Re: The latest on the Billings situation
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kinsm
Same arguments were made when the draft was cut down to 40 rounds. Baseball survived, in fact it's flourished. If there's a vacuum, it will be filled.
This will mean better baseball in affiliated leagues (less filler), in indy leagues (best filler goes here), and in college (more of the best HS players will attend).
Not to mention, in a few years when Manfred gets his wish and there are 32 teams (if not more) another 10 + minor league clubs will be created.
Not sure how you're defining "flourished," because by all accounts interest and participation in baseball is down.
You can speculate how all this will shake out, but ultimately it means less money for professional baseball players and fewer professional baseball teams (even if some were ramshackle). I'll admit my thoughts are sentimental, but I can't see how a baseball fan can wave their hand at the contraction of minor league baseball and think, "Think of the efficiencies!" I don't care that this makes for a leaner, meaner minor leagues. I think it sucks that places like Billings or other rural towns won't have professional baseball (I have doubts about the staying power of independent leagues and multiple more collegiate summer leagues).
Re: The latest on the Billings situation
I am not sure that the overall quality of play will be lower in these college based Summer leagues. I have watched the Appy league for years and it seems to be at least half 18-19 year old latain American kids. The better caliber of American kids coming out of high school go to college instead of signing up with the MLB.