Is this the end of Minor League Baseball?

[rightwinger]

Most low level Minor League teams struggle to break even. Take away a major league affiliation and they go bust.
MLB likes to tie up players with low ball contracts that last for years. What they want now is for the minor leagues to foot the bill for developing these players and then swoop in and take the cream of the crop

I see your point ... but is the current system the most effective use of available resources? ... is it best to have a five tier system for the cream to rise up in, or would a two tier system work just as well? ... take a typical short season A league, how many MLB players are there? ... is that worth all the expenses? ... our local team drives 600 miles twice a year in a couple of buses, that ain't cheap ...

This is a business, not a social service ... if MiLB is top heavy, then they need to change ...

MLB drafts players out of HS and young players from foreign countries.
These players are not ready for AA or AAA and need development. Rookie league and A ball fill that void. Most players at that level do not make the majors, but many, many star players got their starts at low level minor league ball.

Seems what MLB wants to do is let low level teams train the players and then come in and just pick the best without compensation

 

[22lcidw]

Most low level Minor League teams struggle to break even. Take away a major league affiliation and they go bust.
MLB likes to tie up players with low ball contracts that last for years. What they want now is for the minor leagues to foot the bill for developing these players and then swoop in and take the cream of the crop

I see your point ... but is the current system the most effective use of available resources? ... is it best to have a five tier system for the cream to rise up in, or would a two tier system work just as well? ... take a typical short season A league, how many MLB players are there? ... is that worth all the expenses? ... our local team drives 600 miles twice a year in a couple of buses, that ain't cheap ...

This is a business, not a social service ... if MiLB is top heavy, then they need to change ...

MLB drafts players out of HS and young players from foreign countries.
These players are not ready for AA or AAA and need development. Rookie league and A ball fill that void. Most players at that level do not make the majors, but many, many star players got their starts at low level minor league ball.

Seems what MLB wants to do is let low level teams train the players and then come in and just pick the best without compensation

Major league baseball at one time... a long time ago was a lifetime commitment from the fan. That does not exist anymore. Even with crowds larger today then fifty years ago. What goes to the major league games does not even pay attention to it at a higher percentage. That is a waste, especially in the expensive lower bowl of the stadium. To many people who have less interest not paying attention with to many kids. What has changed in people from a few decades ago that the netting which was just behind the plate is now going foul pole to foul pole in many stadiums. The lifetime fan can not even talk about the records and the best players from different eras anymore. The steroid era ruined it. Other eras had alcohol and maybe even some uppers, but that era killed the lifetime fan as part of Americana. Now that I am older I was looking forward to arguing about the great pitchers and batters from history. Baseball has been tarnished. And it has become hot dog acting entertainment that derides the game at times. Celebrating before the ball leaves the stadium and then celebrating when it does on a home run that turns it into a Broadway Show is old and tired. If that stuff happened forty or fifty years ago there would have been multiple brawls with pitchers being thrown out for hitting multiple batters. The game at the major league level is to expensive. And the only way you get any value is if the game is outstanding. But that is not what baseball is. Its just for that price I expect it.

 

[rightwinger]

Taking your kid to a ballgame used to be a right of passage
Today, six out of seven ballgames are night games getting out at 11PM. Hard to take your kids.
Tickets are $30 or more, Parking is $20, Food is ridiculously expensive. Hard for many families to afford

For many Americans, Minor League games have filled the void. Tickets are around $10, Hot Dogs and Beers are around $2 and Parking is free

MLB wants to end that

 

[Natural Citizen]

There's always the Carolina league.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Taking your kid to a ballgame used to be a right of passage
Today, six out of seven ballgames are night games getting out at 11PM. Hard to take your kids.
Tickets are $30 or more, Parking is $20, Food is ridiculously expensive. Hard for many families to afford

For many Americans, Minor League games have filled the void. Tickets are around $10, Hot Dogs and Beers are around $2 and Parking is free

MLB wants to end that

I prefer youth leagues and Minor league/semi-pro ball games. It's just a better environment in my view. Of course, I spent years travelling all over the country when my son played in those leagues, so it's what I've grown to like.

Some of my favorite memories were going to the box office at the stadium and buying a ticket to watch my boy play.

 

[Natural Citizen]

MLB drafts players out of HS and young players from foreign countries.
These players are not ready for AA or AAA and need development. Rookie league and A ball fill that void. Most players at that level do not make the majors, but many, many star players got their starts at low level minor league ball.

Seems what MLB wants to do is let low level teams train the players and then come in and just pick the best without compensation

One of our boys made his pro debut this year. He spent a lot of time bouncing around on Minor league affiliate teams. He got recruited by one of the very top universities in the nation and he was pretty much the stud on that school's team, then got drafted and didn't finish college. First game in the pros he made a great play on tv, but has struggled at the plate. In college and in the Minors he was putting them over the fence rather routinely.

It's a different beast once you make the show.