Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

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pioneer98
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by pioneer98 »

I missed this thread when it was posted, and the news just hit here today because 3 teams in a 90 mile radius of here are potentially on the chopping block.

I am fully in favor of paying minor league players better and ending the reserve clause. And ending those short season leagues is probably OK, too. But there are 4 double-A teams, 4 high-A teams and 6 low-A teams on the list. They are:

Eastern League (Double-A)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Erie SeaWolves

Southern League (Double-A)
Chattanooga Lookouts
Jackson Generals

Florida State League (High-A)
Daytona Tortugas
Florida Fire Frogs

California League (High-A)
Lancaster JetHawks

Carolina League (High-A)
Frederick Keys

Midwest League (Low-A)
Beloit Snappers (or said to be Quad Cities if Beloit gets a new stadium)
Burlington Bees
Clinton LumberKings

South Atlantic League (Low-A)
Hagerstown Suns
Lexington Legends
West Virginia Power



This is potentially going to destroy the Midwest League, at least the Western Division of it. There would only be 5 teams left in that division and they'd be very spread out. They'll be replacing a bunch of 1 to 2 hour bus rides with 3 to 6 hour bus rides. Some of these cities are so close right now, they don't even need to get a hotel in the city they are visiting. They just drive back after the game, then drive out again the next day.

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mikechamp
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

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:shock:

Noooooo!!!! Not the Rumble Ponies!!!!!!!

(I seriously did not know that team name existed.)

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JoeMcKim
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by JoeMcKim »

With only being allowed 150 minor league roster spots could their be players playing for one of the minor league affiliates signed to that specific affiliate to help fill out rosters. I mean you get the chance to use a few more players this way. And have it so they can only be signed away to other minor league teams mid season if they get signed by a specific major league team using one of their 150 spots.

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Magneto2.0
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

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mikechamp
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by mikechamp »

This is how my brain internalizes this skirmish:

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redbirdjazzz
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by redbirdjazzz »

Magneto2.0 wrote:
What a colossal [expletive].

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Joe Shlabotnik
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by Joe Shlabotnik »

redbirdjazzz wrote:
Magneto2.0 wrote:
What a colossal [expletive].
Trumpism permeates more and more of society. Foock MLB on this issue and the way they are handling it. Manfred's an a$$hole.

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by lukethedrifter »

Joe Shlabotnik wrote:
redbirdjazzz wrote:
Magneto2.0 wrote:
What a colossal [expletive].
Trumpism permeates more and more of society. Foock MLB on this issue and the way they are handling it. Manfred's an a$$hole.
Them people in charge are trying to get me to quit following major league sports.

And unfortunately by clicking the link i learned than Anthony Rendon is a Trumper.

greenback44
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by greenback44 »

lukethedrifter wrote:Them people in charge are trying to get me to quit following major league sports.
Weird, I'd be happier with baseball if they dramatically changed their relationship with non-major league players. I think most MiLB employees make pretty close to minimum wage, and a good chunk of MiLB front office staffs are interns who literally aren't paid (and may have had to pay MiLB to get an interview). Most MiLB players effectively make less than minimum wage, and many of them live in squalid conditions with poor diets. A small segment of players got decent-sized bonuses when they were drafted or signed internationally, which they can live off for a while, but that's a distinct minority, and that bonus only works because those players could be held under the reserve clause for the next ten years.

I enjoy having a beer while sitting behind home plate on a sunny evening when it is 75+ degrees, but I can't help but see a lot of the environment as exploitative. At the very least the conditions for work are pretty clearly the opposite of progressive ideals. Certainly I don't trust Rob Manfred, but once again they have to make some significant changes, and I don't see how much of the lower levels of the minor leagues, especially the short season leagues, can survive any such changes. Only a handful of lower level players are worth the cost, and those players that are worth it generally aren't allocated in a way to play 65-70 nine inning baseball games over 2.5 months.

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mikechamp
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Re: Reorganizing the Minor Leagues

Post by mikechamp »

This may be incredibly simplistic, but isn't MLB bringing in billions in revenue every season?

How can teams not afford to pay their MiLB players more? For instance, if a team's entire budget for annual MiLB player salaries is $5 million, is it really unrealistic to have them double that budget? Look at it this way: How many teams are paying players to not play for them anymore? (Ellsbury? Bonilla? Leake?)

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