Rockies to move Rookie team to Grand Junction
The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the Colorado Rockies will move their Rookie level affiliate from Casper to Grand Junction for the 2012 season. The move is reportedly awaiting approval by the Grand Junction city council, which will vote on the matter Monday.
Casper has been home to the Rockies’ Rookie team since 2001.
UPDATE, 10/17: The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports that the city council approved a lease agreement that will bring the Rockies’ affiliate to Grand Junction. The Rookie league team will begin play at Suplizio Field in June 2012.
Thats a shame for Casper, but makes the trip a whole lot easier for most of us. Anyone see the egregious math error in the article?
Got the math error…
At least they’re moving down in elevation, about 800 feet lower. Overall,I like this move. Great weather there in GJ. And GJ is a really underated town in general in this state. Also, it is a great baseball town, in that it perennially plays host to the JUCO world series. Who knows maybe this move will give us the inside track on some JUCO talent for the big club.
…If we can only move our AAA team out of Colorado Springs now. I hate that no-pitching band box down there.
Next task moving Sky Sox to Lincoln, Nebrsska.
This Montrose guy loves it. MiLB Rox baseball only 75 minutes away!
Agree with you, RMH, on Lincoln. Do they have an acceptable ballyard?
Forgot to say that Suplizio Field, named after Yankee farmhand/ST coach and JUCO Guru Sam Suplizio, is a good ballpark. Right in downtown GJ, only a short drive off I-70. Been to many JUCO games there.
Where will they play in Grand Junction? Will they share an existing place or is a new park being built?
Didn’t they upgrade that park some years ago.Seems like I read they wanted to attract a minor league pro team.Will the team still be the Ghosts? Great name-go buy all the gear when closed out-may become collectors items!Right up there with the Rancho Cucamanga “Quakes”.
Will this still be a Pioneer League team?
Just looking at the Pioneer League, the Ghosts are in the South division with two Utah teams and an Idaho team so this makes a lot of travel sense as well as the baseball community they’re moving into.
Not a bad drive from Denver, either.
You can count on a new name/logo too. That’s where the team make’s bucks.
Should be a good move.
I live in Grand Junction, the word is they are going to call them the Grand Junction Rockies. At least for a year or two just so everybody knows it is a Rockies affiliate. Then a possible change in name a year or so down the road. Suplizio field is currently having a huge upgrade/remodel done to it’s stadium. They are redoing the press box’s and such, I believe about a 8-10 million renovation. Stadium holds about 12-14 thousand I believe, which sells out for JUCO. Big thing around here was to not interfere with JUCO, which it won’t cuz the season starts after JUCO.
That’s to bad, becuase theres a lot of host families that really take care of these rookies and treat them like family.
I hope they choose something more original and relevant for the town for the nick name. It would be a terribly missed opportunity to promote the area if they don’t.
I used to know Sam Suplizio a little; an absolutely terrific gentleman and wonderful ambassador for both Grand Junction and baseball in general. He was a tremendous prospect in the Yankee system before wrecking his knee while breaking up a double play.
The ballpark is a gem. I saw many games there at the Juco tournament. Bryce Harper played there last year. And Mesa State, now Colorado Mesa, has had an excellent program. Giants reliever Sergio Romo pitched for the Mavericks.
All in all, it’s a very good baseball town.
GJ is a much easier drive then Casper but the Casper Ghosts had one of the great names in baseball.
Might drive over there once or twice next summer and catch the action. And hang out at the Glenwood Springs pool for a few hours on the way.
But I wish we were talking about the Rockies playing in the World Series starting Wednesday rather than where our rookie league team is playing.
By the way there is a great article on SI.com about Nelson Cruz and how he was put on waivers a few years back and nobody signed him. Took him a long time to “get it”. Once he did, wow. We can always hope that Ian Stewart will get it next. With the Rockies.
Yeah I hope they change the name sooner rather than later. And that’s not official yet, but that is the word.
This is really great news, not only for Grand Junction, but also for the next generations of Rox rookies, who will have much shorter bus trips to endure.
Glad to second Alex Colfax’s appreciation of Sam Suplizio as an outstanding person, and a true “baseball guy.” He would have made the show, but for his injury. His protege’, Jamie Hamilton, has continued the great support of baseball in GJ.
GJ has motels in all price ranges, RV facilities, good restaurants, and is fairly easy to get around in, for a river town. Several National Monuments, and other scenic attractions, from Montrose to Rifle. And a good ballpark!
See you there next year, ITR posters.
And now it is official, the Grand Junction Rockies! I’m stoked, just not entirely of the name. There is 15 guaranteed seasons in Grand Junction, and for all alcohol drinkers, alcohol will be served. LOL
Bill, I also read that Nelson Cruz article and my first thought was Ian Stewart too. It may be wishful thinking and nothing more – Stewart may or may not have the right mix upstairs – but the fact is, these Nelson Cruz type stories do happen. If I’m DOD, especially given all the investment already made, I make one more gamble on Stewart at $2 Million.
A heads up for all the ITR posters.
I can see a road trip to GJ next summer. I have access to a huge RV which will seat 7-9 of us comfortably.(We won’t sleep in it.) Leave from Greeley…pick ups in Denver and points along the way towards GJ on I-70.(I can almost guarantee a celebrity traveler will be on board… since he owns the RV…and with a little luck he may “spring” for the fuel.)
Robba and any others from the western slope join us and we have a high ol’ time demonstrating our extensive baseball acumen through our insightful dialogue. We posters, after all, know all there is to know regarding the Rox.
I envision a three-day trip(there are 4 weekend dates where the Rox are on the road in June and July…can’t imagine one of those dates won’t matchup with a weekend series in GJ)…depart Friday noon for a 3-game series which will undoubtedly include a Sunday day game…back in time for the last 4 innings of MLB on ESPN on Sunday night. I will be honored to supply the Bud Lite for the trip there and back.(You don’t like Bud Lite?…wouldn’t drink it if it was free? Plenty of room on the RV for competing brands…the celebrity quaffs Coors Original if you can stomach that.)
What do you think? Sounds like a plan to me. I’m stoked!
(How about we invite Steve, our guru, on the trip. We all “pick up” his share as a heartfelt thanks for the job he does here on ITR.)
Off topic, but Arenado continues to hit in the AFL. At least from a box score standpoint, he’s looking like the real deal. (Agbayani may yet be correct on that late 2012 ETA.) OTOH, Wheeler and Paulsen are only hitting in the .240s, although Wheeler has some extra base hits and RBIs. Do any of you have any insights on our guys in the AFL from having seen games or talked to people who have seen games?
That would be swell.
Julian I just got back from Scottsdale I saw three of the Saltriver games while I was there and Arenado is hitting the cover off the ball. Almost all the balls he has put in play have been hit hard. He looks pretty good on defence too. Told the people with me I expect him to be with the big team by the All Star break unless something changes with the Rockies
Great idea, Ed. I’m in. Also will be glad to help with expenses for Steve (and Jack, if he wants to come.) A good way to thank them for their work, and to get to know them personally.
Rockies Crazy, how did the other players look? Steve, what are you hearing about how the players are doing?
I saw Wheeler twice and he looked pretty good at the plate and great in the field. Only saw Paulson play in one game and he didn’t do anything special. I saw Frazier, Weathers, and Scahill each pitch once and Frazier looked the best his stuff was moving pretty good that night, the others looked solid. Didn’t get to see Gardner pitch at all
Please do invite me as a passenger on the trip; if the RV can seat only 7-9 of us then I’m guessing if more wants to go for an ITR weekend, I’ve got a extended Chevy Venture van that can seat 5 more besides myself. Then we can set up a makeshift tailgate/bbq area whether it’s at the stadium or nearby such as a KOA campground. The above scenario is based on the assumption that we will find our own lodging for the entire weekend; I like the KOA idea best since we can throw tents and gather around the fire when not at the games. I live right by I-70 near the DIA airport. I can pick up the ITRs along I-70 east of I-270 (assuming Ed the Ump) comes down via I-76 or I-270.
I’m not much of a camper but for something like this that would be a lot of fun to do the KOA.
I have only the box scores to go by, but given his age and experience relative to the competition, Arenado’s performance is very notable. Frazier has been solid, too.
More info excerpted from the GJ Sentinal from 10/14 b4 the announcement. There’s some good info here:
The (city council) agenda item says the team name is to be announced, but “GJR” stands for “Grand Junction Rockies,” according to a source, which the team will be called the first year. A fan contest would rename the team for the 2013 season.
Casper Mayor Paul Bertoglio said the Rockies wanted to move the club to a bigger market to develop a stronger fan base and generate higher attendance, the Casper Star Tribune reported Friday on its website.
The Ghosts were seventh in the Pioneer League in attendance in 2012, averaging only 1,296 fans per game. Ogden (Utah) averaged 3,442 fans a game this past season.
Suplizio Field is in the midst of an $8.3 million upgrade, which is scheduled to be completed by May 2012, and seats more than 10,000.
It’s the home of the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series, four District 51 high school teams and Colorado Mesa University. None of those seasons conflicts with the Pioneer League season.
The Tribune also reported the Monfort Group will pay a $200,000 buyout to the city of Casper.
The Pioneer League begins play two weeks after the June amateur draft, with the majority of players on those teams coming out of the draft.
According to Tim Ray(I’m not sure what his title is, I think its the “GM”) he says the name is the name. So no fan contests or anything later. I think that can always change though, I sure hope so.
Us Wyoming fans will miss that connection, but understand the attendance and travel time.
I’m cool with the move to Grand Junction – with all due respect to our friends in Wyoming, Grand Junction is better town for baseball and just a better town in general – but I don’t get all this talk about travel time, shorter drive, etc. Using Coors as your starting point, Grand Junction is only about 30 miles closer and the drive time is almost identical due to the smoother/straighter freeway to Casper. Again, I approve the move, but how is this more convienient for road-tripping Denverites?