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Reply to "Mlb increases pressure to contract minors"

The problem with (further) expanding college summer leagues is that most leagues don't really draw enough fans. Alaska - once a premier league - is rapidly fading, a Ripken league game I attended several years ago had son and me as the only fans (and, I believe, that league has shrunk since then); the Myrtle Beach league was more of a pay for play scam than a league. By the end of the season in the Northwoods league when my son played, HS catchers were the bull pen catchers.

I dont think there is the depth of talent available to create additional leagues; as it is some leagues are more like watching a adult league - unless you're a relative, you don't go.

Perhaps some college teams in successful leagues could move their teams to bigger cities and better stadiums vacated by affiliated teams.

It's sort of analogous to the regular college season - a few teams and leagues draw (e.g., LSU, South Carolina, Arizona), others - even for NCAA tournament teams - dont draw (e.g., SDSU, WCC) more than a few hundred.

Most of the MILB teams/cities thought to be on the chopping block dont draw (e.g., Beloit) or have subpar facilities (e.g., Vermont)

Now, if SS or low A is relocated to mother ships, some surviving teams would be relocated to better locations (e.g., Brooklyn, Staten Island). 

I watch this with some degree of sadness, as our family spent every summer for 7 years chasing MiLB games. We have hundred of MILB balls from hundreds of batting practices (yes, we were the crazy family arriving three hours early); and enjoyed many games where we were amongst a dozen fans (Jamestown, Visalia on a hot Sunday afternoon, Savannah) and could have whole seating sections to ourselves and leisurely walk to pick up foul balls.

It was a highlight to watch the kids chase autographs and we still have hundreds of sealed baggies with a program, an autographed ball, and a ticket stub.

 

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Last edited by Goosegg
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