IndependentBaseball.net

I just wanted to let the fans of this website know a few things:

• Thank you for supporting this site with your links, referring it to other baseball fans, and for your comments.  They are all appreciated!
• I have been asked to update everything as much as possible; and this will be done in the off-season.  For example, managers come/go during the off-season, so the managers information will link directly to the teams’ websites as appropriate
• I will do what I can to give you the most accurate list of Twitter and Facebook team & league pages as possible.  The teams which folded after the 2010 season (or soon to be folded teams) will be removed; and the new teams will have their websites, ticket pages, Facebook/Twitter, online radio/TV, and other such pages updated ASAP
• Once the new teams are updated, I will do what I can to link directly to the official statistics pages for each team/league.  Whether I link directly to Pointstreak’s page, or the team’s page which may embed the Pointstreak data (assuming that they are using Poinstreak for 2011) will be tested on an ease-of-upload basis for the average web user

During the off-season, please help by keeping me up to date of any changes you know to a particular team or league’s online radio/TV presence, new fan forums, new Facebook pages, etc.  I want this site to be your starting point for everything related to professional independent minor league baseball, and your help in keeping it current will be appreciated tremendously.  You are also welcome to request topics for interviews, Q&A with commissioners, and other information which will enhance the experience for current fans as well as any other topics which you believe would attract more casual baseball fans’ interest to the independent game.
Thank you, and enjoy the end of the 2010 season!

Matt

P.S.  Should you be a part of any forums, social networks, e-mail lists, sports journalists (traditional media or online), and any other place where baseball fans convene then please help spread the word about this site.  They are invited to participate in the conversation as well.

Resources for those involved with baseball at any level:

If you, or someone you know, is a youth baseball parent and frustrated with the experience then click here: Youth Baseball Parents

If you, or someone you, want guidance from actual independent minor league baseball executives on how to succeed in the independent minor leagues then click here: Independent Baseball Advice Interviews

If you simply want to find out about independent minor league baseball tryouts then click here: Independent Minor League Baseball Tryouts Notification List

If you, or someone you care about, want to improve the mental game of baseball then click here: Improving Your Baseball Mental Game

If you, or someone you know, need to improve your 60 yard dash time then click here: Click Here

Click this link if you, or someone you know, need baseball equipment which occasionally is on sale and/or offers free shipping (check the site for any such incentives):

While you will be able to follow the actual game scores from Pointstreak and the news feeds from OurSportsCentral.com on the side of this website, you should have all of the official league links for what is happening regarding the 2010 independent minor league baseball playoff scene:

• American Association  http://www.americanassociationbaseball.com/league-playoffs.php
• Atlantic League http://www.atlanticleague.com/schedule/playoffs.php
• Can-Am League  http://www.canamleague.com/schedule/playoffs.php
• Continental League:  Big Bend Cowboys won championship (CBL is now folded)
• Frontier League  http://www.frontierleague.com/schedule/playoffs.php
• Golden League  http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/standings.html?leagueid=130&seasonid=242
• Northern League  http://www.northernleague.com/internal.php?code=3
• United League  http://www.unitedleaguebaseball.com/news/2010-united-league-baseball-playoff-schedule/

More playoff-related news will be added to this blog as it occurs.

Resources for those involved with baseball at any level:

If you, or someone you know, is a youth baseball parent and frustrated with the experience then click here: Youth Baseball Parents

If you, or someone you, want guidance from actual independent minor league baseball executives on how to succeed in the independent minor leagues then click here: Independent Baseball Advice Interviews

If you simply want to find out about independent minor league baseball tryouts then click here: Independent Minor League Baseball Tryouts Notification List

If you, or someone you care about, want to improve the mental game of baseball then click here: Improving Your Baseball Mental Game

If you, or someone you know, need to improve your 60 yard dash time then click here: Click Here

Click this link if you, or someone you know, need baseball equipment which occasionally is on sale and/or offers free shipping (check the site for any such incentives):

Much has been coming out on the baseball business websites regarding the new Pecos League, which plans to replace the recently-folded Continental Baseball League.  As with many start-up independent leagues, there is always uncertainty about which cities, ultimately, will field teams as well as the final members of the ownership groups.

Here are some of the stories and articles in recent days:

• http://www.delrionewsherald.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b26dce05913ba541
• http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_15929065?source=most_viewed
• http://ballparkbiz.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/big-bend-cowboys-out-replacement-on-deck/#more-10125

The Pecos League’s site is here:  http://www.pecosleague.com/

The new fan forum is here:  http://pecosleaguebaseballfans.myfastforum.org/index.php

Andrew Dunn, commissioner of the new league, has confirmed that no previous executives of the CBL will have any involvement with the new league.  Many in the industry, as well as fans, have had negative things to say about the CBL; but there is one telling statistic which may help reduce the animosity which any fan, player, or industry insider may have about the Pecos League replacing the CBL’s spot at the bottom rung of the independent professional ranks:

IndependentBaseball.net wants to thank Ted Turocy, who works with the Society of American Baseball Researchers (SABR), for sending documentation about the players who played in the CBL from 2007 through 2010.  According to his research, at least 90 players played in the CBL and also played in another pro league in some year after they played in the CBL, although this does not necessarily mean the next year afterward.  His research also confirms that 133 players in the CBL played in another professional league during the same year they had CBL experience, either directly before or afterward.

Should the Pecos League’s talent be of a comparable (or better) level, and if the Pecos League can create some form of economic business model which is good enough to justify successful team operations, then fans should have a good reason to go see the talent on the field.   Of course the talent, on its own, will not be enough to get sufficient numbers of fans in the stands.  Hopefully the Pecos League leverages its position at the far end of the pro baseball spectrum to gain the “underdog” emotional appeal for its players… and ultimately gain enough interest locally (with good entertainment for its fans) in order to carve itself a niche in the pro baseball landscape.  In addition, we hope that they capitalize on the missing elements in independent pro baseball such as letting players develop their personalities, somehow incorporating fans into the action, leveraging social media properly, monetizing intellectual property, and giving the local and league sponsors a terrific ROI for their investment with the teams.
Feel free to chime in on this subject, and more will be added to this site as the Pecos League formalizes its schedule, teams, etc.

Even though independent baseball leagues existed for years throughout the history of pro baseball, the modern era of independent leagues (as we know them) started in 1993.  Today’s trivia question is:

Q: Prior to the 1993 inception of independent baseball, what was the last attempt at an independent league?
A: Empire State League in 1987

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_League

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/09/nyregion/major-dreams-in-a-minor-league.html

Here is an article with quotes from the owner of the Na Koa Ikaika Maui team in the Golden League:

• http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/534619.html?nav=11

He makes comments on his beliefs on the status of the league, some of the teams, and reiterates his intention to field a team in Maui next year.

Feel free to leave your comments on this post.

The upstart Pecos League, which aims to replace the recently-folded Continental Baseball League as the lower-end league in the independent professional baseball industry, made news recently as it plans to place a team in Alamogordo.  Here is news about the announcement, including quotes from Andrew Dunn – the Pecos League’s commissioner:

• http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_15885130

Developments in the Pecos League will be placed on this site as they progress.

Here is a new development on the situation in Ramapo, NY.  The residents voted down a city-back guarantee of the new stadium construction, but the construction may still proceed anyway:

• http://www.lohud.com/article/20100825/NEWS03/8250353/Ramapo-rejects-16-5-million-financing-plan-for-ballpark

Should the stadium be constructed then it would aim to host a Can-Am League team in the upcoming seasons.  Feel free to leave your comments on this situation.

If you want to track former independent baseball players in the affiliated leagues and/or the Major Leagues then each independent league does a good job tracking its alumni.  Here is a resource to help you keep up to date with those players:

• http://www.independentbaseball.net/alumni-history/

Here is an interesting aspect of new independent baseball stadium construction:  a speakers bureau was formed for the new Atlantic League stadium which is being built in Sugar Land, Texas:

• http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/08/20/47385

I know that many people only care about the on-field action when it comes to independent minor league baseball; but this information is useful to get a better understanding of the bigger picture of what is happening in the industry.  Decisions made early in the planning phase ultimately can affect some aspect of the play on the field and, even moreso, the experiences which fans will have at the games.

Feel free to chime in and leave your comments on cities creating speakers bureaus regarding sports venues.

This is a complementary article to the ESPN article posted on this site two days ago.  Jim Caple added more coverage of the Golden League to his column:

• http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/100818_golden_baseball_league&sportCat=mlb