The outrage to MLB’s proposal to cut down the number of MiLB’s affiliated clubs was clear from the moment it was announced. MiLB team owners saw mixed messages, including no clear direction of what deficiencies MLB found with their affiliates, uncertainty regarding what would happen with debts already acquired to update stadiums and requirements for settling bond issues already consummated with local governments. As an example, NYC paid over $70 million to build the ballpark on Staten Island. There is also the obvious problem of owners losing a team and their investments in an organization.
The reaction of the fans was no less angry.