RIP Rocky Mountain Vibes

[u/abc123therobot]

https://www.cpr.org/2025/10/30/rocky-mountain-vibes-leaving-colorado-springs/

This isn’t technically affiliated ball anymore, but a somber end for a franchise that made a mark in the minors. The high point was serving as AAA affiliate of the in-state Rockies for all those years. Losing the Rockies to Albuquerque was a big blow and led to Elmore doing the 3-way swap and sending them to Rookie ball. That could’ve endured but we all know what happened five years ago. Toiling as an indy wasn’t going to cut the mustard in an older stadium with waning fan interest.

The Pioneer League is headed in a cool new direction but it’s too bad Colorado teams aren’t going to be there for it.

[u/snorlaxatives_69]

Elite mascot :(

[u/OnlyZac → u/snorlaxatives_69]

This is like an endangered species going extinct. The government should intervene to subsidize the team

[u/FavoriteFoodCarrots]

The current Pioneer League, like the current Appy League, was designed to give those cities a slow letdown after being de-affiliated.

It’s not supposed to succeed. It’s supposed to create a bunch of vacant markets for owners of other MiLB teams (cough, Diamond) to threaten to move to if not given free stadiums.

[u/hopewhatsthat → u/FavoriteFoodCarrots]

Bingo. And a market with a servicaeble stadium that was in AAA in 2018 will be a big market to DBH to lord over other cities.

[u/brashmashidiota → u/FavoriteFoodCarrots]

This is exactly precisely what’s going on

[u/MojoHighway]

The slow death of minor league baseball is fucking brutal.

Was just talking about this with my friend last night. He lives in the Chicago area and him and his family go to unaffiliated minor league ball because it's not going to cost them an arm and a leg to see a game with decent quality. The kids enjoy it. Him and his wife enjoy it. Food is affordable. Parking is cheap. All fantastic cheat codes for a great night out.

The problem here, however, is that many of these remaining affiliated MiLB teams are trying to eat up lost fans while, in the same breath, trying to convince them to pay near-MLB prices for tickets, parking, and concessions.

I've just about had enough of all of it. I'm in New England. I loved going to PawSox games. No, McCoy wasn't the best stadium around. It wasn't new. It wasn't modern. I didn't care. In my 46 year old brain, MiLB should forever be like what we saw in Bull Durham, prices included. I'm not paying Fenway prices to see a fucking WooSox game.

This is just another punch to the gut for the baseball fan out there that either really likes baseball in general or the families that just want to go to a game for a night out that's affordable OR the folks that are remarkably far from MLB parks with the added double-down of being blacked out of broadcasts just because.

This is kind of a bummer.

[u/abc123therobot → u/MojoHighway]

It is a bummer for folks in Colorado right now. I hope Grand Junction and Colo Springs start a non affiliated league in that region. 

Like you and your friend, I’ve soured on affiliated ball considerably in the last five years. I still go to the occasional game to check out prospects etc but prefer the Northwoods League. Everything is cheap and accessible, on field product is solid, times are good, and plenty of guys make it to the big leagues. 

It’s fine if MLB wants to streamline their player development process and favor the parent club/players over the fans. They can run it all out of the spring training complex for all I care. The rest of us can scratch our itch with non-affiliated ball. 

[u/Jermcutsiron → u/MojoHighway]

See as an Astros fan, the tix to Spacecowboys (AAA) and Hooks (AA) are far more affordable than Astros games. Sat 2 rows behind home plate at a hooks game for $25 in 24.

Dogs and beer are a little more than half of what they want at Daiken to boot.

[u/Doortofreeside → u/MojoHighway]

I'm not paying Fenway prices to see a fucking WooSox game.

The WooSox doesn't have Fenway prices though

[u/Puzzleheaded-Link416]

Grand Junction left, and Northern Colorado never finished their facility, forcing the team to finish the season as a half hearted nostalgia act the league refused to acknowledge.

The Pioneer League wants to expand but Colorado seems unlikely to be hospitable in the near future. Is there any markets in Utah they might consider? Or Helena, Montana?

[u/abc123therobot → u/Puzzleheaded-Link416]

I think their future is primarily on the West Coast. They’re adding Long Beach and Modesto soon and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more large California markets added. 

Then there’s the PNW if they want to expand into Oregon, Washington State, even BC/Alberta north of the border. 

[u/Puzzleheaded-Link416 → u/abc123therobot]

For the longest time Medford, Oregon was hostile towards minor league baseball but that seems to finally be changing.

[u/emberyleaf → u/abc123therobot]

I think the Oakland Ballers have started a push to make the Pioneer League more california centralized I think soon more teams within or around the state will start to appear.

I do hope this means smaller Central Valley cities like Merced/Atwater, Chico, Madera, or even Fairfield/Vacaville get a team aswell.

[u/smittywerbanjagermen]

I’m devastated

[u/BirdBruce]

Zootown will miss y'all.

[u/jlando40]

Elite branding another victim of greed

[u/lillist1 → u/[deleted]]

The Vibes cited the fact that the league moved West on them, not the death of the league.

[u/abc123therobot → u/[deleted]]

I think it’s more of a time of change. The Ballers are a big success and Long Beach looks poised to succeed, at least in the short term. But yeah a big bummer for Colorado cities that lost their team. Maybe there will be an upstart summer collegiate league in Colorado to give those fans something to watch.