MLB to Small Town America: Drop Dead

Some nerd is going to find the exact day and produce box scores for all games.

 

Even better, the receipt from Shakey's.

 

I do wonder if the various teams that were left out have rental agreements with cities or whomever owns the stadium that they must be affiliated. I have to think some towns would much prefer to see an affiliated team over one of those independent/hybrid things MLB is pushing (likely to avoid lawsuits). And will MLB have say over franchise movement?

 

This digs into MLB's legally aberrant antitrust exemption.

I could see a court ruling that all players under MLB contract control must be paid MLB minimum wage, which would instantly result in each franchise fielding its 40-man major league roster, probably 25 guys on the reserve/taxi squad (Class AAA) team, and all other "minor league" baseball being played by independent franchises.

 

Yep, and draft picks getting their "bonuses" but no additional pay until they make the 40-man. I'm guessing that'll also lead to an international draft at some point.

 

I would wonder if, at some point, there's a top prospect who gets drafted by a franchise they don't want to play for who refuses to sign and goes to an independent team until he gets traded to a franchise he does want to play for. Or, if you get a semi-prosperous independent league team (if one exists), who is willing to offer the later-round picks more money to join them with the hopes that they will perform well enough for the team to sell their contract for more than what they're paying for.

 

July 7, 1993. The Dodgers went 20 innings with the Phillies, losing 7-6. Playing a day game, the Angels defeated Boston, 7-6.

 

Yeah but how'd Riverside do?

 

I think you're on the money, depending on how the economy recovers over the rest of the decade. It;s obvious the value of a minor league team bears little relation to its attendance or market size now.

What's entirely feasible would be a syndicate willing to budget for a competitive minor league salary structure -- particularly for top high school talent who don't want to waste two years of college with no income just to get a higher draft slot -- that then makes its profit from auctioning those contracts to the highest MLB bidder.

You'd need to get an RSN (excuse me, Sinclair) to bite on a TV deal but the play would be similar or better than going overseas.

That's sort of how the PCL operated up until the late '50s.

 

In other words, the soccer model.

 

These Cities Built Minor League Ballparks With Taxpayer Money. Now They Don't Have Teams To Play in Them.

 

I don't think many colleges turn a profit in their baseball team. And college only give 11.7 scholarships. If a large D-1 college can not turn a profit with such a low cost structure I don't see much hope for a minor league team that pays the players salaries.