Indians leaving Buffalo?

In 1995, the Indians ended their relationship with the AAA Charlotte Knights and began one with the Buffalo Bisons. The relationship has worked well on both ends, the Bisons having the most successful period in their history and the Indians enjoying the closer proximity of their AAA affiliate and the support of the Buffalo fans. Buffalo's Opening Day in 1998 marked the announcement of a two year extension to the partnership. That announcement was duplicated in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. It was not duplicated in 2008.

Obviously, neither side is saying that the lack of an extension marks the definitive end of the relationship. The Indians are praising Buffalo while saying they will wait till the end of the season to make a decision. The comments from Buffalo are much more telling:

We recognize that having a strong Major League partner is important to our success, and we will address our future Major League affiliation at the completion of this season.

Why would the Indians want to leave Buffalo? The answer is that it's not so much that they want to leave Buffalo, but that they want to move into Columbus. The Nationals deal with the Columbus Clippers expires at the end of 2008. Columbus is even closer to Cleveland than Buffalo, something obviously very important to the club. The Clippers will move into brand new Huntington Park in Columbus' growing Arena District in 2009. And, from Columbus' perspective, The Indians are obviously a much more hospitable parent than Washington.

There's more. There's a wealth of Indians fans already in Columbus, but there's about an equal number of Reds fans, and a thriving subset of Yankees fans. Whether the Yankees fans are a byproduct of the Clippers past association with that club or for some other reason, there's a logical theory that the placement of an affiliate in Columbus will help convert some fans, or at the least encourage future Indians fans.

A couple of years ago the Indians radio affiliate in Columbus moved from a smaller station, WMNI 920 to the big sports talk radio station, 1460 WBNS. This is actually a mixed blessing. While Indians coverage and discussion no doubt increased, 1460 is the parent station of a great deal of local sports, which have preference. In the spring, the Columbus Blue Jackets are aired ahead of the Indians. In the Fall, Ohio State football is aired ahead of the Indians. This also includes the Jim Tressel call in show. This past weekend, the men's Final Four was given radio precedence over the Indians. On Tuesday the women's Championship Game was as well.

So while the Indians have a significant presence in Columbus, there's room for more. That's why it's not a case of the Tribe wanting to leave Buffalo, but rather a case of them wanting to move into Columbus.