Leagues on upswing&Attendance expected to jump in several markets, including Shreveport.
By Brian Vernellis
ShrevportTimes.com
Independent baseball leagues battle a perceived stigma that their brand of baseball isn’t comparable to their affiliated brethren.
The perception hounds independent leagues, but it doesn’t appear to affect attendance numbers or their growth.The Sports Business Journal recently reported that independent baseball leagues are blossoming like never before. There were some lean years in the past 15 years, more than 50 teams folded before their second season but the nine independent leagues playing this season have never seen such prosperous times.
The Shreveport Sports are on pace for a 61 percent jump in attendance from last season, a sign that fans are ready to forget the fallout from the Shreveport Swamp Dragons’ departure.
The Journal’s story reports the 70 independent teams are expected to make nearly $150 million in revenue this year. Attendance is up, expansion is taking teams to new markets and stadiums are being built.
“I love the independent because you have control over your product,” said Miles Wolff, commissioner of the Can-Am League and the American Association (the Sports’ home league).
Wolff helped with the creation of the Northern League in 1993 and owns teams in affiliated and independent leagues.
“You can try to win and get good local players,” Wolff said. “If you have affiliated team, the big league club tells you whom to play.
“Affiliated baseball is to develop players for the big leagues. Independent baseball is to win for your hometown. For me, it’s so much more fun to own an independent club.”
Wolff’s two leagues are at the forefront of independent baseball. The American Association has set its sights on adding teams in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Wichita, Kans., by next season.
Voters in Grand Prairie approved a referendum to bring a team to the city despite opposition from Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks.
The Can-Am League has expansion plans for Montreal and Ottawa within the next two years. Wolff’s leagues aren’t alone in their expansion pursuits.
The Frontier League has grown since its inaugural 1993 season, though the first six years were tough. The league didn’t develop until 1999, when expansion teams were purchased for St. Louis and Chicago suburbs.
“It’s a matter of the growth of media,” said Northern League commissioner Clark Griffith. “You have sports channels all over the place. You have digital media flashing back and forth through cyberspace showing the magnificence and grandeur of baseball like they never have been able to show it.
“Because of this baseball is hot. People love to go to baseball games. It’s been an American tradition forever, And i’s better than ever.”
The Frontier League sports 12 Teams across the midwest with 10 new ballparks and plans for five more teams by 2009.
“These days, minor league baseball is as much about selling the facility you play in, like the major leagues,” said United League president Craig Brasfield.
Its all about going to the shiny new diamond. Independent baseball is on the upswing because its going to markets that cant have it. There can only be so many affiliated clubs and player development contracts going around.
Fans have responded by flocking to the leagues. According to the Sports Business Journal, eight million fans are expected to attend an Independent baseball game an increase of 49 percent from five years ago.
Its all about being there, said Brasfield. You stage it around baseball, but its really about the other things going the giveaways, dodging souvenirs tossed into the stands, kids running around the field chasing the mascot.
The American Association is sharing in the good fortune as well.
The league is on pace to eclipse the 1.3 million attendance mark this season, an increase of more than 37,000 fans from last season.
The Sports are on pace to draw more than 85,000 fans, an increase of 61 percent from the 2006 season.
When you hear, Its not with a major league club, then you think, Who are these players? Wolff said. But then as the fans get to know these players and realize many of them have played five, six years in affiliated baseball, so these are good players.
Once the credibility is there, the attendance starts getting better.
Interested in the purchase, sale or investment in a professional sports team, e-sports organization or in sports tech? We’d welcome the opportunity to chat further with you about the various opportunities that exist in today’s market. Contact: Tommy George, President, (240) 409-6297; tgeorge@thesportsadvisorygroup.com.