Kansas City Royals: Omaha and Kansas City extend their relationship

The longest tenured relationship between an MLB and Triple A team will be continuing on a little longer. It was announced today that the Kansas City Royals and the Omaha Storm Chasers have extended their relationship through 2022.

Another two years has been added to the Player Development Contract. Omaha has been the Triple A home of the Kansas City Royals for a very long time already. The relationship has allowed players like George Brett to grace the Storm Chaser uniform.

A successful relationship starts at the top, and that is what the two have had for years. Currently in charge is Martie Cordaro, who serves as President and General Manager.

"“We enjoy the longest and one of the strongest relationships in all of Triple-A Baseball. The future is bright for both organizations and we will to continue to provide an environment for which the Royals can develop championship caliber players and community leaders,” Cordaro said."

But just how far back does this relationship go? Well, neither team knows baseball without the other. The two became partners in 1969 when doors opened in both Omaha and Kansas City.

That means that for the homegrown Kansas City Royals, their path likely went through Omaha. Both World Series rosters were littered with former Storm Chasers.

This long relationship might be the longest for any Triple A team, but it doesn’t quite reach longest in affiliated baseball. Per the story linked above, it is third longest behind the Reading Fightin’ Phils and Lakeland Tigers, who each have a two more years of affiliation.

Relationships this long are good. Omaha knows what is expected of them, and Kansas City knows what they will get. Just as with any relationship it is important that a trust build between the two parties.

That is really important when it comes to rebuilding states like the Royals are in now. There are going to be prized prospects heading through Omaha, and Kansas City will be happy to know their top youngsters will be taken care of.

While this PDC extension is only two years, there will (hopefully) be more and more to come. I hope I am not jinxing anything, but there is over 50 years of proof that something would have to go horribly wrong for the Kansas City Royals to drop Omaha.

So, here is to many more years of a healthy relationship between both Omaha and Kansas City!