H1Man
01-31-2007, 01:06 PM
Tigers extend agreement with Toledo
Deal with Triple-A affiliate guaranteed through 2010 season
The Toledo Mud Hens will be a Tigers affiliate through at least 2010. The Tigers extended their working agreement with the club for another two years on Tuesday, continuing a partnership that has produced back-to-back International League Governors' Cup championships.
The new agreement runs on top of the two-year agreement signed last winter that begins this year, extending an affiliation that has run since 1987. Only six current Triple-A franchises have longer-running associations with their parent clubs. Twenty-seven Tigers players last year had spent some part of their career with the Mud Hens, who set a single-season attendance record last season.
"The Mud Hens represent everything a Major League organization looks for in an affiliate relationship," Tigers director of Minor League operations Dan Lunetta said in a statement, "and this is and has been a perfect fit for each other for many years and hopefully for many more years to come. Toledo is an integral part of our developmental process, and the fan support we have received has certainly played a role in the success of our back-to-back championships."
In an interview, Lunetta said that the Tigers approached Mud Hens management about the matter earlier this winter. Four years is the longest that Major and Minor League teams can agree on.
Lunetta wouldn't call the agreement a formality, but the natural fit of the relationship has been an advantage on both sides. The Tigers' success both in the Majors and in player development has added to that.
"The benefits to the Mud Hens are numerous in terms of the quality of individuals and players signed by the Tigers to play in Toledo," Toledo Mud Hens board president Mike Miller said in a statement. "We feel very good about the affiliation with the Tigers and the mutual benefits derived."
With the new deal, the Tigers have agreements through 2010 at both Toledo, low Class A West Michigan and short-season Class A Oneonta to go with ownership of their high Class A Lakeland franchise. The Tigers haven't moved affiliates at any level since shifting their Double-A franchise to Erie in 2001.
"It's an enormous advantage," Lunetta said. "When you're able to secure those agreements with those affiliations that are so important to the overall scheme of things in your organization, it speaks well of how strong the relationship is with not only Toledo, but also our other affiliates. The last thing you want to deal with is instability with your Minor League affiliates."
The one affiliate not under agreement through 2010 is Erie, where the current deal runs through 2008. That agreement runs as long as team owner Mandalay Sports Entertainment's current lease in Erie. The Tigers have not yet had talks on an extension there, but Lunetta said that staying there would be their ideal scenario.
"We've had two difficult years there with regard to on the field," Lunetta said, "and we're trying to emphasize winning at all levels. We really feel the need to perform much better there, not only this year, but in the next couple years. They also have to assess where they're going with the Tigers. We like very much being in Erie. [General manager] John Frye and his staff do an outstanding job running the [organization], and they treat our players and staff very well."
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070130&content_id=1789459&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det
Deal with Triple-A affiliate guaranteed through 2010 season
The Toledo Mud Hens will be a Tigers affiliate through at least 2010. The Tigers extended their working agreement with the club for another two years on Tuesday, continuing a partnership that has produced back-to-back International League Governors' Cup championships.
The new agreement runs on top of the two-year agreement signed last winter that begins this year, extending an affiliation that has run since 1987. Only six current Triple-A franchises have longer-running associations with their parent clubs. Twenty-seven Tigers players last year had spent some part of their career with the Mud Hens, who set a single-season attendance record last season.
"The Mud Hens represent everything a Major League organization looks for in an affiliate relationship," Tigers director of Minor League operations Dan Lunetta said in a statement, "and this is and has been a perfect fit for each other for many years and hopefully for many more years to come. Toledo is an integral part of our developmental process, and the fan support we have received has certainly played a role in the success of our back-to-back championships."
In an interview, Lunetta said that the Tigers approached Mud Hens management about the matter earlier this winter. Four years is the longest that Major and Minor League teams can agree on.
Lunetta wouldn't call the agreement a formality, but the natural fit of the relationship has been an advantage on both sides. The Tigers' success both in the Majors and in player development has added to that.
"The benefits to the Mud Hens are numerous in terms of the quality of individuals and players signed by the Tigers to play in Toledo," Toledo Mud Hens board president Mike Miller said in a statement. "We feel very good about the affiliation with the Tigers and the mutual benefits derived."
With the new deal, the Tigers have agreements through 2010 at both Toledo, low Class A West Michigan and short-season Class A Oneonta to go with ownership of their high Class A Lakeland franchise. The Tigers haven't moved affiliates at any level since shifting their Double-A franchise to Erie in 2001.
"It's an enormous advantage," Lunetta said. "When you're able to secure those agreements with those affiliations that are so important to the overall scheme of things in your organization, it speaks well of how strong the relationship is with not only Toledo, but also our other affiliates. The last thing you want to deal with is instability with your Minor League affiliates."
The one affiliate not under agreement through 2010 is Erie, where the current deal runs through 2008. That agreement runs as long as team owner Mandalay Sports Entertainment's current lease in Erie. The Tigers have not yet had talks on an extension there, but Lunetta said that staying there would be their ideal scenario.
"We've had two difficult years there with regard to on the field," Lunetta said, "and we're trying to emphasize winning at all levels. We really feel the need to perform much better there, not only this year, but in the next couple years. They also have to assess where they're going with the Tigers. We like very much being in Erie. [General manager] John Frye and his staff do an outstanding job running the [organization], and they treat our players and staff very well."
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070130&content_id=1789459&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det