[buckalfa]

Baseball is a business and the minor leagues and the amateur draft no longer serve the needs of MLB. Much talent now is identified and developed in Central American baseball academies rather than in the draft and low minors. That and what business does not want to cut or better control expenses? Still minor league baseball is part of the fabric of Americana, it would be sad to see it diminished.

[real saxophonist]

Well, the Savannah Sand Gnats are already gone.

[Scrambler Bob]

The term “Minor” League is demeaning.

All leagues should be “Major”, or “Major Major Major Major”.

[Gay State Conservative]

Klinger will weep if his Mud Hens are disbanded.

[foreverfree]

Bump

[Mr. Jeeves]

I would rather see EPL-style promotion and relegation. :)

[Peter W. Kessler]

Not a problem here. We have our Sussex County Miners, of the Can-Am League. They were in first place the entire season, but lost the championship to the Jersey Jackals in a heart breaker. It was the only time in the season they dropped to second place.

The stadium is about 30 minutes from home. It’s spacious, modern. Ticket prices are reasonable ($10.00-$12.00), and food and drink prices are affordable enough that a family of four can enjoy a game without taking out a home equity loan. There is an excellent restaurant attached to the stadium. Local craft breweries showcase their products.

Attendance is generally good. The fans are friendly. No one has ever been beat up or puked on.

There is a SPECTACULAR fireworks show every Saturday night.

I have completely given up on televised sports and sports teams (NFL, MLB, NASCAR), but attend a Miners game whenever I can.

The Can-Am league has just merged with the Frontier League to create the largest independent league in baseball. There will be 14 teams playing a 96-game schedule in 2020.

The players play for the love of the game. Perhaps this will be the future of sports in the USA.

I’m all for it.

[sphinx]

The recurring issue raised in this piece is the quality of facilities. What is the problem? For baseball, you need a big, open field with no potholes, so players don’t get injured while chasing a ball. Then you need a shovel to throw up a mound to give the pitcher an advantage (let’s get rid of the mound!!!!), and you need a bag of chalk to mark the lines. That’s it. Everything else is an amenity that you could live without. If a minor league team with a low amenities park is paying its bills, what is the problem?