[jnjbj]

I liked watching baseball no matter what. any game any where. I fell in love with the Pirates. Pops, the cobra, the candy man and Sarge. The nicknames got me.

[beginesj]

Actually, no. They are a couple of hours away. My local team was the Burlington Indians of the RC-level Appalachian League. They are now the Royals. I got to see several good players at those games as a child/teen. The top two would be Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome.

Okay I live near the Kinston. We went to one game last year. My kids loved it. I was happy because they beat the Red Sox AA. Unfortunately their last season was last season. I guess the Indians hate NC.

[giants1957]

a die hard GIANTS fans here.... born and raised in san fran.....i remember the ALOU brothers. It bring back memories when the giants was so good in that era

[jnjbj]

a die hard GIANTS fans here.... born and raised in san fran.....i remember the ALOU brothers. It bring back memories when the giants was so good in that era

I loved Matt Williams and Will Clark. I almost changed favorite teams during that era

[spazmatastic]

Okay I live near the Kinston. We went to one game last year. My kids loved it. I was happy because they beat the Red Sox AA. Unfortunately their last season was last season. I guess the Indians hate NC.

So who is Kinston being affiliated with for 2012? As far as the CLE organization is concerned, I just think they are trying to tighten up their belts. They seriously need to save some cash to do at least 1 of 2 things:

1-- Re-Sign the good players they currently have and still have money to try to haul in one or two good established players.

2-- Spend money on keeping the DP's that they are drafting, no matter what position. - Never happens anymore

Cleveland has decimated themselves by constantly trading away the players they have drafted. You mention that they are no longer affiliated with Kinston--I have heard nothing about this. It does NOT surprise me at all though.
Cleveland is constantly digging a grave that they may never rise up from. It will take some amazing trades/deals for them to get out of the hole they continue to dig. They are dealing with the Organization as if they were the Pittsburgh Pirates of the AL. No offense meant to the Pirates fans, but I know you understand what I'm saying. What the Indians are doing to their team AND minor league system is even worse than that. The Indians continue to decimate their MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS!!! They are not the Nationals, who can eat up Top DP's every year! Even if the Indians could draft some of the best Picks, where can they send them? They keep dumping minor league team affiliations left, right, and BACKWARDS! If CLE continues this trend, I will not even bother to cheer when they DO win that occassional game!

[beginesj]

So who is Kinston being affiliated with for 2012? As far as the CLE organization is concerned, I just think they are trying to tighten up their belts. They seriously need to save some cash to do at least 1 of 2 things:

1-- Re-Sign the good players they currently have and still have money to try to haul in one or two good established players.

2-- Spend money on keeping the DP's that they are drafting, no matter what position. - Never happens anymore

Cleveland has decimated themselves by constantly trading away the players they have drafted. You mention that they are no longer affiliated with Kinston--I have heard nothing about this. It does NOT surprise me at all though.
Cleveland is constantly digging a grave that they may never rise up from. It will take some amazing trades/deals for them to get out of the hole they continue to dig. They are dealing with the Organization as if they were the Pittsburgh Pirates of the AL. No offense meant to the Pirates fans, but I know you understand what I'm saying. What the Indians are doing to their team AND minor league system is even worse than that. The Indians continue to decimate their MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS!!! They are not the Nationals, who can eat up Top DP's every year! Even if the Indians could draft some of the best Picks, where can they send them? They keep dumping minor league team affiliations left, right, and BACKWARDS! If CLE continues this trend, I will not even bother to cheer when they DO win that occassional game!

Last I heard Kinston was trying to get another minor league team but no word on who yet. You have explained it better than anyone around here on why they moved. I could not figure it out. The reason I got was they found a cheaper town. However, the only thing Kinston had going for them was the team. I could not imagine it being that expensive to play there.

[spazmatastic]

Last I heard Kinston was trying to get another minor league team but no word on who yet. You have explained it better than anyone around here on why they moved. I could not figure it out. The reason I got was they found a cheaper town. However, the only thing Kinston had going for them was the team. I could not imagine it being that expensive to play there.

When they left Burlington, they switched their RC level affiliation to a team in the Gulf Coast League, but I don't know who/where. A lot of the NC teams have switched affiliations in the past several years. The Greensboro team changed from the Yankees to the Rays. I know a couple others changed too, but I don't know specifics.

[zaccheus85]

1. Die hard Rockies fan...even after they traded Ubaldo I couldn't keep myself from rooting for them.
2. Born and raised in Colorado. My parents both grew up in the south so I was a Braves fan before the Rockies came along...since the Rockies came though I have bled purple.
3. I always loved watching Tony Gwynn (one of the best all-around hitters and hustlers I have watched play), Ripken (tough as nails and a great hitter), and Ken Griffey Jr.

[kinarism]

At this point...die hard giants fan...but I've only been to SF once in my life (finally made it out to a game Aug 1st 2010). When I first got into baseball back when I was 7 (1986) I started out as a Pirates fan because I liked this young guy named Barry Bonds because he has a funny name. I had no idea at the time that he came from a baseball family. When the Pirates didn't resign him in 93 I was so mad at the that I disowned them and followed Barry to SF.

While I still root for the Giants, I no longer really idolize any particular player. Instead I've come to appreciate the stadiums in which the game is played. I take every chance I can to goto a new ballpark even if it is a minor league park. Someday I hope to make a trip to every major leage team's stadium.

[sastahl]

I'm curious. I assume that most of the people in this forum and those that are collecting baseball cards are pretty big baseball fans. My questions are about your rooting intrests:

1) How many of you are fans (diehard, fair weather or otherwise) of one particular team?

2) How did you get to rooting for that team? Were you born into it (maybe your dad rooted for the team)? Did you move to a city with a team?

3) How many of you have a favorite player that is NOT on your team?

You from the quad cities? im from clinton so your prolly a cubbie fan like me. I guess in IA you have a host of teams someone can claim (i.e cards, brewers, north side and south side chicago) being that we dont have a team of our own. but one trip to wrigley as a kid was all i needed to win my allegiance. but ironically my favorite player growing up was jeff bagwell.