Shapiro's word. The Mets will no longer have their Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans as of 2009, and have moved closer to home by signing a two-year player-development contract with Buffalo.

The announcement was made on Monday at what will become the Mets' Triple-A stadium, Dunn Tire Park, where Wilpon, Minaya and Adam Wogan, the director of Minor League operations, were accompanied by Rich; his wife, Mindy; Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown; and New York Governor David Paterson.

"The Mets are one of the most highly recognizable franchises in all of sports and have a well-established tradition of winning and excellence, which makes them a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bisons," Rich said. "The Bisons recognize the importance of having a strong Major League partner and feel that this new connection with an in-state team will provide our fans with many seasons of great baseball."

This is the second time in the Bisons' 124-year history that they have paired with the Mets. The Bisons were the Mets' International League affiliate for three seasons (1963-65). In fact, former first baseman Ed Kranepool played in Buffalo in 1963 and '64 before beginning his 18-year Mets career.

Moving from New Orleans to Buffalo makes the most sense geographically, Minaya said in a statement, as it keeps three of the Mets' affiliates in New York State (joining Class A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton). From a travel perspective, designating players will be an easier chore, as well.

"We look forward to being in Buffalo as an organization and in the community, and working with the Rich family as home base for our top Minor League team," Wilpon said. "Their commitment to innovation has earned them the well-deserved reputation for management excellence and providing the finest fan experience in the Minor Leagues."

Paterson expressed his hope that another hardy generation of talent will come through the Buffalo system. Following Sunday's loss to Atlanta, spurred by the Braves' four-run eighth inning, the governor hoped for better things for the Mets in the season's final week.

"The Mets' bullpen is going to kill me," Paterson joked. "It's not the budget, it's not AIG, it's not the Federal Reserve -- it's the Mets' bullpen