THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 18, 1997 TAG: 9701180873
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 35 lines
In a move that was rumored throughout last summer, the International League will expand by two teams in 1998, adding the Durham Bulls and Buffalo Bisons to its current 10-team stable.
The Bulls will move from the Class A ranks to Triple-A in '98 and will become the top farm club of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, which begin major league play also in '98.
The Bisons have been playing in the American Association, but membership in the International League is more logical geographically and will give the state of New York three teams in the IL, with Syracuse and Rochester being the others.
With the major leagues expanding by two teams in '98 - the Arizona Diamondbacks also begin play then - Memphis has been awarded a Triple-A franchise and will fill Buffalo's void in the American Association.
The addition of the Bisons, farm team of the Cleveland Indians, means the IL will be home to the Triple-A teams of the last four World Series contestants, Toronto (Syracuse Skychiefs), New York Yankees (Columbus Clippers), Atlanta (Richmond Braves), Philadelphia (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons) and Cleveland.
``With the opening of state-of-the-art playing facilities in Rochester and Syracuse this coming April and the the addition of Buffalo and Durham in 1998, I can't imagine a greater 1-2 punch for the league,'' IL president Randy Mobley said.
``The window to make this happen was very narrow and had it not been for a cooperative effort involving the American Association and the International League, it doesn't get done.''