Last August, Jeffrey (heh heh) wrote about the ongoing vertical alignment among major league franchises, with the parent clubs buying and in some cases relocating their affiliates to closer locations. The Giants bought a controlling stake in the San Jose Giants in an effort to tighten their hold over the South Bay. That has caused complications for Windsor entrepreneur Chris Lee, who wants to build a new ballpark to house the Giants’ Class-A affiliate in the Sonoma County town.

“The Giants hold all the cards, and the Giants have declined to play,” he said Monday. Lee explained that the organization has territorial rights over which team affiliated with Major League Baseball can come to Sonoma County.

“If you want to add an affiliated team, you can’t do it without the permission of the Giants,” he said. “The Giants have declined to participate in that conversation.”

But on Tuesday, a Giants executive said the organization had not yet formally replied to the letter Lee sent after the World Series.

“I’m not aware of any formal rejection from the Giants,” Bobby Evans, vice-president of baseball operations said.

Evans said he didn’t want to give the impression the Giants were “leaning one way or another” on the issue of minor league baseball in Sonoma County, but he promised Lee there will be a written reply to his letter.

In the Giants’ ongoing efforts to marginalize everyone not related to their organization, this is yet another great success! Perhaps Lee would have more standing if he were a different Chris Lee:

… or this Chris Lee.

Wait, they’re the same guy? Well, you know what to do, Chris Lee in Windsor. Get on the horn and fly the man in from the U.K.

Or, here’s a crazy idea. How about the Giants play ball, get their situation with the A’s settled, and get everything else moving. Before all redevelopment funds run dry, and it becomes exponentially more difficult to get anything built. Just a thought.