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| View from the "Cheap Seats" in Minor League Baseball. Two tickets for around $20. |
When I espouse my
love for Minor League Baseball, I’m generally met with a wide array of
reactions from people. Even some of the
most ardent Chicago Cubs fans living within 10 miles of their Class A affiliate
have never been to one of their games. Over
the next three installments of this blog, I’ll discuss why I think people missing
out on their local Minor League Baseball organizations is a sports fan travesty. I’ll expand on the three main reasons I love Minor League Baseball: access to emerging talent,
excellent fan experience, and ending with a discussion on MiLB branding.
One of the
debates I get into most with people (my girlfriend included) is whether it is
considered “professional” or “semi-professional.” Minor League Baseball players are professional athletes... end of discussion. They are under a
contract from a Major League organization where training, practices, and
development are all mandatory. Semi-professional
generally refers to Independent League players, who could not possibly subsist
off of the average player salary. Sure,
some of the players in A, AA, or AAA ball will never make it to the top level,
but MiLB rosters typically consist of the elite of the elite high-school and
college players. Most every player
donning a Major League uniform has played in the Minor Leagues for an extended
period of time.
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| Minor League Baseball bobblehead giveaway items show stars Justin Morneau, Albert Pujols, and future pitching phenom, Archie Bradley, in their Minor League attire. |
If you follow the
Major League Baseball draft well enough and watch the subsequent prospect
ratings, you can make a fairly educated determination of who is going to ascend
the ranks. In 2007, when I was interning
for the Kansas City Royal’s Class A affiliate - the Burlington Bees, I caught
wind that a pretty good left-handed pitcher for the Great Lakes Loons was coming
to town. During the first game of the
series, he was in the stands holding the radar gun for one of his
teammates. I got a chance to have some
brief conversation with him during that time.
He then pitched the final game of the series and after his game was
gracious enough to talk with me for a little bit and sign a game-used ball. Today, he is the highest paid pitcher in
baseball, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Down on the farm,
players also seem to learn more than just fine-tuning the game. They play in small towns, in front of modest
crowds making modest pay, and many live with host families. There are some exceptions to the rule, but
most Minor League Players that I’ve had the opportunity to communicate with have been humble
and engaging. If you run into a Major
League Baseball player who demonstrates similar traits, people rave about their
character being an outlier… in Minor League Baseball, it is commonplace.
Finally, I would
be remiss if I didn’t mention the price differential. Recently, I bought tickets for two, got a
great giveaway promotion, and concessions... all for under $30. In contrast, if I was to go to a St. Louis
Cardinals game (my beloved team from birth), $30 generally wouldn’t get one
person in the stadium (standing room for a weekend game is $36 per ticket). Add in another ticket, concessions, and a souvenir,
and I’m pondering Chapter 7 on my way back out through the gate.
I love baseball
in general, and I love going to Major League games when it is feasible, but
nothing compares to the access and price point of Minor League Baseball. Next week, I’ll talk about how fan experience
at Minor League games is an experience that leaves many trying to
replicate.
I would love to see your thoughts on Minor League Baseball,
and if you’re not a fan of it, I’d love to here why.
Oh merse merse merse
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