Last year, Major League Baseball announced that they would eliminate 42 minor league teams to fix the minor league system. This reset would help MLB teams to place minor league teams closer to their stadiums permanently.
MLB began their reshuffling by having the Appalachian League no longer affiliated with any MLB team and becoming a collegiate summer baseball league for college players. MLB also is in the process of converting the New York-Penn League into a collegiate summer baseball league as well.
MLB created a new “Partner League” with three Independent League’s, the Atlantic League, Frontier League and, American Association. They bumped the Pioneer League out of the minor league affiliation and into an Independent League. On the same day as the Pioneer League became an Independent League, MLB created a Draft League featuring draft-eligible players with five former minor league teams. These three leagues are being financially supported by the MLB.
It’s understandable why MLB wants to reshuffle the baseball landscape. They are trying to make minor league baseball a better place and save money for the teams, especially this past season. One example is the Philadelphia Phillies are on record saying they lost $145 million during the short season. They are not the only team to lose a substantial amount of money. With every team’s salary cap already taking a drastic hit, many teams will not be able to sign free agents.
Every team will more likely save money and focus on the players they do have, which is why this overall of Minor League Baseball is taking place. Since this began, many cities have already lost their minor league status due to the MLB cutting the number of minor league teams. Two Independent teams have now become minor league affiliates in the last month, with the Sugar Land Skeeters as a Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and the Somerset Patriots as a Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. These two teams are located near both teams stadiums. There will be more Independent teams becoming minor league affiliates and vice versa.
Look across the United States at the minor league system from Rookie leagues to Triple-A. The minor league teams should be closer to their parent clubs. This is what MLB is trying to achieve. An example being the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers Triple-A team is located in Oklahoma City. Should the Dodgers need to call-up one of their players, it would probably take that player a least a couple of days to get there. If the club were near them, it would take a couple of hours or less to get a player to their stadium.
Some of these minor-league markets from Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Nashville, Indianapolis would make great expansion teams someday in Major League Baseball. These teams stadiums are located near NFL stadiums. Plus, if MLB decided to expand into one or more of these markets, they could take the other nearby markets as their minor league teams. As of July 2020, Nashville is gaining ground on getting an MLB team led by potential owners John Loar and Alberto Gonzales. If they manage to get an MLB team, they must incorporate the guitar scoreboard.
While it is a shame to see some of these cities lose their minor league status, I think some of them will prevail by joining either the Independent Leagues, collegiate, or a Draft League. What is unique about the lower leagues is they are regional. Any fan can get in a car and take a drive to any baseball stadium to watch a game. It is vital to keep the lower leagues regional and not spread them out. The teams that are on the move will develop new rivalries, and some I’m looking forward to seeing, like Sugar Land playing both San Antonio and Round Rock.
Another suggestion I would like to see is having a championship game for each class. For example, The Triple-A’s International League (founded in 1884) and Pacific Coast League (founded in 1903) played their championship games separately until 2006, when both champions played for the overall Triple-A championship. I would like to see this happen for the other classes from the Rookies, Lower and High Class-A, Single-A, Double-A, and Independent Leagues. When both the International League and Pacific Coast League champions got together, it was awesome to see who was the best Triple-A champion. The same can happen for these other leagues in one location.
I think once the Minor League Baseball reshuffle is complete, they will be in a better position for years to come. Legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully once said, “Good is not good when better is expected.” MLB is committed to paying minor league players more money and play at better facilities. MLB’s goal is to develop homegrown players from the US and Canada and give them a better path to the pros.
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