Press Release: Minor League Baseball is one step closer to Pensacola, after a meeting of team owners from the Southern League of Minor League Baseball on Monday. The league approved, through an online vote, the relocation of the Carolina Mudcats to Pensacola, where they will play as the Blue Wahoos.
The move was another hurdle cleared in the complicated process of approval and relocation of the AA Blue Wahoos, an affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds. According to Bruce Baldwin, president of the Blue Wahoos, the process for buying, moving, and renaming an affiliate of Major League Baseball is a complicated and extensive one.
“There are only 30 Double-A baseball teams in the country that are Major League affiliated, meaning they have gone through the rigorous financial, market, and personnel checks to satisfy Major League Baseball,” said Baldwin. “Each of these minor league teams are technically part of a major league team’s operation, so there are several hoops to jump through because frankly, it’s a very exclusive club. Major League Baseball is rightfully very protective of their brand and their markets, so this is a huge step forward to having a major league franchise playing in Pensacola next spring,” Baldwin continued.
The approval came as part of a conference call held Monday by owners of other Southern League teams. To bring the Reds’ affiliate to Pensacola, team officials had to negotiate the purchase and relocation of the Reds’ Carolina Mudcats team, which included an exhaustive financial review of the team owners, FBI-level background checks on the Blue Wahoos owner and staff, and stringent requirements on branding and marketing.
League owners and officials were excited about the approval and about bringing minor league baseball to Pensacola.
Mobile BayBears’ President Bill Shanahan said he looked forward to the rivalry with another Gulf Coast city. “New York and Chicago both have their own ‘crosstown rivalries’ between their Major League teams. Mobile and Pensacola are two different cities, but I think it will be great for both organizations to have the ‘I-10’ rivalry or the ‘Battle of the Bays’ to generate some real excitement this spring,” said Shanahan.
Lori Webb, the Vice-President for Operations for the Southern League, said the Blue Wahoos organization was on the right track to being a successful ball club. “The Southern League is happy to welcome the Blue Wahoos to our League,” said Webb. “We look forward to being a part of the Pensacola community and helping to bring our family-friendly national pastime to Pensacola.”
The next hurdle is final approval by Major League Baseball’s administrative arm, which is anticipated in the next 30 days. Following that approval, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos will finally be the official minor league franchise of the Cincinnati Reds.
