The next wave of Orioles? talent will surface in Norfolk.
The Orioles announced Monday that they have agreed on a player development contract with the Norfolk Tides to be the parent club?s Triple-A affiliate through the end of the 2010 season, ending the Orioles? four-year affiliation with Ottawa.
“We are obviously thrilled to reach an affiliation agreement with Norfolk,” Orioles vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette said at a Monday press conference.
Norfolk was in the top 20 in attendance as the New York Mets? affiliate in 2006, drawing more than 460,000 fans for the 14th consecutive year. The Tides had been the Mets? Triple-A affiliate since 1969.
“Having worked with the Tides in the past, I know firsthand that Norfolk is one of the elite franchises in all of baseball,” said Duquette, the former Mets general manager. “We are excited to be able to place our top minor league players in a great facility like Harbor Park.”
The Orioles and Tides are both happy to have more of a local connection.
“I think it?s an outstanding situation because its easy to see your Triple-A team play home games versus seeing them play on the road all the time,” said Orioles director of minor league operations David Stockstill.
The Tides will remain in the International League, the same league as the Orioles? previous Triple-A affiliates in Ottawa and Rochester. The Tides open the 2007 season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 5 and open the home schedule April 13 with Louisville.
“We are extremely delighted to begin a partnership with the Orioles franchise,” Tides president Ken Young said.
HARBOR PARK
» Capacity: 12,067
» Dimensions: LF ? 333 feet; CF ? 410 feet; RF ? 338 feet
» Did you know? Harbor Park sits right on the bank of the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk ? Baseball America named Harbor Park the nation?s finest minor league facility in 1995 ? The park was designed by HOK Sports Facilities, the same architects that designed Oriole Park at Camden Yards
