The Houston Astros will not continue their affiliation with the Rookie Level Appalachian League in 2018, General Manager Jeff Luhnow announced today. The Greeneville Astros had been an Astros affiliate in that league since 2004.
"The Greeneville club played a key role in our player development and minor league success throughout our rebuilding years," Luhnow said. "We are very thankful to Tusculum College, Scott Niswonger, the Greeneville community and to the fans for their support over the years. This decision enables us to focus and prioritize our player development efforts in a way that delivers the best long-term results."
"It really has been an honor for us to work with the Houston Astros organization," said Steve Gehret, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Tusculum College. "It was a very good partnership from the day it began and remained that way for the duration of the relationship."
The Greeneville Astros played their home games at Pioneer Park, which is located at Tusculum College. Niswonger, a Tusculum College alumnus, funded the construction of Pioneer Park. In 2017, Greeneville earned a postseason berth after finishing second in the Appalachian League's West Division.
"We want to thank all of our fans and sponsors for their passion and loyalty over the last 13 years," said David Lane, who served as general manager for the Greeneville Astros. "We especially want to thank Scott and Nikki Niswonger and Tusculum College for all of their support over the years. Thank you to everyone that made our time in Greeneville a fun adventure."