:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68791879/457542858.0.jpg)
The Super Bowl is over, winter is nearing its end (although it doesn’t feel like it right now), and transactions galore have taken place. It means that baseball is about to be in full swing not only in Major League Baseball but also in the independent circuits. The American Association is not exempt from these activities as they have announced a couple of major pieces to the 2021 season.
Firstly, the league announced last week that they have welcomed in the Kane County Cougars. The team was founded in 1991 as the Class-A farm club of the Baltimore Orioles and was in the Arizona Diamondbacks Class-A team before they were axed in the paring of MiLB clubs. The Cougars call Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois, their home, which makes for a great chance at rivalries with nearby clubs such as the Chicago Dogs, Gary SouthShore RailCats, and Milwaukee Milkmen. The stadium seats 10,923 fans, which draws in fantastic crowds and could be in the top slot of the attendance record book in the league previously held by the St Paul Saints and Winnipeg Goldeyes. They’ll fit into the North Division of the league along with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Winnipeg.
To even out the league, the Houston Apollos have been put together as a travel team for the 2021 campaign. They will slot into the South Division with the Kansas City Monarchs, Sioux Falls Canaries, Sioux City Explorers, Cleburne Railroaders, and Lincoln Saltdogs.
Secondly, the league has announced the full 2021 schedule. Each team is slated to play the standard 100 games as in previous seasons (minus 2020, of course). Clubs will play a pair of home series and a pair of away series against division foes while they will play one home series and one away series against the other division. Unfortunately, there will not be an All-Star Game this season due to the current pandemic.
To check out the American Association’s schedule for 2021, click here.
Will you try to make it to any American Association games this season?