Untangling Today’s Minor League Baseball: Leagues, Logic, And Loyal Fans

We map today’s minor league maze with clear fixes: rebalance AAA, rethink halves and divisions, end six-game series fatigue, and restore fan-first traditions without blocking development. The heart is simple: honor history, reward consistency, and make travel and rivalry logic match the map.

• AAA imbalance between International League and Pacific Coast League
• First-half titles undermined by late-season call-ups
• Six-game series and universal Monday off day issues
• Travel quirks that ignore geographic logic
• Texas League naming mismatch with team locations
• High-A and Single-A realignments that break history
• The lost charm of all-star showcases and meaningful playoffs
• Practical ideas for three AAA leagues and better scheduling
• Balancing development needs with fan experience

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Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introductions

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Again, I don't know who sat down and really figured this out, but they didn't do such a good job at really figuring this out at all, man.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

I'm sorry. Just let Kelly do it. It would make much more sense if I could actually control over it.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

It would make more sense. It would be it would be historically based. We would have been like, yeah, that makes sense. We're good. We'd be happy. Yeah, exactly. The fans be happy.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Okay, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

All right, well, welcome everybody to yet another episode of the Dad Hat Chronicles podcast. I haven't said that in a while. I feel good to say that, just so you guys know. Uh, my name is Ed, also known as the Dead Hat, and with me I got two of my friends, uh, fellow podcasters and fellow members of Corporate Media. I have Eric. Um he has a small, you know, like you know, this podcast. You know, Eric, would you mind you might tell us about your you know, not so popular podcast that you got going on?

Show Plugs And Podcast Missions

SPEAKER_04 1:00

Yeah, thanks, Ed, for having me on. Glad to have you back doing the podcasting again a little bit here. I know you still have your shows that you do throughout the week, but good to get back on the actual podcast game. Uh, so myself, my co-host Johnny Bolin, we host the Earn Fun Average podcast, comes out every Wednesday morning, and we talk a lot of summer collegiate ball, but then obviously independent, professional, and minor league affiliated baseball, and then have some fun with just having some friends on as well. But yeah, earn fun average is what Johnny and I do.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Average is what you do, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:34

That's right, average is what we do best.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Um, and I do appreciate, I really do appreciate what you guys do for a lot of the collegiate woodbat uh teams. Uh, you guys give them a platform to really you know promote themselves. So I do I like that a lot. So you do a really good job. So, you know, you and Johnny. Um and then with our our uh my other good friend, um, I have him still on my phone up to this day as Kelly Baseball. Not his last name, I just has him as Kelly Baseball. It's a long story, so we'll keep it at that. But he is one of the most baseball nerdiest people you'll ever meet. Um, and um, and it's okay because he doesn't fuck around when it comes to his nerdiness. Nope, I do not. That's right. Uh Kelly, the minor league nerd, how you doing, my friend? Tell us a little bit about your podcast, man.

2016 Cubs Memory And Fan Emotions

SPEAKER_00 2:23

I'm doing great. It's uh great to see both of you here. Uh so I do the minor league nerd podcast, the YouTube channel. Uh right now we're on on hiatus. Uh, but what we normally do is uh we cover various teams that have existed in the world of minor league baseball. Uh have not said it much publicly, but we tend to focus mostly on pre-1990 teams. Uh basically just tell the story of the teams, their history. Uh, and uh right now we're uh we're in between seasons. I'm actually taking a break because it's a lot of work. So in between seasons, we're doing a uh a series called My Favorite Baseball Memories where I interview different people. Actually, it's not really an interview, it's more just a platform for them to be able to talk about some of their favorite baseball memories. Uh, we've had uh what three episodes so far. A new episode will be uh released shortly, and then it'll continue on through March. And then in April, we will start back up with our regular series.

SPEAKER_02 3:25

I appreciate that one. I I did tell you that I would like to go on because I heard one of your episodes uh and it hurt my feelings, not gonna lie, because it was about the uh Cubs, yes, uh, especially the 2016 Cubs. Uh, and we already know as a Cleveland fan how that felt.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Well, we're gonna have you back on so you can have a rebuttal against Joel.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

You know what? It was a good episode. Like, I mean, uh in in all honesty, it really was a really good episode. He really did uh make some really good points on because you kind of think about it from his point of view, right? As a long time um fan of the Cubs, like me, like Cleveland, like we've never seen uh them up to that 2016, never seen a championship, right? You know what I mean? And for at least them to really just uh you know break that final that that curse, it was it was pretty cool to see.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

And it makes it it's great that his dad got to he got to experience it with his dad.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Yeah, yeah. Which was cool, which was cool. And I and I I talk a lot, I was like, hey, I hate the cup. I don't, you know, it's just it hurt because my team didn't win, we didn't come on top. And uh I've ever since then.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

If it wasn't for the rain, if it wasn't for the rain, if it wasn't for the rain, the rain killed it, the rain killed the momentum.

Why Map The Minor Leagues Now

SPEAKER_02 4:39

It did, it really did. So eh well, all right, guys. So here's why we are here tonight. Uh well, tonight, whenever you're listening to this podcast, thank you very much. Hit the subscribe button. Um, what we're doing here is we are going to be talking about various minor leagues leagues, like the leagues, the the baseball leagues themselves, right? With because there's a lot of baseball leagues here in the United States and in Canada, uh, that a lot of people really don't know about. Obviously, we have Puerto Rico as well, we have Venezuela, we got the career. If we do this, I mean we can go the whole world, it's a long list, and I'm sure, Kelly, you also have that. I'm sure you do.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Uh but we but I wanted to start with that just because eventually, if there is a work stoppage for baseball, major league baseball, and affiliated baseball, at least we will have an opportunity to have watch other type of baseball here in the United States, and we want to give the options to uh to our fans. Also, to be honest with you, I also want to know how many there are really, to be honest with you, or how many there have been, because there's a lot out there.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

So yeah, there are, I mean, current, I mean, you know, you've got what is it? There's is it currently 12 affiliated right? Three, six, nine, or eleven, uh, because after the dropping of the short season.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

The short season, and and the but that the short season became uh MLB draft.

Affiliated Structure Overview

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Right. Well, yeah, uh the well some of it, yeah. Then the the the most of the teams that were in there were in the New York Penn League. Uh then and Carolina League uh with uh Frederick, who's now going back to professional. Uh but yeah, I mean we've got you know triple A, we've got the International League, the Pacific Coast League, and then double A, we've got the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League. Uh Go High A, which is now Midwest League, the Northwest League, the South Atlantic League. And then Low A, you've got the Florida League, the Texas League, and the California League.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

And that's just affiliated. That's just affiliated, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

And in my mind, I I still can't remember who's with the Carolina and with the South Atlantic because I still can't get past it. They flipped. But Carolina League for since it started in 45 was a high A and now it's a low A. And like trying to remember who's in what league, and it's it's it's a it's a work.

Divisions, Scheduling, And Confusion

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Well, not only that, but also the when it comes to um the Pacific uh and the international, how like there's it's not even yeah, on on the amount of teams per league. It's just very weird to me that like it they you know, my major league baseball looked at it and was like, oh, we're just gonna give international league more teams.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Yeah, I'll give you 20, 20 teams, and it'll you know go all the way from uh from Omaha all the way to uh the Atlantic Coast.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

Which again, you know, you're looking at it and then you're like, it doesn't make any sense to me at all.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

Yeah, I I I don't know if it's well, I guess it's just this is the uh the forum, but yeah, I I don't like it. I don't like the whole uh the the which I know what most of us don't like the six-game schedule. Nope. Uh the teams don't play each other all the time. There's what's the point of the divisions when they mean nothing? I mean, you got two divisions in each, but it's whoever finishes the best record each half, doesn't matter what division. There's no point to the divisions.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So, right, because if you're gonna say, hey, you know, the the you're the first half winner, and then you know, you're you're making automatically make the playoffs. Why do we have a division? Right.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

At least with the lower levels, it's it's the two division winners for each half. So right. Like originally at AAA, when they announced it in 2021, there were gonna be no division. Actually, it's 2022. Yeah, there were gonna be no divisions, it was gonna be a straight table, every league was gonna be like that. That's what they announced before, and then that's how it started, and then like two weeks into the season, all of a sudden there's divisions. It's like, well, wait, where where was the announcement of going back to divisions?

SPEAKER_02 8:40

Yep. I think you had me. I remember this conversation, Eric, when we were having in on one of the DSC sports shows when this was announced, the leagues were announced that we were talking about, and I'm like, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

First-Half Titles And Call-Ups

Travel Oddities And Uneven Matchups

SPEAKER_04 8:53

Yeah, well, I don't like the you know, crowning a first half champion because you know, with obviously here in Wichita, we have the double A of Minnesota Twins. You know, if you win the first half, majority of your guys are gonna go up to St. Paul or whatever, whoever wins the first half is gonna more likely go to triple A. Not everybody, but a good portion of them. So then that's a completely different team by the time you get to the end of the second half. And for instance, like this past year, just as an example, Wichita finished second in both the first half and the second half. So they end up not winning either uh half, first or second half, but had the second best record overall throughout the entire season. And I think that should mean something. And then, of course, they had a chance to make the playoffs, but lost on the very last day. So they missed out on the playoffs this last year. And then, you know, talking about teams playing each other. So obviously, with the Texas League here, we have the you know, the Texas League North, Texas League South. Well, Wichita has played in Corpus Christi against the Hooks, I think the last three years, and the hooks have not come to Wichita, which makes no sense why Wichita has to keep going all the way down to Corpus Christi. Now, this coming season, I actually went through we have a app where we uh have a shared calendar with the family, and I went through and put all the wind surge games on the the calendar uh on our app this afternoon, and uh the hooks are coming finally to Wichita. And I don't remember if it was 20 maybe 2021, but I feel like it's been at least like the last three years where they haven't even come to Wichita, but Wichita's gone down there, and it's like, wouldn't you like rotate? I know north every other year, something like south, but it's just yeah, it's really I don't know, not it's really weird how and then like previous, you know, obviously they'd have more emphasis and they'd play more of the other north division teams, but this past year they had an emphasis on Wichita played uh more of the southern division teams, so I don't know how that kind of came about, but yeah, I've never really thought um that it's a good idea to have like a first half winner because more than likely, and then that's what happened two or three years ago when Wichita was last in the playoffs. Tulsa won the first half. They obviously had all their guys go up to at the time the Oklahoma City Dodgers, now the Comets, and then Wichita won the second half. Wichita won the three-game series, their best of three. They won both games, uh, like 29 to like one. Like they just blew out Tulsa because Tulsa had nobody, all their good the the good players all went up to Oklahoma City or to LA to the Dodgers, and it's like you can't have just reward the top two teams um who have the best overall record from beginning to end.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

See, that makes sense because at least at very least, you'll then you'll have some continuity with what you have right there, right? Like, you know, but like you said, with your team, right? You lost half your team because they moved up, which I listen, good thing, right? There's a good thing because they they're getting the opportunity to move off, which is what you want as a baseball player, right? But us as fans, like honestly, we don't, you know, like we won't see those players until later on if they you know they make it all the way to the major leagues, right? So we want to be able to see we root for a a specific team. Obviously, us as podcasters, we root for the whole league in baseball, right? Because that's this is what we do, right? And so, but like, you know, like you have someone who lives in widget that doesn't all they know is nothing but the wind surge, they care about that team and that team alone.

AAA Titles And Cross-League Series

SPEAKER_04 12:28

Well, and I don't want to, my brother will hate if I speak for him, but he says it's pointless to even have playoffs in the minor leagues because you know, majority of these guys, you know, let's say, for instance, for the uh St. Paul Saints, they're not in contention, they're not going to win the second half. Well, instead of letting the guys stay in Wichita, if Wichita's about to win the second half and make the playoffs and have you know their best players at the time going into the playoffs, they call those guys up so they get some experience in triple A right before the end of the season. And even if they end up winning the second half, they don't have majority of their best players. So he's like, What's the point of even have playoffs? Because you're not, I mean, yeah, you can win a Texas League Championship, but what's that even mean? Um, because you would think I know uh we were talking to somebody on my podcast about how some teams are like, yeah, if if the team in double A is in contention, they'll either send down guys or keep those guys there. But for like Wichita and the uh their connection with the twins, they've always just called the best guys up. So we lost the first two years of existence for Wichita, 21 and 22, they lost in the Texas League Championship. Um, it was a weird series, obviously, in 2021, but they've played five games overall in the two years that they went to the went to the championship and haven't won a game because they called all their best players up to St. Paul. And St. Paul both years weren't in contention of even making the playoffs. So it's like, yeah, you want to give them experience and they're gonna probably be playing there next year, but just let them stay and win a championship.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Let them get a taste of what it's like to win a championship, right?

SPEAKER_04 14:02

Regardless of the level, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Right, look regard exactly, regardless of the level, because you know, let's be honest, like some of them may not win one ever in professional baseball, which again we don't. It's like you know, you know, the the the powers that be up in major league baseball in the teams, they don't care about that. But like some of those players do, like, I mean, they worked their asses off, you know, they'll that year to get that team to be good to where they are, and then they you know, for them to be like, oh, hey, by the way, this championship doesn't matter to us. What matters is development, go up and move up into triple A.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

But yeah, that's that's actually that's part of the problem with MLB taking over the miners. I mean it for some some major league teams, you know, and some players, yeah, they don't they don't care about the playoffs, but like the fans do, majority of the players do. Because yeah, like you're saying, there's some guys they they never ever win again, and it's what their one and only time. And you like I don't know, I other podcast people have talked about with players, how you know it was a great feeling to know I can we accomplished this, I confused with my teammates. And I that's I mean, that's just part of I think uh kind of where it's starting to change, not just in uh baseball, it's just that you know, major league with major league baseball controlling it, it's all about let's just develop, just develop, just develop. I mean, it's the same thing in hockey, which I don't want to get too much off.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

I get it, I get it.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

But like here in Chicago, we've got the Chicago Wolves who've been around since 1994. They've won five championships. This year they're affiliated with the Carolina with uh Carolina Hurricanes.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Hurricanes, yeah.

Monday Off Day Frustrations

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah. The previous year they weren't affiliated, they were independent. The year before that, they were with Carolina. They dropped Carolina because Carolina didn't Carolina doesn't care about Wolves fans, they don't care about the Wolves history, they don't care, it's just developed. And so when the Wolves went back into affiliation, Carolina gained control of all the operations. So the first thing they did was fire the GM. Uh they just recently fired our coach, never gave a reason why. Um, so it's it's like it's it's happening like across I think uh the world the spectrum of of minor league sports is that the the the major leagues are like putting the emphasis on we it's just about development, that's it. We don't care about anything else. I mean, we lost the all-star games and we're not gonna get the all-star games back, which I think the main reason we won't get the all-star games back is because it's in the CBA agreement that the players would need to be paid for that. And while MLB and the league and the teams aren't gonna want to pay their minor leaguers to go play at an all-star game, which is a sad thing, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Because it's cool to have.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Yeah, you know, we used to go to the Midwest League All-Star Game every year, and it was always a great time.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

Absolutely. Like, I mean, you look, you you're telling me that here in the Carolina League, you pulled all the best players from these, like the all these teams, splitting them up in two teams, and then have an all-star game. You don't think that people won't show up for that? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

And then with the Carolina League, which used to be the Carolina League would put an all-star team together, the California League would put an all-star game together, and they would play each other and they would switch, rotate every year. One year it'd be in the Carolina League, the next year it'd be in the California back and forth. And I mean, I never got to attend one, but I'm sure it was a great time.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Absolutely. And again, listen, and uh we but I I never attended one here because obviously I haven't been here in the Carolinas that long, but like that would be something cool. All right, so let's say that you're not gonna, you know, the the the championship doesn't really matter to you. Obviously, it it is obvious by why Major League Baseball what they're doing. The only championship that you have technically is what the the triple A championship where they have a series, you know, between the prof the uh Pacific and the International League.

Overexposure To The Same Opponents

SPEAKER_04 19:50

Yeah, and that's what I was gonna touch on because you know, Kelly, you were talking about that. That's the at least I like I sorry, I at least like that because um they do now when I first went to the triple A national championship in 2022 uh out in Vegas, yeah, they did a three-game, basically a three-game weekend where it was the International League played like on that Friday. The two top teams in the Pacific Coast play uh Pacific Coast League played on that Saturday, and then the winner of the two then played each other on that Sunday for the ultimate triple A national championship. And that was a lot of fun getting a go. But I really like how they have the winner of both those leagues. Now, lately they've been doing it where they're still having the ultimate triple A national champion play between the two leagues in Vegas, but it's just a one game. Whereas the championship for the international league and then the Pacific Coast League, they just play on the the f I think the first half winners home home field before they go out to Vegas. But they've been trying to do over the last couple years, uh, at least in triple A, where Round Rock went over to play like Durham or something. They had regular season uh series where they'll play between the two leagues, but I wish they would do that when like double A, for instance, because I would love to have a series against like the Rocket City Trash Pandas or the Erie Seawolves or whoever. So I wish they would do that in other leagues. I know they've done a little bit here the last couple years with AAA in the regular season, but I think it'd be really cool to see uh Witchdog go to you know what other whatever other double A in like the Southern League or whatever to play them for a series.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

I think that would be pretty cool. Yeah, it's it's funny because part of the reason MLB said they were taking over was to save money on travel.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Well, how does you know Round Rock or Durham going all the way to Round Rock save money?

SPEAKER_03 21:42

It does.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

I mean, I I'm you know, it it's cool. I mean, it's like it's like my my thought when they first announced the six game schedule was like people are gonna get bored same teams. And it's like I've you know, your brother Joe has mentioned, I think you even mentioned Eric that it's like

AAA Imbalance: 20 vs 10 Teams

Texas League Geography Irony

SPEAKER_02 21:59

it's it's just getting boring seeing the same teams over and over and over again every season and and it's like you you get six games so that so at least one pitcher is going to be seen twice right if if the team actually goes with the five man rotation so like how's that help development i don't i don't see the yeah like the whole thing all right fine let's it we there was we didn't have any option as fans we didn't have an option for you for major league baseball to take over you guys decided that upon yourselves okay fine what it doesn't make sense to me to this day it it makes absolutely no sense is that saying six game series yeah it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever you're telling us that you're trying to save money you really are not uh in my opinion I don't think they are I don't think you know it's not successful um and it it you know even I've spoken with various people who work in minor league baseball and they're so like honestly it's not really it's not profitable for us at all no and it's funny that the Pacific Coast League you know through I think it was through the 40s into the very early 50s would play six game series but this was back when you traveled by train and the teams were you know it was such a spread out along the entire coast and some years going as far in as Salt Lake they would play Tuesday through Sunday every day Monday was an off day it was a travel day Tuesday through Sunday and they would but every Sunday was a double header so it was still seven games it was a six day series what one one year they tried splitting it up and it didn't work and then they went back to it the second half but I see that I get all right you're traveling by train or traveling by bus you know what I mean and you gotta stay there long period but now you know with with technology and with you know like the invention of the plane and everything you know you would think it's like hey maybe you should probably try something a little bit different. I don't know yeah the second the sixth game you will never convince me that it is a good thing for baseball it's for my minor league baseball it'll it'll never be uh you'll never convince me otherwise I'm I'm afraid because indie leagues every once in a while pops up talk about doing it and I'm like I really don't want to do that I mean that go to no have the dogs play six game series against teams I would not like that and and for fans and and and then we're about to get into the other leagues here because I want to go over them but for fans that are like especially like you Eric who you know you and you uh kale you guys do a lot of traveling like I it becomes very difficult to really schedule a lot of a lot of play uh teams because they're no they're not there especially with that universal monday day off exactly uh yeah absolutely it it irks me to no end the the universal Monday day off yeah it's it's uh it's really annoying here like just personally like usually during parts of the year Christina's taking a dance class which is on Monday and I'm like I'll go to a baseball game and nobody's playing yeah I don't like it I I hate it I actually I'm sure it'll be included in the that hat uh hate tournament but I absolutely hate Mondays the Monday off they can include me on that because yeah I can't stand it well for me you know you're talking about the six game schedule and I can't stand it either but if it's just somebody go into a game here or there they're not gonna notice but for me I have season tickets Kelly you go to the Chicago dogs quite a bit and it's like like you said with me my brother and myself it's like seeing the same teams over and over again especially where the Texas league only has five teams in the Texas League North you know we're gonna be playing the Tulsa drillers in 2021 we played them like 30 times I'm like guys can we play somebody different yeah 30 times it's just insane.

SPEAKER_04 25:38

Yeah and then I know 2021 was it was a a different uh schedule than they've changed a little bit but we're still playing them a good 20 probably 18 to 24 times and it's like that's way too much and uh and then like I was trying to finalize my brother and I's travel for next year and even like so we're gonna try to get to the Cape Cod League the Cape Cod League schedule just came out for 2026 most of their Mondays they're off so not only is affiliated minor league have Mondays a lot of independent professionals do now some are collegiate some of them are like the Cape Cod League and others are having Mondays off and it's like I guess we can take a break but if there's any way that we can cram a game in on on a Monday we're gonna try to do that. It's just and then so like you know talking about having these these type of schedules it has happened in the past but even on this trip we're gonna see the same team play not only at their home ballpark but then as visitors on the road visitors yeah go to like a different and it's like can we have some I don't know mix it up a little bit it's just like we're seeing the same teams at home or on the road uh when we do our travels too not only you know season tickets here and get to go the games here at home but even when we're traveling we've been running into that as well and it's funny because they all never do this at the major league level but they'll put it at the minor leagues 100% I I don't get it.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Absolutely don't get it but all right well let's start with affiliated baseball right because we've already talked about two of the leagues right we talked about the international league and triple A and then we also talk about the Pacific Coast League.

Double-A And Southern League Counts

SPEAKER_04 27:12

Those are the only two affiliated triple A teams and the disparity between these two leagues is like the amount of teams in one to the other is insane I was getting ready to ask that isn't there like way more in the international league which makes no sense the international league has 20 teams and the Pacific Coast League has 10 split them up yeah well there were some people who were hoping that they were going to resurrect a third triple A to have it like it used to be where the international league was the east coast the American association was the center mostly the center and the Pacific Coast League I'm okay with that and it's funny because I heard people like you know I read people like oh let's bring back the internet the American association it's like it already exists it has it's been around for 20 years you can't use that name anymore you can't use that name but you could definitely split you know like literally like eastern central and west and then just you know split this team that that'll that'll then create a problem for the triple a championship which just they had that problem they had that problem before when there were the three teams or the three leagues do a little mini series right like I mean you can we can figure things out like because in in uh in double a you have three leagues in single a in high A you got three leagues and then also else it's three yeah yeah everyone else it's three and Kelly you might know this off the top of your head or you may have it written down but like for instance in the uh Omaha Storm Chasers I can't are they in the international league and like they're in the international league and and then Oklahoma City Commons aren't they the Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League yeah and they're just one's like straight north of Wichita and one straight south of Wichita. So it's not like one's like out in Colorado and whatever they're just like straight down the middle and Omaha used to be in the Pacific Coast League. And it's like so then how do you determine why you have a team that are if you draw a straight line are basically lined up with each other right in the middle of the country but one's in one league and the other's in the other that just doesn't make sense of how they decide who's in what leagues yeah I don't I don't know the criteria that was used where they decided to to do the split it makes no sense.

High-A Realignment Whiplash

SPEAKER_02 29:21

Okay so like you said there's 20 teams in international league and then there's 10 in the Pacific Coast League. If you do 1515 I don't think a lot of people are going to complain about that. Yeah I mean it used to be 16 and 14 before the MLB take over then do it that way right I mean it that makes to me I I I mean again I know we're we're talking like simplicity here but like I mean it really is that simple guys like I mean let's not complicate the baloney sandwich here. So all right so then you move to double a and you got the eastern league that's the one I I know the most just because of of Akron when I lived in Ohio uh the southern league and then you have the Texas League.

Naming Laziness And Lost History

SPEAKER_04 30:05

Yep uh and obviously Eric you're wet very well aware of the Texas League that's your league that you you know you're part of even though that team that ballpark was supposed to be for a triple A team if if I'm not mistaken correct yeah and I don't even know at this point if we were even supposed to be uh well I guess did they when did they kind of split that off was that pre-2020 because I don't know if we were supposed to be International League no you you would you were gonna be in the Pacific Coast League okay because yeah because it was New Orleans relocating to Wichita New Orleans because we were supposed to be the triple A of the Miami Moreland so right that makes okay uh but yeah so I've been just a personal aside I've been to every Texas league stadium the current iteration uh except Arkansas Travelers I haven't seen them but I've been to all the others uh all of them in Texas which obviously makes sense and then you have the Tulsa Drillers that team in Tulsa Texas and then Wichita Wichita Texas and Springfield Texas yeah that Arkansas Texas Northwest Arkansas Texas I don't you have these leagues that have teams that are nowhere near Texas nowhere near each other yeah they're not in Texas funny thing is Texas League has always had teams outside of Texas like the original Texas league had teams in New Orleans i mean they used to have teams in Shreveport as well and you know in various cities in in Louisiana so yeah it's just like even even when it was like you figure okay it started off as a Texas league and it's all Texas teams and it wasn't but it wasn't it it makes sense because like you got Wichita Tulsa Springfield then you got Northwest Arkansas then you got uh Arkansas Travelers so those teams right there all five of the Texas league north none of them are in Texas now the division they're all in Texas the Texas division and the not Texas division there you go exactly uh the outsiders and the insiders how's that uh then you got the southern league that's it's a you know uh southern league you got Florida you got the Columbus Klingstos that which is you know Chattanooga Luke outs you know Birmingham Barons so you got that's a good mix of teams there uh for the southern league yeah how many teams is that all together uh they have eight okay which is kind of weird how Texas league has 10 and then the Southern League has only eight yeah well in it used to before the the takeover it was the reverse the Texas league had eight and the southern league had uh ten.

Single-A Quirks And Florida Split

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Again I don't know who sat down and really figured this out but they didn't do such a good job at really figuring this out at all man I'm sorry just let Kelly do it it would make much more sense if I could actually control the words it would make more sense it would be it would be historically based we would have been like yeah that makes sense we're good we'd be happy yeah exactly the fans be happy man for and and and major league baseball might not be I was gonna say hey mlb do I have the guy for you let me let him I know somebody that can take care of this for you we got this we got this as a matter of fact why don't you call corporate media we'll sit down and uh we'll we'll create a committee and then we'll take care of this for you guys since you can decide whether or not your uh new alternate identities are worth you uh putting out there for people to to see players really good job at that yeah and then we'll have we have another guy within the group that's gonna realign everything for you that how it should be that's all that's where it's all at at Kirpin Media guys just check it out uh and then of course just check it out on on Tuesday and Thursdays the data hat chronicle sports show because that's where we really like once a new our uh alternate identity drops we go into it like and we we really break it down and like I don't know about this or yeah I really like it this really works so just say Tuesday and Thursdays 9 p.m 8 p.m eastern time easter plug I know I have to like I mean it kind of has to at this point right if we don't do it who the who won't exactly uh who will um all right so then we move into the high A so we got high A now uh in the high A and single a this is where it really gets a little interesting for me because there were so many flips on this one so uh Kelly why don't you walk us through high A on that one so high A we've got the uh the South Atlantic league uh we've got the who which used to be low A the Midwest league which also used to be low A and then we have the Northwest League which actually used to be short season A so they got a super bump.

SPEAKER_00 34:34

Yeah they got they went up from from short A the the the second lowest level up to high A. But they only kept six teams which I mean I personally I don't like six team leagues but I understand the reason behind it because there's not many other I mean they dropped uh Boise and and Salem Kaiser for various reasons but um yeah I the having a six team league and it's like you know it's bad enough seeing the same five teams over and over again imagine seeing the same four teams or five teams other five teams just the same five teams oh right yeah that's I was gonna say the same thing.

SPEAKER_04 35:14

I was like we should ask our friend Eric the peanut guy how he's enjoys getting to be the uh on field host for the Tri-City Dust Devils and get to do that against the exact same teams over and over for an entire season.

Corporate Control vs Fan Experience

SPEAKER_02 35:26

Yeah at least he doesn't have to worry about remembering the team names or the players well the players for at least a half a season right yeah you know and then after that we're like oh good luck with that yeah uh so yeah that's yeah that's six teams in one that's just crazy to me yeah and then and then uh what the we've got uh this the South Atlantic League has 12 teams yep and then the Midwest league is what 10 which Midwest league actually was up to 16 before the uh the drop yeah the Midwest has 12 12 yeah sorry yeah 12 and then they were at 16 yep before the the changeover yeah so 12 okay 12 I can see 12 I'm okay with 12 I'm okay that's it that's all right a 12 team league all right cool we can we can split it up here we can do this but like again let's get rid of the sixth game uh this is gonna be the theme for this episode get rid of the six game series yeah just get rid of it altogether just and I mean I that that's the South Atlantic league name it's yeah it's historic name I mean this this version's been around since 1980 the original one started in 1904 but how is bowling green and brooklyn and jersey shore and Hudson Valley South Atlantic I don't get it I mean they they obviously they couldn't go with the Atlantic league because that's already taken but but it and I think it's just kind of shows the laziness MLB had with the doing this is like oh we're not gonna we're not gonna I'm not going to uh to try and come up with a new name when I was just gonna say when they got rid of it the uh the the leagues altogether and then just put it all together we were like okay listen I get what you're trying to do but like you gotta get bring some of these leagues back some of these names back we get that some of those leagues just doesn't no longer make sense South Atlantic league right you know like we get that put can you at least put a little bit of effort yeah and don't be so lazy about it yeah that the high a high a uh what would they call that just the the high the high a I can't remember what what what the South Atlantic league was for that one year.

Closing Plugs And Part Two Tease

SPEAKER_00 37:35

I mean the the problem was with the names is the MLB didn't actually own the minor leagues didn't even own the names they were owned by various people or corporations so they had to to buy them all it was high high a east that's what it was that's right high a east uh high a central it was weird northwest north or sort of like that or high a west like that yeah yeah I mean that I that I like knowing at the time it's like okay this is just bleep and stupid and then finding out it's like oh they didn't actually get the names they had to buy the names later okay makes sense so they were just their plan was to go with these very specific like very corporatized names because they didn't have any other the ownership of any of these league names. Yeah but I I was really afraid is that they're gonna attach corporate sponsors so it'd be like you know the the Friday's South Atlantic league.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Listen I'm not really what I thought was going to happen because everything I was reading that's what it sounded like it was going to be we might still get that yes I know we might the way that Major League Baseball does it and they're look at the you know uh we we're not we're to us it looks weird but like in in Japan and Korea like you know those names for like the teams they're actual sponsors that you know by the teams yeah yeah they they're the teams aren't named after the city it's the it's the corporate the corporation that owns them exactly exactly okay so uh let's go on to now and this is the last affiliated league uh leagues in our it for affiliated baseball minor league baseball right so you got single A we got rid of excuse me we got rid of short season so short season no longer exists in major league baseballs um except except for the complex leagues except for the complex leagues no but they don't play in front of fans so that doesn't count exactly because you got the Dominican summer league the Florida complex leagues Arizona uh complex leagues yeah you know you that's different like yeah that likes they play in front of the scouts that's it in the teams um but we have like you said like we have the California league we got the Carolina League and then we have the Florida State League that's it no more and the Florida State League is it's 10 teams but the divisions are four and six because because four of the teams are on one coast the other six teams are on the other coast south instead of doing north and south let's it's no no it's to save money we're saving money this way Eric I know you're laughing because you're like what the hell makes no sense yeah it still it still kills me every time I look at the Florida state league standings and it's like what this is just so ridiculous. Listen this is not to say guys we're very critical of this but this is not to say that we're not fans of any of these things we are very much fans of all of our all these things I buy just know how to run it better.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

Yeah thank you we just know how to make it better like you look at these things and you're like really guys really like is this is the best that we can do here and and it's it's just it it it's even more painful just like being I don't I'm not a historian but basically being someone who covers a lot of history of of minor league baseball and just like it's like there's just baseb the baseball has always been about respecting history baseball's history and it's like there's just no respect by major league baseball towards the history of the minor leagues anymore.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Nope none whatsoever it's been I how how can I say um yeah I'm gonna use the same word again it's been so corporatized you know like it doesn't like it it's been very sanitized. Like it's that it this is it. That's it you know history be damn.

SPEAKER_00 41:41

Yeah I'd say I'm I'm I'm I'm not a conspiracy theorist but I do kind of subscribe to the the theory that Paul from uh baseball by design mentioned that part of part of the reason that MLB wanted to do this was because they saw how much money Marnley Teams were making just with their alternate identities, and they wanted a cut of it. And so this was this was part of it.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

That whole alternate identities and like you know the process now it's it really it gets on my nerves. Eric, I know you wanted to say something there.

SPEAKER_04 42:23

I was just gonna say, I know we don't want to hurt people's feelings, so we can't call it low A, but you know, when we're talking high A, there's just one single A in there. So why do we have to just call it single A instead of like low A? Because if we're gonna call it high A, why can't we call single A? Why do we have to change it to single A instead of low A? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

We want You're right.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

I'm not disagreeing with you. You're right. Well it technically before that, actually it was just so it was single A, and then I think it was like 1990, is when they changed it to high A and low, or high A and low A.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:02

And then so they just basically it's reverting back. But so I guess they're respecting the history that way.

SPEAKER_02 43:08

Now you want to respect the now, yeah. Now we're respecting the the history. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

Sure. Sure, Jan. Sure. Let's go with that.

SPEAKER_00 43:18

And then looking looking at my spreadsheet, that's so the one thing that really bugs me is I really it and it's partially as a cap collector, hate keeping my caps in order by the league, but I really hate this. Oh, this team, we're gonna drop this team from affiliated ball, and we're gonna bring in this other team. Oh, we know we're gonna the uh the Texas Rangers, they want to flip-flop their two their two affiliates. So we're gonna we're gonna move Hickory down and we're gonna move Hub City up. And it's like I don't like that either.

SPEAKER_02 43:47

Well, honestly, the whole thing, the whole that whole change, I think it was only just strictly because it was a brand new ballpark.

SPEAKER_00 43:53

Oh, yeah, I'm pretty much sure. Yeah, I mean, I've not seen it, I've been told it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

Dub City, I heard it was great. Uh, our good friend Donnie Weiss has been there a couple times. He's like, it's a beautiful ballpark, it's great, and Hick Reed needs that new ballpark. That's it. Other than that, that's the only really you know, really reason why they just flip-flop. There's South and North Carolina, so they're very close to each other. It doesn't make any sense at that point. So, whatever. Thank you for watching this episode and listening to this episode, whichever one you're doing, you know, on YouTube or on wherever you find your favorite podcast. Thank you very much. Now, make sure you guys tune in next week where we finish our conversation regarding all of minor league leagues in uh in the United States, right? Even in Canada, right? So we have a lot more to talk about. So make sure you come back next week. In the meantime, make sure you're following Kelly and Eric. Uh, they are all on threads on Blue Sky, on uh Instagram, and on YouTube as well. Make sure you guys are following them. Give them um five stars on their podcast as well. It always helps. And then make sure you do the same uh for this podcast. And then until then, support the minor leagues.