The writing was on the wall before the season started when New York State Senator Charles Schumer said the Mets were interested in joining forces with the Chiefs. In 2006, a Mets-Chiefs marriage could very well have happened had Syracuse waited before the end of that season to size up their affilation options. The Chiefs had signed another two-year player development contract with the Jays that summer and did not anticipate that the Mets were going to end their long-standing affiliation with Norfolk. After the dust settled, the Mets signed a two-year deal with New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League.
It looked like things were going to be different for the Chiefs this year when they battled for top spot in their division and were in the running for the wild card in the first half before everything fell apart in the second half, finishing below .500 for the eighth consecutive season. Setting the tone for what was likely the final day of the Jays affiliation was the choice of jersey worn by the U.S. national anthem singer for yesterday's finale at Alliance Bank Stadium. The CBS affiliate in Syracuse has the historical highlights of the Jays probable last stand in Syracuse. Judging by fan reaction on the fan forum at Syracuse.com, the fans are thrilled this partnership is coming to an end and are very giddy about a potential affiliation with the Mets. It would only make too much sense for the Mets to affiliate with Syracuse as their AA club in Binghamton is only about 75 miles down I-81.
Where does that leave the Jays? It appears that the Jays could very well be affiliated with Buffalo in 2009 as Cleveland has long been rumoured to sign a new player development contract with Columbus as the Clippers are set to move into a new ballpark next season. Columbus' deal with Washington also expires at the end of this season. A Jays-Bisons affilation also would make too much sense as Buffalo is just a two-hour drive, if you don't factor in the brutal waiting times at the border.
It would appear that unless the Mets decide to go with Buffalo instead, the Jays-Chiefs marriage will be over. On a personal note, I always enjoyed taking trips to Syracuse before my brief pit-stop in Alberta. I was hoping to get to see the new and improved Alliance Bank Stadium this season but it wasn't in the cards. I hope to change that next season, regardless of Syracuse's affiliation because I do like that ballpark. I also enjoyed the fact that the Carousel Centre shopping mall was nearby and I could go to Borders book store to load up on my baseball reading. Even though Buffalo is closer and Dunn Tire Park is not a bad place to watch a game, the surrounding area leaves a lot to be desired. I can't blame the Chiefs for wanting to shake things up, the fans there deserve a winner. If you're happy about a Jays-Bisons affiliation, the Herd have released its 2009 schedule.
If you're interested about the status of each major and minor league affiliation, this website is a pretty good resource. We'll find out how all of this shakes out in a couple of weeks.
