In WV we have the West Virginia Power in Charleston. Baseball in Charleston goes back to the 30’s I think when they were a AAA team but over the years the team became a A team and changed affliations many times over the last 10-15 years and then changed their name from the Charleston Alley Cats to the West Virginia power after AEP bought the team and helped build a really nice stadium in down-town Charelston and became affilated with the Brewers then the Pirates last and brought back the glory days of the franchise back when Dave Parker and Willie Randolph were playing and the team was known as the Charlies. The team also had a guy by the name of Treavor Hoffman play for them but he was a shortstop back in those days playing in the Reds System. the last player to play for the Power to make it to the majors was Ryan Braun I think there might have been someone who played in the last couple years that has been called up but not played alot. The fans also make the games so much fun and the Power have some good ones. One guy is simply know as the “Toast Guy” the guy has his own Eletrical outlet behind home plate so he make toast after each strike-out by the opposing team and then he chants with that side of the Bleachers with him “You are toast” twice and then says again but with a pause in between each word. The guy also makes signs and has cheers for each individual player and since in his real life he was/is a lawyer/politican he spots random people and will start talking about how they did something for the city or team. This is just what I know about a teams impact on its local area

When it comes to that relationship there also tends to be a kind of attachment between the town and minor league. I grew up in upstate New York and we have a single A team in my town called the Hudson Valley Renegades and they have been terrible, failing to qualify for the playoffs for as long as I’ve been alive, but I would never want them to leave the town because of what it provides. It really does give your community something to bring it together as minor as it may be and I think when you have a long-time established relationship with one town and community it makes the decision to move a lot harder.