General Forum

Would there be a benefit in breaking out Independent League teams from the Minor League section of baseball teams?

Also, the Minor League section contains several Collegiate Summer League teams; would there be a benefit into putting these teams into their own category, or combining them with the Collegiate section?

I realize there may be some issues with some former/defunct minor league team names now used by Independent League teams as well as Collegiate Summer League teams.

I believe similar discussions like this have come up in the past. Problem becomes that there would be too many categories if every one was broken out.

We discussed this in the hockey catagories and came up with Minor, Junior section

As for the College, yes I believe they should be under the Colleges

I don't think that Independent and Collegiate Leagues should be included in Minor Leagues.  They could all be lumped into some other non-professional category (wannabees?) or something if the desire is to reduce the number of categories.  They are not Minor League though.  That term has already been coined.  Good question though.

Actually, the independent leagues are professional, as the players, coaches, et al., are paid. Up until about 20 years ago, most of the individual minor leagues contained independent teams (i.e., teams with no MLB affiliation). Would you also suggest moving those teams into a separate category, or would they be allowed to stay in the minor leagues? Calling them non-professional would be inaccurate.

The summer collegiate leagues are made up of college-age players who do not get paid for playing in a league that simulates minor league travel and play using minor league rules. This way, they maintain their college eligibility, but get to experience the minor league lifestyle (and how unglamorous it is). I think it would be odd to have the Pittsfield Suns in the same listings as Notre Dame, Penn State, and the like. Since these are in completely separate leagues (and always have been), I could see listing these teams separately.

Major League Baseball has specific criteria, and so does Minor League Baseball (see MiLB site).  It's not really an opinion thing or how you feel about it kind of thing.  It doesn't matter how many games you go to, or how much you know about the sport to form an opinion because it's not an opinion thing.  The Independent Leagues and Summer Collegiate Leagues just are not Minor League Baseball (MiLB).  That's a trademarked term that refers to a farm team affiliated with one of the 30 Major League teams.  Teams can't just go claiming they're Minor League Baseball any more than they can claim that they're Major League Baseball.  There's no grey area here.  So yes, I think those non-Minor League teams should be removed from that category.

Yikes ........... glad I'm not into baseball!! =) I have no clue so no opinions. I will agree with avs in hockey its as he says. Pro, Minor, European, College and Junior.

Minor League Baseball (MiLB) refers to one of the many farm teams affiliated with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.  

According to the definition above, Independent Leagues and Summer Collegiate Leagues are not Minor League Baseball.

I don't care what happens to the categories of those leagues as long as they're removed from the Minor League category--which is the appropriate thing to do.   

They are a Minor league team on the DB, as they have two affiliations they are a Minor Pro team. The AHL affiliate is one league up, then the next is the big club, the Calgary Flames. But teams in the ECHL have players of all sorts, drafted players of the Flames, signed players of the Heat that are not drafted, players on loan from other pro teams and even players being paid by them directly. If you wanted a class of hockey this team would be a Teir 2 Pro team. (Like AA baseball??)

I personally would keep them lumped together in baseball.   If quality of play has anything to do with baseball cards, we should separate Class A from AAA too.  I don't see the relevance of who signs a guy's paycheck.  Yeah, I probably attend more minor- and non-league sports than the majority of you, so I'm a little biased.