From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Part of the History of baseball series. Royals) have been the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas
City Royals since the Royals joined the American League
Minor league baseball in 1969, but the Columbus Clippers changed affiliations
from the New York Yankees to the Washington Nationals
in 2007 and are now affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.
A few minor league teams are directly owned by their
major league parent club, such as the Springfield Cardi-
nals, owned by the St. Louis Cardinals, and all of the At-
Minor League Baseball logo lanta Braves’ affiliates except for the Lynchburg Hillcats.
Minor League teams that are owned directly by the ma-
Sport Baseball jor league Club do not have PDCs with each other and are
Founded 1869 not part of the reaffiliation shuffles that occur every oth-
er year.
No. of teams 240
Today, 20 minor baseball leagues operate with 246
Country(ies) United States member clubs in large, medium, and small towns, as well
Canada as the suburbs of major cities, across the United States,
Mexico Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.
Dominican Republic
Venezuela
Puerto Rico History
Most recent champion(s) various
Official website minorleaguebaseball.com
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional base-
ball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below
Major League Baseball (MLB) and provide opportunities
for player development. All of the minor leagues are op-
erated as independent businesses. Most are members of
the umbrella organization known as Minor League Base-
MiLB),
ball (MiLB which operates under the Commissioner of
Baseball within the scope of organized baseball. Several
leagues, known as independent leagues, do not have any
official links to Major League Baseball. Class A California League game in San Jose, California, 1994
Except for the Mexican League, teams in the orga-
nized minor leagues are generally independently owned The earliest professional baseball association, the Nation-
and operated but are directly affiliated with one major al Association of 1871 to 1875, comprised all fully profes-
league team through a standardized Player Development sional teams. This system proved unworkable, however,
Contract (PDC). These leagues also go by the nicknames as there was no way to ensure competitive balance, and
the "farm system," "farm club," or "farm team(s)" be- financially unsound clubs often failed midseason. This
cause of a joke passed around by major league players problem was solved in 1876 with the formation of the Na-
in the 1930s when St. Louis Cardinals’ general manager tional League, with a limited membership which exclud-
Branch Rickey formalized the system, and teams in small ed less competitive and financially weaker teams. Pro-
towns were "growing players down on the farm like fessional clubs outside the National League responded by
corn." forming regional associations of their own. There was a
Major and Minor League teams may enter into a PDC series of ad hoc groupings, such as the New England As-
for a two or four year term and may re-affiliate at the sociation of 1877 and the Eastern Championship Associ-
expiration of a PDC term, though many relationships are ation of 1881. These were loose groups of independent
renewed and endure for extended time periods. For ex- clubs which agreed to play a series of games for a cham-
ample, the Omaha Storm Chasers (formerly the Omaha pionship pennant.
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
The first minor league is traditionally considered to league players. Leagues in the NA would not be truly
be the Northwestern League of 1883 to 1884. Unlike the called minor until Branch Rickey developed the first
earlier minor associations, it was conceived as a perma- modern farm system in the 1930s. The Commissioner of
nent organization. It also, along with the National League Baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis fought Rickey’s
and the American Association, was a party to the Nation- scheme, but, ultimately, the Great Depression drove
al Agreement of 1883. Included in this was the agree- teams to establish systems like Rickey’s to ensure a
ment to respect the reserve lists of clubs in each league. steady supply of players, as many NA and independent
Teams in the National League and the American Associ- teams could not afford to keep their doors open without
ation could only reserve players who had been paid at the patronage of major league baseball. The leagues of
least $1000. Northwest League teams could reserve play- the NA became subordinate to the major leagues, creat-
ers paid merely $750, implicitly establishing the division ing the first minor leagues. Other than the Pacific Coast
into major and minor leagues. Over the next two decades, League, which under its president Pants Rowland tried to
more minor leagues signed various versions of the Na- become a third major league in the Western states, the
tional Agreement. Eventually, the minor leagues joined other leagues maintained autonomy in name only, being
together to negotiate jointly. totally economically dependent upon the American and
In the late 1890s, the Western League run by the fiery National leagues.
Ban Johnson decided to challenge the National League’s In 1922, the United States Supreme Court decision
position. In 1900, he changed the name of the league to Federal Baseball Club v. National League (259 U.S. 200), which
the American League and vowed to make deals to sign grants baseball a special immunity from antitrust laws,
contracts with players who were dissatisfied with the pay had a major effect on the minor leagues. The special im-
and terms of their deals with the National League. This munity meant that the American and National leagues
led to a nasty turf war that heated up in 1901 enough could dictate terms under which every independent
to concern Patrick T. Powers, president of the Eastern league did business. By 1925, major league baseball estab-
League, and many other minor league owners about the lished a flat-fee purchase amount of $5,000 for the con-
conflict potentially affecting their organizations. Repre- tract of any player from an NA league team. This pow-
sentatives of the different minor leagues met at the Le- er was leveled primarily at the Baltimore Orioles, then a
land Hotel in Chicago on September 5, 1901. In response Triple-A team that had dominated the minors with stars.
to the National-American battle, they agreed to form the
National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues,
called the NAPBL, or NA for short. (The NA uses the name
Current system
Minor League Baseball today.) The purpose of the NA Under most circumstances, minor league teams are not
at the time was to maintain the independence of the owned by Major league clubs, but have affiliation con-
leagues involved. Several did not sign the agreement and tracts with them. A small number of minor league clubs
continued to work independently. Powers was made the are directly owned by major league clubs, but these are
first president of the NAPBL, whose offices were estab- rare. Major league Rule 56 governs the standard terms of
lished in Auburn, New York. a Player Development Contract (PDC) which is the stan-
In 1903 the conflict between the American and Na- dard agreement of association between a minor league
tional Leagues ended in the National Agreement of 1903. team and its major league affiliate. Generally, the parent
The NAPBL became involved in the later stages of the ne- major league club pays the salaries and benefits of uni-
gotiations to develop rules for the acquisition of play- formed personnel (players and coaches) and bats and
ers from their leagues by the National and the American. balls, while the minor league club pays for in-season
The 1903 agreement ensured that teams would be com- travel and other operational expenses.
pensated for the players that they had taken the time Minor league teams often change their affiliation
and effort to scout and develop, and no NA team was re- with major league clubs for a variety of reasons. Some-
quired to sell their players, although most did because times Major or Minor League clubs wish to affiliate with
the cash was an important source of revenue for most a partner that is geographically closer. In recent years,
teams. The NA leagues were still fiercely independent, some MLB clubs have attempted to place as many affil-
and the term "minor" was seldom used in reference to iated teams within their blackout area, to make scout-
them, save by the major-market sports writers. News did ing and player transfers more convenient and to take ad-
not travel far in the days before television and radio, so, vantage of the existing fan base, as interest in the par-
while the leagues often bristled at the major market writ- ent team builds support for the minor league affiliate and
ers descriptions, they viewed themselves as independent early fan interest in developing minor league players re-
sports businesses. Many baseball writers of that time re- inforces support for the parent team as "local players"
garded the greatest players of the minor leagues, such reach the majors. Sometimes a Minor League club wishes
as Buzz Arlett, Jigger Statz, Ike Boone, Buddy Ryan, Earl to improve the caliber of players its major league affiliate
Rapp and Frank Shellenback, as comparable to major sends to play there. Sometimes a major league club wish-
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
es to improve the facility where it will send its develop-
ing players. In even-numbered years, any Major or Mi-
nor League club with an expiring PDC may notify Major
League Baseball or Minor League Baseball, respectively,
of its desire to explore a re-affiliation with a different
PDC partner. The Major League Baseball and Minor
League Baseball offices then send a list of the correspond-
ing Major and Minor League clubs seeking new affilia-
tions, and there is a limited period of time in September
within which clubs may agree upon new PDCs. If any are
left over after this process, the Major League Baseball and
Minor League Baseball offices are empowered to assign
Major and Minor League clubs to each other.
Going into the 2010 season, the longest continuous
link between major league and minor league clubs was Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, home of the Lehigh
the link between the Orioles and their Rookie-level Ap- Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia
palachian League affiliate, the Bluefield Orioles. The Phillies
teams were affiliated for 53 years, from 1958 through
2010. Baltimore ended the PDC after the 2010 season. At their second-tier players against major-league competi-
the start of the 2011 season, the longest continuous affili- tion.[2]
ations will be two 45-year links: between the Philadelphia
Phillies and their Double-A Eastern League affiliate, the Double-A
Reading Phillies; and the one between the Detroit Tigers There are currently three leagues in this classification:
and their Single-A Florida State League affiliate, the Lake- Eastern League, Southern League, and the Texas
land Flying Tigers. Both Reading and Lakeland are owned League.[1] Some players will jump to the majors from this
by their parent Major League clubs. level, as many of the top prospects are put here to play
The current minor league classification system di- against each other rather than against minor and major
vides leagues into one of five classes, those being Triple- league veterans in Triple-A. A small handful of players
A (AAA), Double-A (AA), Class A (Single-A or A), Class A might be placed here to start, usually veterans from for-
Short Season, and Rookie. Furthermore, Class A is fur- eign leagues with more experience in professional base-
ther subdivided into Class A and Class A-Advanced (often ball. The expectation is usually that these players will be
called Low-A and High-A, respectively). Under the rules in the majors by the end of the season, as their salaries
governing the affiliated minor leagues (specifically Major tend to be higher than those of most prospects.
League Baseball Rule 51), Class A Short Season is a sep- Unlike the major league and the Triple-A level, two of
arate classification from the other leagues bearing the the three Double-A leagues have their season divided in
"Class A" name, despite the similarity in name. to two parts, the Eastern League being the exception. One
team may clinch a spot in the playoffs by winning the di-
Triple-A vision in first half of the season. The teams’ records are
Main article: Triple-A (baseball) then cleared and another team will also clinch a playoff
This classification currently includes two affiliated slot during the second half. Wild cards are used to fill out
leagues: the International League and the Pacific Coast the remaining teams. Usually, four teams qualify for the
League.[1] The Mexican League is also classed a Triple- league playoffs. This system is used at the Class A level as
A league, though its clubs do not have PDCs with Major well.
League clubs.
Both young players and veterans play for Triple-A Class A
teams. Teams usually hold many of the remaining 15 Class A is a classification comprising two sub-classifica-
players of the 40-man major league roster whom the ma- tions: Class A-Advanced and Class A. Players usually have
jor league club has chosen not to play at the major league less experience or have particular issues to work out;
level. Players at Triple-A on the 40-man roster can be pitching control and batting consistency are the two
invited to come up to the major league club once the most frequent reasons for a player to be assigned to Class
major league roster expands on September 1, although A baseball.
teams will usually wait until their affiliates’ playoff runs
are over, should they qualify. For teams in contention Class A-Advanced
for a pennant, it gives them fresh players. For those not One level below Double-A, the California League, Florida
in contention, it gives them an opportunity to evaluate State League, and the Carolina League play at the Class A-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
Advanced level.[1] This is often a second or third promo- the Appalachian League, Pioneer League, Arizona League,
tion for a minor league player, although a few high first- Gulf Coast League, Dominican Summer League, and
round draftees, particularly those with college experi- Venezuelan Summer League.[1] The Appalachian and
ence, will begin to this level. These leagues play a com- Pioneer leagues are actually hybrid leagues; while offi-
plete season like Triple-A and Double-A, April through cially classed as "Rookie" leagues, several major league
early September. Many of these teams, especially in the teams have their higher-class short season teams in
Florida State League, are owned by major league parent those leagues. These teams also maintain Rookie-level
clubs and use their spring training complexes. teams in other leagues as well. The Gulf Coast and Ari-
zona leagues are informally known as "complex-based"
Class A leagues, nicknamed for the minor-league complexes
Slightly below Class A-Advanced are the full season Class- where most games in those leagues are played. All of the
A leagues, the South Atlantic League and Midwest other Rookie leagues are short season leagues as well.
League.[1] These leagues are a mix of players moving up
from the Short-Season A and Rookie leagues, as well as Variations in the system
the occasional experienced first-year player. There are variations to the Farm System’s classes that
should be noted:
Class A-Short Season • – Players on the Disabled List (DL) can be sent to the
Class A-Short Season, despite sharing the "Class A" des- minor leagues for rehab work, typically for one or
ignation, is, in fact, a separate classification from Class two weeks. Players are often sent to minor league
A. Short Season A teams are slightly more limited than clubs based on geography and facilities, not
Class A teams with respect to player age and years of ex- necessarily by class for these reassignments. Curt
perience in professional baseball. As the name implies, Schilling’s recovery from an ankle injury in 2005 saw
these leagues play a shortened season, starting in June him rehab in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at the Triple-A
and ending in early September with only a few off-days Pawtucket Red Sox, very close to the home club in
during the season. The late start to the season is designed Boston. Minnesota Twins superstar Joe Mauer, who
to allow college players to complete the College World missed most of the first two months of the 2011
Series before turning professional, give major league season due to a difficult recovery from arthroscopic
teams time to sign their newest draftees, and immediate- knee surgery after the 2010 season, reported to
ly place them in a competitive league. Players in these Minnesota’s Class-A Florida State League team, the
leagues are a mixture of newly-signed draftees and Fort Myers Miracle, which is based in their well-
second-year pros who weren’t ready to move on, or for equipped Spring Training facility in Fort Myers. In
whom there was not space at a higher level to move up. addition, the Miracle manager at the time was
Second-year pros tend to be assigned to extended spring Mauer’s older brother Jake.
training until the short-season leagues begin. For many • – Like major leaguers, minor league players also
players, this is the first time they have ever used wooden enjoy free agency. Their contracts expire after seven
baseball bats, as aluminum bats are most common in the Minor League seasons, if they are not on the 40-man
amateur game. Players are permitted to use certain ap- major league roster at the time of the expiration of
proved composite bats at this classification to help them their Minor League contracts. Those who can’t find
make the transition from aluminum to wood bats. This is the right deal with an affiliated baseball club may
also often the first time they have played every day for a also take a season in independent baseball before
prolonged basis, as amateur competitions typically regu- returning to the farm system of another major
late the number of games played in a week. league club. This is done because players, in the
There are two short-season leagues, the New York- world of free agency and high-dollar salaries, often
Penn League and Northwest League. They contain the find their careers "stuck." Major league clubs will
highest level short-season affiliates for 22 MLB organiza- often trade for a big dollar position player rather
tions.[1] The affiliates of the remaining eight MLB clubs than call someone up from the minor leagues. This
have their highest level short-season affiliate in either can leave position players in the Triple-A and
the Appalachian or Pioneer Leagues, which are officially Double-A levels of the farm system with no ability to
classified as "Rookie" level leagues. move up. They become "spare parts" players unless
they can find a new club that views their skills
Rookie differently.
Leagues in the Rookie classification play a shortened sea- • – The classification system today is a very rough
son similar to the Short-Season A classification leagues, rule of thumb, particularly in the "readiness"
starting in June and ending in early September. This low- category. There are players who start at all levels of
est level of minor league baseball consists of six leagues, the farm system, although launching from Triple-A
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
is the most rare. More and more players are taken leagues) absorbed the four surviving franchises from the
from Class AA to the majors without time in Class defunct American Association. Meanwhile, at the Double-
AAA. Triple-A has two appropriate nicknames: It’s A level and below there were even more significant
been dubbed the "parking lot" by some sports changes:
writers because players can easily get trapped into • The two existing Class A leagues — the Eastern and
being reserves for injured major leaguers. It’s also Sally — were upgraded to Double-A, joining the
been called the "third major league," because the Texas League and the Mexican League, then Double-
level of play is exceptional, players play harder A, as members of this classification. This move was
because they want to prove something to those caused by the disbanding of the Southern
judging their talent, and because some teams used to Association after 1961, leaving the six-team Texas
draw as well as, if not better, than their major league League as the only U.S.-based Double-A circuit in
counterparts. The Marlins may have won the 2003 1962. (The Mexican League, although a formal
World Series, but up until playoff time, their Triple-A member of minor league baseball, was not affiliated
Albuquerque Isotopes franchise was outdrawing the with any Major League teams.) In addition, many
major league club most nights of the week. New Major League parent teams had frequently treated
stadiums and franchise relocations have made this the pre-1963 Eastern and Sally leagues as de facto
scenario less likely. The independent leagues also Double-A circuits, one step (rather than two) below
play a role, draining off some talent looking for a Triple-A. In 1964, the Sally League changed its name
change, while some players, particularly ones to its current identity, the Southern League.
originally from countries other than the United • The Class B Carolina League and Northwest League,
States, may elect to play in Japan. the Class C California League, Pioneer League and
Northern League, and the Class D Florida State
Reorganization of 1963 League, Georgia-Florida League, Midwest League,
New York-Penn League, and Western Carolinas
The current minor league structure is largely based on a League were all designated Class A (or Single-A)
significant reorganization that occurred before the 1963 leagues. (The unaffiliated Mexican Center League of
season, which was caused by the club and league contrac- 1960–1978, ranked Class C in 1962, also was upgraded
tion of the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1949, the peak of the to Class A.)
post-World War II minor league baseball boom, 438 teams • The Class D Appalachian League, then the only
in 59 leagues were members of the National Association "short-season" circuit, was given a new designation
of Professional Baseball Leagues. By the end of 1963, only as a "Rookie" league. In 1964, the Pioneer League
15 leagues survived in the United States and Canada.[3] stepped down to Rookie league status, and the first
"complex-based" leagues, the Sarasota Rookie
Previous structure (1946–1962) League and the Cocoa Rookie League, made their
In 1946, the Triple-A classification was created and it be- debuts.
came the highest level of the minors, which formerly As part of the 1963 reorganization, Major League clubs in-
was called Double-A. The two Class A1 circuits, the Texas creased their commitments to affiliate with minor league
League and the Southern Association, were then desig- teams through Player Development Contracts, outright
nated Double-A, now two rungs below MLB. ownerships, or shared affiliations and co-op arrange-
Before 1963, the Class A level was a middle- to higher- ments.[3]
rung classification. In 1946, Class A consisted of the
Eastern League and the original South Atlantic or "Sally" Further changes after 1963
League, and it would soon include the Western League In 1965, the Short-Season Class A designation was creat-
(1947–1958), the Central League (1948–1951), and the ed, and the Northern (1965), Northwest (1965) and New
Western International League (1952–1954), which would York-Penn (1967) loops moved into that classification.
become the Class B Northwest League in 1955. The lower The Georgia-Florida League disbanded after the 1963
levels of the minors were ranked Classes B through D in season, while the Northern League played its last year in
descending order. With the exception of the 1952–1957 official minor league baseball in 1971. The Sarasota Rook-
Open Classification experiment for the Pacific Coast ie League underwent a name change to the Florida Rook-
League, this structure would remain intact through 1962. ie League in 1965 before becoming the modern Gulf Coast
(see Defunct levels, below) League the next season. The Cocoa Rookie League last-
ed only one season, but the Florida East Coast League of
The 1963 classification realignment 1972 was based in the same region of the state. In 1980,
During the 1962-1963 offseason, the two remaining the Western Carolinas League became the modern incar-
Triple-A leagues (the International and Pacific Coast nation of the South Atlantic League. The American Asso-
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
ciation was revived as a Triple-A league in 1969 and flour- level could not sustain operation during a large down-
ished with the minor league baseball boom of the 1980s turn in the financial fortunes of minor league baseball
and 1990s. However, its teams were again absorbed into in the 1950s and 1960s caused by the rise of television
the International and Pacific Coast leagues in 1998 as part broadcasts of major league sports across broad regions
of a sweeping reorganization of the minors’ top classifi- of the country. The impact of the Korean War in 1950
cation. caused a player shortage in most cities in class D and C.
During the 1970s, three "official" minor leagues at- The Class E level existed briefly in 1943 in the form of the
tempted unsuccessfully to revive unaffiliated baseball Twin Ports League. It folded July 13 after six weeks of op-
within the organized baseball structure. These were the eration.
Class A Gulf States League (1976), Lone Star League
(1977), and the Class AAA Inter-American League (1979).
None lasted more than a full season. In 1989, an Arizona-
Players
based counterpart to the Gulf Coast League, the Arizona Only 25 of the players on a Major League Baseball team’s
League, made its debut in minor league baseball, and it 40-man major league reserve list may be active for the
continues to operate as a Rookie-level league for MLB major league club, except from September 1 to the end
teams with spring training facilities based in that state. of the regular season when teams are allowed to expand
their game-day rosters to 40 players. The remaining 15
players are generally either on the disabled list or play at
Defunct levels some level of the minor leagues (usually at the AAA or AA
level). Players on the 40-man reserve list are eligible for
Open membership in the Major League Baseball Players Asso-
The Pacific Coast League, from 1952–1957, was the only ciation. The minor league players work at the lower end
minor league to obtain this classification. At this time, of major league pay scales and are covered by all rules
the major leagues only extended as far west as St. Louis and player agreements of the players association. Minor
and as far south as Washington, DC. This classification se- league players not on the 40-man reserve list are under
verely restricted the rights of the major leagues to draft contract to their respective parent Major League Baseball
players out of the PCL, and at the time it seemed like the clubs but have no union. They generally work for far less
PCL would eventually become a third major league. The pay as they develop their skills and work their way up
PCL would revert back to Triple-A classification in 1958 the ladder toward the major leagues. Many players have
due to increasing television coverage of major league signing bonuses and other additional compensation that
games and in light of the Dodgers and Giants moving to can run into the millions of dollars, although that is gen-
Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively. The open erally reserved for early round draft picks.
classification no longer exists in the major league rules. A major league team’s Director of Player Develop-
ment determines where a given player will be placed in
Class A1 the farm system, in coordination with the coaches and
The forerunner to the modern Double-A classification, managers who evaluate their talent. At the end of Spring
the A1 level existed from 1936 through 1945. In 1936, two training, players both from the spring major camp and
Class A circuits, the Texas League and the Southern As- minor league winter camp are placed by the major league
sociation, were upgraded to A1 to signify their contin- club on the roster of a minor league team. The Director
ued status as one step below the highest classification, of Player Development and the General Manager usually
then Double-A, yet a notch above their former Class A determine the initial assignments for new draftees, who
peers, the New York-Pennsylvania League and Western typically begin playing professionally in June after they
League. Ten years later, after World War II, with the mi- have been signed to contracts. The farm system is ever-
nor leagues poised for unprecedented growth, classifi- changing, and evaluation of players is a constantly ongo-
cation terminology was changed. Beginning in 1946, the ing process. The Director of Player Development and his
three Double-A leagues (the American Association and managers will meet or teleconference regularly to dis-
International and Pacific Coast leagues) joined a new cuss how players are performing at each level. Personal
classification, Triple-A, and the two A1 leagues became development, injuries, and high levels of achievement by
known as Double-A. players in the classes below all steer a player’s movement
up and down in the class system.
Class B, C and D Players will play for the team to which they are as-
signed for the duration of that season unless they are
Until 1963, there were also Class B, C, and D leagues (and,
"called up," promoted to a higher level; "sent down," de-
for half a season, one E league). The Class D of that day
moted to a lower class team in the major league club’s
would be equivalent to the Rookie level today. The other
farm system; or "released" from the farm system entire-
class designations disappeared because leagues of that
ly. A release from minor-league level used to spell the
6
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
end of a minor league player’s career. In more modern A league.[6] Before the umpire development program was
times, released players often sign with independent base- created, the Minor League presidents would recruit um-
ball clubs, which are scouted heavily by major league or- pires directly from the schools. Umpires were then "sold"
ganizations. Many players will get a second or third look from league to league by word of mouth through the var-
from the major league scouts if they turn their career ious league presidents.[7] The umpire development pro-
around in the independent leagues. gram first started in 1964, when it was decided that a
Even though minor league players are paid consider- method of recruitment, training and development for
ably less than their major league counterparts, they are umpires of both Major and Minor Leagues was needed.
nevertheless paid for their services and are thus consid- The Umpire Development Program was founded at Base-
ered professional athletes. Baseball cards refer to "pro ball’s 1964 Winter Meetings in Houston, and it began op-
record" and "pro seasons" as including both major and erating the next year. The program aimed to recruit
minor leagues. For this reason, minor league players gen- more athletic, energetic and dedicated individuals who
erally consider it an insult when someone asks when would also have high morals and integrity standards. In
they’re going to "get to the pros". More accurately, a 1968, it was decided that the program needed its own
player’s aim is to reach "The Show" or the "big leagues." umpire training course which would be held each year.
In addition, a major league player on the disabled list The first "Umpire Specialization Course" was held in St.
may be sent to a minor league club for a "rehabilitation" Petersburg, Florida the following year.[8]
assignment, allowing the player to face live competition Presently, the candidates for a job in professional um-
(though not Major League level) as a means of working piring must meet several requirements in order to be
his way back into the regular lineup, prior to being re- considered. An applicant must have a High School Diplo-
turned to the team’s active roster. ma or a G.E.D., must be athletic, and also must have 20/20
vision, no matter if they wear glasses or contact lenses.[9]
Umpires They must also have good communication skills, good re-
flexes and coordination, and must have trained at one of
The umpires are the people charged with officiating the the two professional umpire schools.
game, including beginning and ending the game, enforc-
ing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judg-
ment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary ac-
Minor League Baseball/NAPBL
tions.
The body responsible for any action related to the
training, evaluation, and recommendation for promotion
and retention or release of the umpires is the Profession-
al Baseball Umpire Corp, which is an owned subsidiary
of the National Association of Professional Baseball
Leagues.[4] The umpires are evaluated by the staff of the
PBUC at each mid-season and end of the year. Based on
performance during the year, an umpire may advance in
classification the following season. PBUC holds an annual Minor League Baseball Headquarters, St. Petersburg, FL
Evaluation Course every year in March to evaluate rook-
ie umpires. Participants are normally the best students Baseball,
Minor League Baseball formerly the National Association
from the two professional umpire schools owned and op- of Professional Baseball Leagues and also known in the
erated by the same entity. The top students who pass the NAPBL, Association, NA,
past as NAPBL National Baseball Association and NA is
Evaluation Course are recommended for the first openin- the organization which oversees the governing and orga-
gs in the Rookie and Short-A leagues.[5] nization of minor league baseball in North America.
Any student who wants to work as an umpire must The NAPBL formed in 1901 as a reaction to the war-
attend a professional umpire training school. The PBUC fare going on between the National League and the
recognizes two schools for training prospective profes- American League. The presidents of the other profession-
sional umpires, the Jim Evans Academy of Professional al baseball leagues then in existence were concerned that
Umpiring and the Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School, the two "major leagues" and their continuing pirating of
both located in Florida. The classes for each school are players and even whole teams were a threat to the ex-
held for five weeks in January and February. The instruc- istence of professional baseball in the United States and
tors at these schools are former or present Major or Mi- Canada. At the time, the National and American Leagues
nor League umpires. Simply attending one of these were not seen as "major leagues", but only as leagues
schools, however, does not guarantee that the candidate which existed in larger cities. Led by Patrick T. Pow-
will also be recommended either to the Evaluation ers, then-president of the Eastern League, the larger mi-
Course or to the openings in the Rookie or Short-Season nor leagues then in existence banded together to control
7
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
their own fates. Powers’ idea was that, instead of going • Sal Artiaga, 1988–1991
head-to-head with the National and American Leagues, • Mike Moore, 1991–2007
the other leagues should set standard rules for officiat- • Pat O’Conner, 2008–present
ing, player drafts, contracts, and location of teams. Four-
teen leagues (the Eastern League, Western League, New
England League, New York State League, Pacific North-
List of leagues and teams
west League, Southern Association, Three-I League, Main article: List of minor league baseball leagues and
Carolina League, Connecticut League, Cotton States teams
League, Iowa-South Dakota League, Michigan State AAA
League, Missouri Valley League and Texas League) signed • International League
the agreement to begin play under the new rules effec- • Pacific Coast League
tive with the 1902 season. Many leagues refused to join, • Mexican League (clubs are unaffiliated with major
fearing that the creation of the NA was just an attempt league clubs, but the league is officially classed at the
at forming another "major" league, and that its rules AAA level)
and territorial limits would interfere with their indepen- AA
dence. When that fear failed to materialize, however, • Eastern League
more and more leagues joined the NA until, within a few • Southern League
years, it consisted of thirty-five leagues. • Texas League
Patrick Powers resigned his presidency of the NA in A-Advanced leagues
1909 in order to concentrate on his private business in- • California League
terests. The Association managed to maintain its original • Carolina League
purpose for about twenty years, but during the Great De- • Florida State League
pression, many leagues began to fold, and the Association A
needed to look for more funding in order to keep minor • Midwest League
league baseball going. This funding came from the same • South Atlantic League
major league teams which the NA had been created to Short-Season A
protect itself from. Starting in 1931, major league teams • New York - Penn League
began affiliation agreements with minor league teams. • Northwest League
Branch Rickey, president of the St. Louis Cardinals, was Rookie-Advanced leagues
the architect of the system which exists today, in which • Pioneer Baseball League
most minor league teams are affiliates of major league • Appalachian League
teams, supplying the Majors with development of Rookie
younger players in exchange for financial support from • Arizona League
the major league teams with which they are affiliated. • Gulf Coast League
Because so many professional players went to fight • Dominican Summer League
during World War II, the number of teams and leagues • Venezuelan Summer League
decreased even more until the end of the war. From 1945, Off-season leagues
when there were only twelve leagues left in the NA, there • Arizona Fall League
were fifty-nine in 1949. That number has decreased until, • Colombian Professional Baseball League
today, there are seventeen. • Dominican Winter Baseball League
In 1999, the NAPBL formally changed its name to Mi- • Mexican Pacific League
nor League Baseball, which governs the minor league • Puerto Rico Baseball League
system, although there are several independent leagues • Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
which do not fall under the group’s aegis. Independent leagues
These leagues are not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor
Presidents of the NAPBL and Minor League Baseball and operate as fully independent professional
League Baseball leagues
• American Association (not to be confused with the
• Patrick T. Powers, 1901–1909 American Association from either the 19th century
• Michael Sexton, 1909–1931 or the 20th century)
• William G. Bramham, 1932–1946 • Atlantic League
• George Trautman, 1947–1963 • Can-Am League
• Phil Piton, 1964–1971 • Frontier League
• Hank Peters, 1972–1975 • North American League (a confederation of the
• Bobby Bragan, 1976–1978 Golden, Northern, and United leagues, starting in
• Johnny Johnson, 1979–1988 2011)
8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
• Golden Baseball League • Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award (2008) – given to a
• Arizona Summer League (affiliated with GBL) person with distinguished service who has been
• Arizona Winter League (affiliated with GBL) instrumental in player development.[14]
• United League Baseball • Mike Coolbaugh Award (2008) – given to someone
• Texas Winter League (affiliated with ULB) who has shown an outstanding baseball work ethic,
• Pecos League knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young
players on the field.[14]
Team rosters Top 100 teams
Main article: Minor League Baseball rosters Main article: The National Baseball Association’s top 100
minor league teams
Awards During its centennial celebration in 2001, Minor League
Baseball compiled a list of the one-hundred best minor-
MiLBY Awards league baseball teams of the century.[19]
The Minor League Baseball Yearly (MiLBY) Awards (for-
merly "This Year in Minor League Baseball Awards") are See also
given in nine categories. In five categories (Best Starter, • Korea Baseball Futures League
Best Hitter, Best Reliever, Best Game, and Best Team),
winners are selected in each of the five levels of minor-
league baseball (Triple-A, Double-A, Class A Advanced, References
Class A – Full Season, and Class A – Short Season). In [1] ^ "Standings". Minor League Baseball Official Website.
three categories (Play of the Year, Moment of the Year, http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/
and Homer of the Year), one overall winner is chosen for standings/. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
all of minor-league baseball. In the remaining category [2] Shelburne, Ramona (2010-09-01). "John Lindsey
(Promo of the Year), there are overall winners in each waits for his chance". ESPN.
of five subcategories: Best Promotion (of all types), Best http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/columns/
Theme Night, Best Giveaway, Best Celebrity Appearance, story?id=5510887. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
and Best Miscellaneous Promotion. [3] ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd edition.
Other player awards Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997
• MiLB J.G. Taylor Spink Award (Topps/Minor League [4] Baseball umpires:how to become an official
Player of the Year)[10][11] National association of sports officials. Retrieved
• MiLB George M. Trautman Awards (Topps Player of on 2010-02-19
the Year) (in each of 16 domestic minor leagues)[12] [5] Wendelstedt course overview Wendelstedt umpire
• MiLB Joe Bauman Home Run Award[13] school. 2010-02-19
[6] Minor league baseball umpires 2010-02-19
Major awards [7] Umpire development history Minor League
• John H. Johnson President’s Trophy (1974) – given Baseball portal. 2010-02-19
each year, MiLB’s top award recognizes "the [8] Minor league umpires Retrieved on February 19,
complete baseball franchise—based on franchise 2010
stability, contributions to league stability, [9] How to become an umpire Retrieved on February
contributions to baseball in the community, and 19, 2010
promotion of the baseball industry."[14][15] [10] In October 2009, Buster Posey received the 50th
• Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year (1976) – annual J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/Minor
given each year to a woman in MiLB for exceptional League Player of the Year. Wild, Danny (October 28,
contributions to her club, her league, or 2009). "Giants’ Posey wins ’09 Spink Award: Catcher
baseball.[14][16] skipped Double-A, dominated at San Jose, Fresno".
• Warren Giles Award (1984) – given each year to a Minor League Baseball (MiLB.com).
league president for outstanding service.[16][14][17] http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/
• King of Baseball (1951) – given annually in article.jsp?ymd=20091027&content_id=7560562&vkey=news_milb&
recognition of longtime dedication and service to Retrieved 2010-06-09. See also MLB 2009 Awards
professional baseball.[14] (MLB.com/News/Awards/2009 Awards). MLB
• Larry MacPhail Trophy (1966) – given annually in Advanced Media, L.P. (MLB.com). Retrieved
recognition of team promotions.[14][18] 2010-06-09.
9
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minor league baseball
[11] The MiLB J.G. Taylor Spink Award should not be article.jsp?ymd=20071119&content_id=324034&vkey=news_milb&
confused with the identically named J. G. Taylor Retrieved 2009-10-22.
Spink Award that is the highest award given by the [17] Czerwinski, Kevin T. (December 14, 2006).
Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) "McEacharn claims 2006 Warren Giles Award".
to its members. Minor League Baseball.
[12] "Topps, MiLB name Players of the Year: Trautman http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/gen/
Award winners announced for each league". Minor articles/printer_friendly/milb/y2006/m12/d04/
League Baseball (MiLB.com). November 5, 2009. c147235.jsp. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/ [18] Avallone, Michael (November 19, 2007). "Minor
League Baseball
article.jsp?ymd=20091105&content_id=7626652&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp. announces top honorees: Annual
Retrieved 2010-06-09. awards salute outstanding organizations and
[13] Hill, Benjamin, "Jones slugs way to Bauman Award: executives". Minor League Baseball.
Home run crown, first big league action mark http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/
milestone season", MLB.com, Sept. 15, 2009. Minor article.jsp?ymd=20071119&content_id=324034&vkey=news_milb&
League Baseball. Retrieved 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2009-10-22. "The award recognize[s] the
[14] ^ "History: MiLB Major Award Winners". Minor team’s special tie with its community through
League Baseball. unique promotions, a commitment to area events
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/ and support for charitable endeavors."
history/awards.jsp?. Retrieved 2011-10-09. [19] Top 100 Teams (1901–2001). Minor League Baseball.
[15] Avallone, Michael (November 19, 2007). "Minor Retrieved 2010-08-19.
League Baseball announces top honorees: Annual
awards salute outstanding organizations and
executives". Minor League Baseball.
Further reading
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/ • Ballard, Chris; Good, Owen (October 17, 2011). "The
Invisible Fastball:
article.jsp?ymd=20071119&content_id=324034&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp. Six decades ago a minor league
Retrieved 2009-10-22. "[Presented] annually to the pitcher accomplished something we’ll never see
franchise that best exemplifies the complete Minor again". Sports Illustrated.
League Baseball organization. Categories under http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/
consideration include long-term financial stability, magazine/MAG1191155/1/index.htm. Retrieved
contributions to the industry and the community, 2011-10-19. "When [Kelly] Jack Swift arrived in Elkin,
financial success and overall promotion of the N.C., in late 1951, he was nobody’s idea of a
industry." prospect."
[16] ^ Avallone, Michael (November 19, 2007). "Minor
League Baseball announces top honorees: Annual
awards salute outstanding organizations and
External links
executives". Minor League Baseball. • Official website of leagues associated with Major
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/ League Baseball
• Minor League Sports - A Primer
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_league_baseball&oldid=472290498"
Categories:
• History of baseball
• Minor league baseball
• Professional sports leagues
• Organizations established in 1901
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