2021
In October 2020 Baseball America broke the news that Major League Baseball was planning to cut the number of minor league teams from 162 to 120--four per Major League franchise. On December 9th 119 affiliate invites were sent out by MLB teams. 42 previous minor league teams were cut loose from participation with MLB teams. 120 teams ultimately accepted the invitation to partner with the 30 Major League teams. Of the teams cut six were assigned to a new MLB Draft League, seven teams were assigned to the Pioneer Partner League. Nineteen teams have moved to Collegiate or Independent Leagues. According to my count at the date indicated below twelve teams and their citties are no longer going to have a professional baseball team. I feel for these cities and the baseball fans located there who have lost teams that have been providing baseball entertainment for many years. The minor league levels are now AAA, AA, High A and Low A. The following leagues are now MLB Partner Leagues: Pioneer League (previously a MLB Pioneer Rookie League) and Independent Leagues--American, Atlantic, and Frontier.

I have tried to go through the Minor League teams I have visited and give the MLB affiliate and league and level that they will be playing starting this year--2021. This information will only be posted to our most recent visit to the team. The website will be come a historical document of team alignments before the reorganization of 2021. Any future locations visited will be indicated by the level at which the team plays with a special column at the league level AAA page, AA page, and on the Single A page as High A and Low A. In 2023 the league names returned to what they were before the reorganization, even though the level may have changed, i.e., Northwest League was Short A (shorter season) and is now High A (regular minor league season).

We did not feel safe travelling this year, so we only went to games at the Seattle Mariners (numerous times), Tacoma Rainiers (one time), and Everett Aquasox (seven times). Minor League baseball started in May, one month late, because of COVID and the teams continued varying times in September depending on the level.

We started with pod seating at the Mariners, seating 1 to 6 people with social distancing between groups. Next we had sections for vaccinated-had to show vaccination card, and unvaccinated, but not in our week-end season ticket seats. Finally in July we were back in our regular seats, masks not required. At the beginning of September we had masks required in any enclosed room. By September 7th everyone had to wear masks everywhere in the ballpark, whether vaccinated or not, except when actively drinking or eating. The same was true for the Aquasox for those game we attended in September.

July
Seattle Mariners, Seattle WA, 7/11/21
Everett Aquasox, Everett, WA, 7/14/21
August
Tacoma Rainiers7, Tacoma, WA, 8/31/21,