AAA Team On the Move Again?

The New York Mets are showing interest in relocating their top minor league team to Syracuse, N.Y.. Senator Charles Schumer and Mets owner Fred Wilpon have spoken about a potential move of the baseball team's Triple-A affiliate from New Orleans to Syracuse for the 2009 season.

"They think that having teams in New York is to their benefit, and it would grow regional interest in the team and the fan base," Schumer, D-N.Y., said. The Mets have their a Double-A team in Binghamton N.Y..

The Syracuse Chiefs, a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate are thinking of ending their 30-year agreement which expires at the end of the 2008 season. The Yankees left Syracuse in 1977. In their 30-year partnership with Toronto, the Chiefs have had 22 losing seasons and only five playoff appearances, without winning a International League championship.

The Chiefs are making a series of improvements at Alliance Bank Stadium. The removal of the artificial turf field and the installation of grass, which the Mets prefer for their players. Other improvements may include moving the bullpens from behind the outfield fence to a new location on the field, building an earthen berm behind the outfield fence where fans can watch the game, and a children's park in the existing picnic area behind the right-field fence.

No deal between the Mets and Syracuse can be signed until after the upcoming season, during a two-week window in September. That is also when the Mets' agreement with the New Orleans Zephyrs expires. The Mets have been part of the revitalization of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, donating new playground equipment and working with youth programs.

Before moving to New Orleans last year, the Mets had their Triple-A team in Norfolk, Va., for 39 years, and owned the franchise until about 15 years ago.