Minors: Column
Player Cards Bring You More Than Just Numbers
May. 22, 2012
You may get tired of me writing about all of the improvements to our statistical offerings at BaseballAmerica.com this year, but they're coming so fast and furious that I want to make sure you don't miss anything. [...] Continue Reading »
Consolidation Reflects Indy Ball's Growth
May. 2, 2012
Another Opening Day in the independent minor leagues has arrived. We're about to celebrate two decades of the modern independent movement, and two decades of trying to figure out exactly what to make of indy ball. [...] Continue Reading »
Fixing The Minors Feature Reminds That Game's In Good Shape
Mar. 28, 2012
We're always dreaming up ways we think we could make things better, or thinking about how much happier life would be if we were in charge, so our 10 ideas to improve the minors was a fun feature to put together and led to a lot of discussion in the office. What it also highlighted, however, was that the minor leagues are in pretty darn good shape. [...] Continue Reading »
March Is A Great Time For Baseball
Mar. 7, 2012
The roughly four weeks bridging February and March, when football officially goes away for awhile and baseball starts to emerge from hibernation is truly a great time. And here are a few of the reasons why: [...] Continue Reading »
After Stable Stretch, Minor Leagues Facing Shakeup
Feb. 24, 2012
After so much stability in the world of minor league baseball, it's nice to see things shaken up for a change. Within a couple of weeks in February, news came out that minor league teams could be moving to Wilmington, N.C., Ottawa, Ont.; and Winchester, Va. [...] Continue Reading »
Prospect Handbook Change Makes The Grade
Jan. 26, 2012
Baseball America Grades are one of the most significant changes to the Prospect Handbook since it debuted in 2001. We make changes to the book every year, from the modest, such as changing the statistical categories we list, to the more significant, such as adding minor league depth charts. [...] Continue Reading »
Initial CBA Reaction Was Overheated
Dec. 20, 2011
Nov. 22, 2011, will be remembered as a great day in baseball history. On that day Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced a five-year renewal of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, assuring baseball of more than 20 years of continuous labor peace. You might not have known that had you followed the news on Twitter that day. [...] Continue Reading »
New Indy Club Needs To Own Up To Its Name
Dec. 9, 2011
There's one simple rule to follow when picking a new mascot—don't name it after a serial killer who kills women. [...] Continue Reading »
Bringing Baseball Back To Ottawa Could Start Shuffle
Nov. 21, 2011
If Ottawa can land an Eastern League club, it could start a shuffle of several teams. [...] Continue Reading »
MLB Picks A Great Time For Labor Peace
Nov. 8, 2011
While other professional leagues struggle with labor pains, MLB is continuing a long era of labor peace. [...] Continue Reading »
Minor League General Manager Moves Are Significant Too
Oct. 27, 2011
While minor league general manager moves don't affect as many people, they're just as important in the life of your favorite franchise. A minor league GM doesn't have anything to say about the makeup of his team's roster, but he has much more to say about your ballpark experience as a minor league fan. [...] Continue Reading »
NCAA's Stance Toward Agents Makes No Sense
Oct. 14, 2011
Because the NCAA is a bureaucracy on par with the former Soviet Union it forces baseball to use the term "advisers" when describing the relationship between representative and client. Normally, this wouldn't really bother me. When it affects the way we do our job, though, it's another matter. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Time To Get Chewing Tobacco Out Of The Game
Aug. 15, 2011
Baseball and chewing tobacco seem to go hand in hand. It's not hard to conjure a mental image of a ballplayer with a big chaw in his cheek or gum, spitting in the dirt and digging in at the plate. But really, you have to wonder why that's still the case well into the 21st century. [...] Continue Reading »
Bottom Of Indy Ball Keeps Churning
Jul. 26, 2011
A radio announcer resigns on the air because he hasn't been paid. A team owner who has served time in prison is removed from an ownership group so the team can move forward with its plans to be the centerpiece of a reality show. A league actually exists with teams in Maui, Calgary, suburban Chicago and Texas. In other words, it's just another year in independent baseball. [...] Continue Reading »
New Stadium Construction Is Slowing To A Crawl
Jul. 18, 2011
The building boom in minor league baseball appears to be over. [...] Continue Reading »
Futures Game Was An Idea Whose Time Had Come
Jun. 29, 2011
At this point we take the Futures Game for granted, and we have come to expect 50 of the game's best prospects to gather each year in an exhibition of their premium skills. Those of us who have been around for awhile, however, remember a time when it just wasn't so. [...] Continue Reading »
Passion Shows In College Coverage
Jun. 10, 2011
It's an exceedingly busy time on the sports calendar, what with the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Gold Cup all going on at the same time. But at the beginning of June, we at Baseball America are occupied with much more important things: namely, the college baseball postseason and a little thing called the draft. [...] Continue Reading »
For Minor Leagues, Hats Aren't Just For Wearing
Jun. 2, 2011
Over the past decade, hat and other merchandise sales have become a big business for minor league baseball. [...] Continue Reading »
Ferrell, Minors Make A Great Combo
May. 4, 2011
It is a tribute both to the culture of minor league baseball and the self-effacing genius of Will Ferrell that a character like Billy Ray "Rojo" Johnson could become such a phenomenon. [...] Continue Reading »
Following Minors Just Keep Getting Better
Apr. 28, 2011
Opening Day is always a special time, but I can't imagine there has ever been a better time to be a baseball fan than 2011. [...] Continue Reading »
Minor League Umps Wait Years For Their Big Call
Apr. 6, 2011
Hope springs eternal in spring training, and it's a special moment in every player's career when he finds out he has made the big league club for the first time. Most of these players have labored in the minor leagues for three or four seasons, and making the leap to the major leagues represents reaching the apex of their vocation. So imagine what the call to the big leagues would feel like if you had labored in the minors for eight, 10 or even 15 years. [...] Continue Reading »
Minors, Majors Relationship Keeps Evolving
Mar. 22, 2011
Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball have moved from a dependent relationship to a partnership now that the minors are more successful. [...] Continue Reading »
After Slow Start, Dodgertown Settling Into New Role
Mar. 14, 2011
Rather than lying dormant, the former Dodgertown has been remade as a sports training and meeting facility, thanks to Minor League Baseball. The complex was abuzz with activity this spring. [...] Continue Reading »
Top 100 Prospects List Has Staying Power
Feb. 24, 2011
Our Top 100 Prospects list is our most popular annual feature, and it's not hard to figure out why: Here are the 100 best prospects in baseball. That's a simple concept to get your arms around and has obvious appeal. [...] Continue Reading »
Hot Stove League Still A Great Event
Feb. 4, 2011
A Hot Stove League banquet does more than just keep your fire for baseball burning through a long, cold winter. When done right, a Hot Stove League can remind you of everything that's good about baseball and leave you feeling good about not only the game but also life in general. [...] Continue Reading »
Minors Jump Into Social Media Fray
Jan. 27, 2011
If 2010 was the year that social media became something every minor league team felt obligated to at least try, then 2011 will be the year that it becomes a mainstream offering, right up there with outfield signs and the dizzy bat race. [...] Continue Reading »
Prospect Handbook Is A Labor Of Love
Jan. 18, 2011
By the time you read this, hopefully the 2011 Prospect Handbook is not far from your front door. This year represents the 10th anniversary edition of the book, and like those before it, it is a thing of beauty. [...] Continue Reading »
Mudcats Move Makes Good Sense
Dec. 22, 2010
We like to throw around ideas for franchise movement and minor league realignment here in the halls of Baseball America, but rarely do such crazy ideas play out in reality. [...] Continue Reading »
Have Winter Meetings Outlived Their Usefulness?
Dec. 7, 2010
As baseball convenes in Disney for another round of Winter Meetings, you start to wonder if maybe the event has started to outlive its usefulness. [...] Continue Reading »
Tourists' New Logo Seems Puzzling
Nov. 12, 2010
The Asheville Tourists' new identity, Mr. Moon, seems to be a puzzling choice. [...] Continue Reading »
Player Cards Bring You More Than Just Numbers
May. 22, 2012
You may get tired of me writing about all of the improvements to our statistical offerings at BaseballAmerica.com this year, but they're coming so fast and furious that I want to make sure you don't miss anything. [...] Continue Reading »
Consolidation Reflects Indy Ball's Growth
May. 2, 2012
Another Opening Day in the independent minor leagues has arrived. We're about to celebrate two decades of the modern independent movement, and two decades of trying to figure out exactly what to make of indy ball. [...] Continue Reading »
Fixing The Minors Feature Reminds That Game's In Good Shape
Mar. 28, 2012
We're always dreaming up ways we think we could make things better, or thinking about how much happier life would be if we were in charge, so our 10 ideas to improve the minors was a fun feature to put together and led to a lot of discussion in the office. What it also highlighted, however, was that the minor leagues are in pretty darn good shape. [...] Continue Reading »
March Is A Great Time For Baseball
Mar. 7, 2012
The roughly four weeks bridging February and March, when football officially goes away for awhile and baseball starts to emerge from hibernation is truly a great time. And here are a few of the reasons why: [...] Continue Reading »
After Stable Stretch, Minor Leagues Facing Shakeup
Feb. 24, 2012
After so much stability in the world of minor league baseball, it's nice to see things shaken up for a change. Within a couple of weeks in February, news came out that minor league teams could be moving to Wilmington, N.C., Ottawa, Ont.; and Winchester, Va. [...] Continue Reading »
Prospect Handbook Change Makes The Grade
Jan. 26, 2012
Baseball America Grades are one of the most significant changes to the Prospect Handbook since it debuted in 2001. We make changes to the book every year, from the modest, such as changing the statistical categories we list, to the more significant, such as adding minor league depth charts. [...] Continue Reading »
Initial CBA Reaction Was Overheated
Dec. 20, 2011
Nov. 22, 2011, will be remembered as a great day in baseball history. On that day Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced a five-year renewal of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, assuring baseball of more than 20 years of continuous labor peace. You might not have known that had you followed the news on Twitter that day. [...] Continue Reading »
New Indy Club Needs To Own Up To Its Name
Dec. 9, 2011
There's one simple rule to follow when picking a new mascot—don't name it after a serial killer who kills women. [...] Continue Reading »
Bringing Baseball Back To Ottawa Could Start Shuffle
Nov. 21, 2011
If Ottawa can land an Eastern League club, it could start a shuffle of several teams. [...] Continue Reading »
MLB Picks A Great Time For Labor Peace
Nov. 8, 2011
While other professional leagues struggle with labor pains, MLB is continuing a long era of labor peace. [...] Continue Reading »
Minor League General Manager Moves Are Significant Too
Oct. 27, 2011
While minor league general manager moves don't affect as many people, they're just as important in the life of your favorite franchise. A minor league GM doesn't have anything to say about the makeup of his team's roster, but he has much more to say about your ballpark experience as a minor league fan. [...] Continue Reading »
NCAA's Stance Toward Agents Makes No Sense
Oct. 14, 2011
Because the NCAA is a bureaucracy on par with the former Soviet Union it forces baseball to use the term "advisers" when describing the relationship between representative and client. Normally, this wouldn't really bother me. When it affects the way we do our job, though, it's another matter. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Time To Get Chewing Tobacco Out Of The Game
Aug. 15, 2011
Baseball and chewing tobacco seem to go hand in hand. It's not hard to conjure a mental image of a ballplayer with a big chaw in his cheek or gum, spitting in the dirt and digging in at the plate. But really, you have to wonder why that's still the case well into the 21st century. [...] Continue Reading »
Bottom Of Indy Ball Keeps Churning
Jul. 26, 2011
A radio announcer resigns on the air because he hasn't been paid. A team owner who has served time in prison is removed from an ownership group so the team can move forward with its plans to be the centerpiece of a reality show. A league actually exists with teams in Maui, Calgary, suburban Chicago and Texas. In other words, it's just another year in independent baseball. [...] Continue Reading »
New Stadium Construction Is Slowing To A Crawl
Jul. 18, 2011
The building boom in minor league baseball appears to be over. [...] Continue Reading »
Futures Game Was An Idea Whose Time Had Come
Jun. 29, 2011
At this point we take the Futures Game for granted, and we have come to expect 50 of the game's best prospects to gather each year in an exhibition of their premium skills. Those of us who have been around for awhile, however, remember a time when it just wasn't so. [...] Continue Reading »
Passion Shows In College Coverage
Jun. 10, 2011
It's an exceedingly busy time on the sports calendar, what with the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Gold Cup all going on at the same time. But at the beginning of June, we at Baseball America are occupied with much more important things: namely, the college baseball postseason and a little thing called the draft. [...] Continue Reading »
For Minor Leagues, Hats Aren't Just For Wearing
Jun. 2, 2011
Over the past decade, hat and other merchandise sales have become a big business for minor league baseball. [...] Continue Reading »
Ferrell, Minors Make A Great Combo
May. 4, 2011
It is a tribute both to the culture of minor league baseball and the self-effacing genius of Will Ferrell that a character like Billy Ray "Rojo" Johnson could become such a phenomenon. [...] Continue Reading »
Following Minors Just Keep Getting Better
Apr. 28, 2011
Opening Day is always a special time, but I can't imagine there has ever been a better time to be a baseball fan than 2011. [...] Continue Reading »
Minor League Umps Wait Years For Their Big Call
Apr. 6, 2011
Hope springs eternal in spring training, and it's a special moment in every player's career when he finds out he has made the big league club for the first time. Most of these players have labored in the minor leagues for three or four seasons, and making the leap to the major leagues represents reaching the apex of their vocation. So imagine what the call to the big leagues would feel like if you had labored in the minors for eight, 10 or even 15 years. [...] Continue Reading »
Minors, Majors Relationship Keeps Evolving
Mar. 22, 2011
Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball have moved from a dependent relationship to a partnership now that the minors are more successful. [...] Continue Reading »
After Slow Start, Dodgertown Settling Into New Role
Mar. 14, 2011
Rather than lying dormant, the former Dodgertown has been remade as a sports training and meeting facility, thanks to Minor League Baseball. The complex was abuzz with activity this spring. [...] Continue Reading »
Top 100 Prospects List Has Staying Power
Feb. 24, 2011
Our Top 100 Prospects list is our most popular annual feature, and it's not hard to figure out why: Here are the 100 best prospects in baseball. That's a simple concept to get your arms around and has obvious appeal. [...] Continue Reading »
Hot Stove League Still A Great Event
Feb. 4, 2011
A Hot Stove League banquet does more than just keep your fire for baseball burning through a long, cold winter. When done right, a Hot Stove League can remind you of everything that's good about baseball and leave you feeling good about not only the game but also life in general. [...] Continue Reading »
Minors Jump Into Social Media Fray
Jan. 27, 2011
If 2010 was the year that social media became something every minor league team felt obligated to at least try, then 2011 will be the year that it becomes a mainstream offering, right up there with outfield signs and the dizzy bat race. [...] Continue Reading »
Prospect Handbook Is A Labor Of Love
Jan. 18, 2011
By the time you read this, hopefully the 2011 Prospect Handbook is not far from your front door. This year represents the 10th anniversary edition of the book, and like those before it, it is a thing of beauty. [...] Continue Reading »
Mudcats Move Makes Good Sense
Dec. 22, 2010
We like to throw around ideas for franchise movement and minor league realignment here in the halls of Baseball America, but rarely do such crazy ideas play out in reality. [...] Continue Reading »
Have Winter Meetings Outlived Their Usefulness?
Dec. 7, 2010
As baseball convenes in Disney for another round of Winter Meetings, you start to wonder if maybe the event has started to outlive its usefulness. [...] Continue Reading »
Tourists' New Logo Seems Puzzling
Nov. 12, 2010
The Asheville Tourists' new identity, Mr. Moon, seems to be a puzzling choice. [...] Continue Reading »
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