With the recent addition of the Buffalo Bisons as the AAA afiliate, the Mets now have four teams in New York State, solidifying their status as the New Yorkiest baseball team, ever.
Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones – An affiliate since 2001, the Brooklyn Cyclones play under the shadow of The Cyclone. Â You want to know how to define Americana? Â Picture this: Â A family (mom, dad, two and a half kids and a dog) are eating apple pie, while watching a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, as fireworks are going off just beyond the lattice structure of the Cyclone. Â Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” is playing. Â Commies and terrorists are quaking in fear.
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Double-A Binghamton Mets – Reyes. Wright. Murphy. Evans. Niese. Parnell. Â A bunch of Mets on the current roster (and plenty more that could make the big club this coming year) have played the hallowed field at NYSEG Stadium in downtown Binghamton. Â And countless Binghamton University Bearcats have completely lost it on Two-For-Tuesdays over the years. Â Here’s a tip: make sure you eat before you get to the park. Â It always seemed like the concession people were getting ready for Shea, too. Â
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Triple-A Buffalo Bisons – The Mets AAA team had, for as long as I could remember, been in Norfolk, Virginia until 2 years ago, when their contract expired and they opted to move to New Orleans.  The team was known as the Zephyrs, and to me, it never seemed like a real affiliate.  Their logos and uniform colors didn’t at all reflect the Mets’.  Plus, since day one, there were rumors of the team picking up and moving again.  Well, it finally happened a few weeks ago, with the Mets landing in Buffalo, NY.  I’m sure the prospects won’t love the weather in early spring, but if they want to play at CitiField, they had better get used to it. Â
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And, of course, your Major League New York Mets!Â
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I love the fact that sometime down the line, a player may make it to the big league club without playing a day of his professional career outside of New York state.
There’s still rumor that the Mets will move their AAA affiliate. The ideal location was somewhere between Syracuse and Albany. The closer to Queens, the better is the idea (I think Norfolk is about as far as Buffalo).
If that’s how they really feel, I’d love them to make B’lyn Cyclones the AAA affiliate and move single A to Buffalo or who-cares-where. I suppose the fear of having AAA so close to Flushing is that it may draw fans away who’d rather pay less to see some rehabbing MLB guys play.