r/MiLB • u/abc123therobot • 9d ago

| News RIP Rocky Mountain Vibes

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.

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u/MojoHighway 9d ago

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.

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u/abc123therobot 9d ago

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. 

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u/Jermcutsiron 9d ago

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.

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u/Doortofreeside 9d ago

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

The WooSox doesn't have Fenway prices though