A Great Time Of The Year
I feel like I say this at every time of year, but this is an absolutely great time of year to be a Baseball American. Professional baseball is in full swing, with prospects and young players either stepping forward and stepping back, and it's the culmination of the year for two signature areas of BA coverage, with the draft and the College World Series. It's amazing how far we've come with the draft being televised, and Baseball America's Jim Callis being part of the broadcast, and national coverage of super regionals leading up to Omaha as well. (And you should have noticed BA's Aaron Fitt there as well, contributing his expertise from the super regional in Cary, N.C.)
Sure, it's a thousand degrees here in North Carolina, but it's like Christmas for us and we're glad to have you along for the ride.
Enjoy Our New Look
You may notice a few things in this issue that look a little bit different than you're used to. It's the next step in the evolution of our design, which got a significant makeover last year and continues to look lighter, tighter and brighter with each issue.
The major changes happened last year, with new typefaces and streamlined page design throughout, driven mostly by the outstanding work of our longtime production manager Linwood Webb.
And since new design and production director Sara Hiatt arrived last fall, she has worked to make sure that design approach permeates every aspect of not only the magazine but also our books and other publications.
The result is the most cohesive design Baseball America has ever had—we even have a design style guide, for goodness sake—not to mention the magazine looking better than ever.
Some of the changes have been obvious, while others will be subtler. For example, did you notice that the typeface for our stories has changed? It's not a dramatic difference—just a better version of the font Garamond—but one that brings an old-fashioned feel that balances the more modern look of our other signature font, Myriad, which is used for most headlines, cutlines and other uses.
We won't get bogged down in talking about fonts and point sizes, though. For the most part, we just hope you notice the magazine looks better and brings you the same great information in better ways.
More News From The Front
I can't say that it's a surprise the only people I heard from in response to my column on the senseless rift between the affiliated and independent minors were two of the people who have actually been on both sides of the fence and understand how beneficial it would actually be if the two sides worked together.
Marv Goldklang may be the only person left who has his hands in both the independent and affiliated worlds, as his Goldklang Group owns both kinds of franchises. He noted that one of his affiliated teams, the Hudson Valley Renegades (New York-Penn), was one of the first to be affected by an independent team coming into its territory, back in the days of the old Northeast League, when a franchise played about five miles away from his ballpark. Of course, the Hudson Valley franchise wasn't affected and the indy team ultimately folded.
"As far as I am aware, there hasn't been a single instance, during the 16 years of the modern era independent baseball industry, in which an independent team has had an adverse effect on any affiliated franchise," Goldklang said.
Goldklang says discouraging affiliated owners from having any involvement in indy ball essentially punishes peoplwas one of the first to be affected by an independent team coming into its territory, back in the days of the old Northeast League, when a franchise played about five miles away from his ballpark. Of course, the Hudson Valley franchise wasn't affected and the indy team ultimately folded.
"As far as I am aware, there hasn't been a single instance, during the 16 years of the modern era independent baseball industry, in which an independent team has had an adverse effect on any affiliated franchise," Goldklang said.
Goldklang says discouraging affiliated owners from having any involvement in indy ball essentially punishes people who are supportive of the National Association.
"The effect of forcing affiliated owners such as Mike Veeck out of the NA, and precluding the admission of others who may have some involvement in independent ball is to create a situation which virtually guarantees that nobody on the independent side cares a whit about affiliated teams or interests," he said.
I heard similar sentiments from Peter Kirk, who I noted had long been involved with the affiliated minors before eventually switching over completely to indy ball. He wrote a three-page letter in response to the column—the full text of which we hope to publish in a coming issue—emphasizing that it's supposed to be about baseball, not money, and there's no reason for indy and affiliated ball not to get along.
"It has always been my hope that after a bit of a cooling-off period, calmer heads and voices would prevail and a deal could be negotiated so that we could all once again be under one tent," he wrote. "Perhaps Mike Veeck could be persuaded to participate, thereby guaranteeing that fun would be in the room."
The effect of forcing affiliated owners such as Mike Veeck out of the NA, and precluding the admission of others who may have some involvement in independent ball is to create a situation which virtually guarantees that nobody on the independent side cares a whit about affiliated teams or interests," he said.
I heard similar sentiments from Peter Kirk, who I noted had long been involved with the affiliated minors before eventually switching over completely to indy ball. He wrote a three-page letter in response to the column—the full text of which we hope to publish in a coming issue—emphasizing that it's supposed to be about baseball, not money, and there's no reason for indy and affiliated ball not to get along.
"It has always been my hope that after a bit of a cooling-off period, calmer heads and voices would prevail and a deal could be negotiated so that we could all once again be under one tent," he wrote. "Perhaps Mike Veeck could be persuaded to participate, thereby guaranteeing that fun would be in the room."
It's worth noting that both Goldklang and Kirk have floated ideas, or made formal proposals, to address the rift and try to at least bring about some kind of rapprochement. Those ideas have gone nowhere.
"And we lose people such as Mike Veeck, and witness such well thought out and tide-turning moves as the banning of independent clubs from our seminars because we don't want to betray our 'trade secrets,' " Goldklang said. "And the independent baseball industry continues to grow. A hell of a way to run a railroad."
E-mail
PrintI feel like I say this at every time of year, but this is an absolutely great time of year to be a Baseball American. Professional baseball is in full swing, with prospects and young players either stepping forward and stepping back, and it's the culmination of the year for two signature areas of BA coverage, with the draft and the College World Series. It's amazing how far we've come with the draft being televised, and Baseball America's Jim Callis being part of the broadcast, and national coverage of super regionals leading up to Omaha as well. (And you should have noticed BA's Aaron Fitt there as well, contributing his expertise from the super regional in Cary, N.C.)
Sure, it's a thousand degrees here in North Carolina, but it's like Christmas for us and we're glad to have you along for the ride.
Enjoy Our New Look
You may notice a few things in this issue that look a little bit different than you're used to. It's the next step in the evolution of our design, which got a significant makeover last year and continues to look lighter, tighter and brighter with each issue.The major changes happened last year, with new typefaces and streamlined page design throughout, driven mostly by the outstanding work of our longtime production manager Linwood Webb.
And since new design and production director Sara Hiatt arrived last fall, she has worked to make sure that design approach permeates every aspect of not only the magazine but also our books and other publications.
The result is the most cohesive design Baseball America has ever had—we even have a design style guide, for goodness sake—not to mention the magazine looking better than ever.
Some of the changes have been obvious, while others will be subtler. For example, did you notice that the typeface for our stories has changed? It's not a dramatic difference—just a better version of the font Garamond—but one that brings an old-fashioned feel that balances the more modern look of our other signature font, Myriad, which is used for most headlines, cutlines and other uses.
We won't get bogged down in talking about fonts and point sizes, though. For the most part, we just hope you notice the magazine looks better and brings you the same great information in better ways.
More News From The Front
I can't say that it's a surprise the only people I heard from in response to my column on the senseless rift between the affiliated and independent minors were two of the people who have actually been on both sides of the fence and understand how beneficial it would actually be if the two sides worked together.
Marv Goldklang may be the only person left who has his hands in both the independent and affiliated worlds, as his Goldklang Group owns both kinds of franchises. He noted that one of his affiliated teams, the Hudson Valley Renegades (New York-Penn), was one of the first to be affected by an independent team coming into its territory, back in the days of the old Northeast League, when a franchise played about five miles away from his ballpark. Of course, the Hudson Valley franchise wasn't affected and the indy team ultimately folded.
"As far as I am aware, there hasn't been a single instance, during the 16 years of the modern era independent baseball industry, in which an independent team has had an adverse effect on any affiliated franchise," Goldklang said.
Goldklang says discouraging affiliated owners from having any involvement in indy ball essentially punishes peoplwas one of the first to be affected by an independent team coming into its territory, back in the days of the old Northeast League, when a franchise played about five miles away from his ballpark. Of course, the Hudson Valley franchise wasn't affected and the indy team ultimately folded.
"As far as I am aware, there hasn't been a single instance, during the 16 years of the modern era independent baseball industry, in which an independent team has had an adverse effect on any affiliated franchise," Goldklang said.
Goldklang says discouraging affiliated owners from having any involvement in indy ball essentially punishes people who are supportive of the National Association.
"The effect of forcing affiliated owners such as Mike Veeck out of the NA, and precluding the admission of others who may have some involvement in independent ball is to create a situation which virtually guarantees that nobody on the independent side cares a whit about affiliated teams or interests," he said.
I heard similar sentiments from Peter Kirk, who I noted had long been involved with the affiliated minors before eventually switching over completely to indy ball. He wrote a three-page letter in response to the column—the full text of which we hope to publish in a coming issue—emphasizing that it's supposed to be about baseball, not money, and there's no reason for indy and affiliated ball not to get along.
"It has always been my hope that after a bit of a cooling-off period, calmer heads and voices would prevail and a deal could be negotiated so that we could all once again be under one tent," he wrote. "Perhaps Mike Veeck could be persuaded to participate, thereby guaranteeing that fun would be in the room."
The effect of forcing affiliated owners such as Mike Veeck out of the NA, and precluding the admission of others who may have some involvement in independent ball is to create a situation which virtually guarantees that nobody on the independent side cares a whit about affiliated teams or interests," he said.
I heard similar sentiments from Peter Kirk, who I noted had long been involved with the affiliated minors before eventually switching over completely to indy ball. He wrote a three-page letter in response to the column—the full text of which we hope to publish in a coming issue—emphasizing that it's supposed to be about baseball, not money, and there's no reason for indy and affiliated ball not to get along.
"It has always been my hope that after a bit of a cooling-off period, calmer heads and voices would prevail and a deal could be negotiated so that we could all once again be under one tent," he wrote. "Perhaps Mike Veeck could be persuaded to participate, thereby guaranteeing that fun would be in the room."
It's worth noting that both Goldklang and Kirk have floated ideas, or made formal proposals, to address the rift and try to at least bring about some kind of rapprochement. Those ideas have gone nowhere.
"And we lose people such as Mike Veeck, and witness such well thought out and tide-turning moves as the banning of independent clubs from our seminars because we don't want to betray our 'trade secrets,' " Goldklang said. "And the independent baseball industry continues to grow. A hell of a way to run a railroad."
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