Baseball Bucket List: MINOR LEAGUES – Part 2

On Tuesday 9 March 2010 a book was published titled: The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List: 162 Things You Must Do, See, Get, and Experience Before You Die, by Robert Santelli and Jenna Santelli. The book’s table of contents lists all 162 items per the authors’ ranking. I have taken that list and organized it into twelve categories, which I find easier to consider when dealing with the list. I will be presenting each category alphabetically over the course of the 2011 baseball season. The number to the left of each item is its position on the Santellis’ list. Items in red would be of particular interest to Red Sox fans. Today’s category number five out of twelve is:

MINOR LEAGUES – Part 2

128 Host A Minor League Ball Player
Because of the low salaries given to Minor League players, a number of players are unable to afford accommodations and the need for hosting exists. I suppose the best way to become a host is to contact your local minor league team or their fan support organization or booster club to find out if any ballplayers need to be hosted. This is one way to become directly involved in the great game of professional baseball at its most initial stage.

133 See A Single-A Game
Minor league baseball known as Single-A is divided into two classifications – Class-A Advanced Leagues and Class-A Leagues. There are three leagues in the Class-A Advanced – California, Carolina, and Florida State. The Boston Red Sox affiliate in the Class-A Advanced category is the Salem Red Sox who play in Salem, Virginia for the Carolina League. In the Class-A, there are two leagues – Midwest and South Atlantic. The Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League is the Boston Red Sox affiliated team located in Greenville, South Carolina. Afraid the only Salem I’ve been to is the one in Massachusetts – no bats, just broomsticks.

137 Catch An Arizona Fall League Game
The Arizona Fall League consists of two leagues – East and West – and each league has three teams. League games take place at Spring Training facilities in Arizona and the playing season is from early October to mid-November. There are no specific MLB team affiliations in the Arizona Fall League. So, if your team isn’t in the post-season and you still need baseball in your life, take a trip to Arizona and watch up and coming Double-A and Triple-A players.

145 See A Short-Season A League Game
The Short-Season A League comprises two leagues – New York-Penn and Northwest. There are fourteen teams in the New York-Penn League and eight teams in the Northwest League. The Lowell Spinners play for the New York-Penn League in Lowell, Massachusetts and are affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. The length of the Short-Season A League is from June to early September. When your MLB team’s games are sold out or the team is on the road, catch a Short-Season game to tide you over.

147 Attend The Caribbean Series
The Caribbean Series tournament is held in February every year and is hosted, on a rotating basis, by the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rica, and Venezuela. In 2012, the tournament will be held in the Dominican Republic, 2013 Mexico, 2014 Venezuela, and 2015 Puerto Rico. League winners from each country’s Winter Leagues participate in this annual baseball event. A trip to a warmer climate for some pre-Spring Training baseball sounds like a wonderful winter diversion from the cold.

154 See A Rookie League Game
The Rookie League consists of four leagues – Arizona, Dominican Summer, Gulf Coast, and Venezuelan Summer. The DSL Red Sox and GCL Red Sox are Boston Red Sox affiliates for the Dominican Summer (Dominican Republic) and Gulf Coast (Florida) leagues, respectively. Even though you don’t have to go all the way to the Dominican Republic to see a Rookie League game, go anyway, if just for the adventure of it!

160 Catch A Mexican League Game
The Mexican League is the only Triple-A level league operating outside the United States that is sanctioned by Major League Baseball. However, no MLB team has an affiliation with any of the teams in the league. The Mexican League comprises two Zones – North and South – with each zone having seven teams. With no ML Red Sox team to watch, guess you’ll have to find another excuse to visit Mexico.


Images:
Left: Arizona Fall League logo from the website upload.wikimedia.org
Center: Minor League Baseball logo from the website upload.wikimedia.org
Right: Liga Mexicana De Beisbol logo from the website upload.wikimedia.org

Baseball Bucket List: MINOR LEAGUES – Part 1

On Tuesday 9 March 2010 a book was published titled: The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List: 162 Things You Must Do, See, Get, and Experience Before You Die, by Robert Santelli and Jenna Santelli. The book’s table of contents lists all 162 items per the authors’ ranking. I have taken that list and organized it into twelve categories, which I find easier to consider when dealing with the list. I will be presenting each category alphabetically over the course of the 2011 baseball season. The number to the left of each item is its position on the Santellis’ list. Items in red would be of particular interest to Red Sox fans. Today’s category number five out of twelve is:

MINOR LEAGUES – Part 1

38 See A Triple-A Pacific Coast League Game
The Pacific Coast League is divided into two conferences – the American and the Pacific – and each conference has two divisions – the North and the South – and each division has four teams. Thus, the Pacific Coast League is a sixteen team league.

40 See A Triple-A International League Game
The International League is divided into three divisions – the North, the South, and the West – and the North division has six teams, including the Pawtucket Red Sox (affiliated with the Boston Red Sox), while the South and the West have four teams each. Thus, the International League is a fourteen team league. Unfortunately, I have never seen the PawSox play.

64 Attend The Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is held the second Wednesday in July. This year the All-Star game will take place on Wednesday 13 July in Salt Lake City at Spring Mobile Park. In 2012, the event will be held in Buffalo at Coca-Cola Field on Wednesday 11 July. The All-Star game is modeled after the MLB All-Star Game and has a Fan Fest and Home Run Derby.

68 Catch A Cape Cod League Game
The Cape Cod League is divided into two divisions – the West and the East – and each division has five teams. Thus, the Cape Cod League is a ten team league. As its name suggests, this league is located in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It’s a summer league for college baseball players and is part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. No, very sadly I haven’t made it to the Cape to attend any games and watch possible future Major Leaguers play.

98 See An Independent League Game
Six leagues form the Independent Leagues, who play professional baseball outside the rules of Major League Baseball in the US and Canada. However, the teams in the leagues are usually located near major league teams. For example, there are three independent teams who play in Massachusetts – the Brockton Rox, the Pittsfield Colonials, and the Worcester Tornadoes. If the Tornadoes had been in existence when I lived in Worcester, I’m sure I would have gone to see a game or two.

104 See A Double-A Game
There are three leagues that play Double-A baseball – the Eastern, the Southern, and the Texas – and the Eastern has twelve teams, the Southern has ten, and the Texas eight. The Eastern League includes the Boston Red Sox affiliated Portland Sea Dogs team who play in Portland, Maine. I have been to York Beach, Maine but not to Portland, so no Sea Dogs for me.

108 See A Durham Bulls Game
Located in Durham, North Carolina, the Durham Bulls are a Triple-A minor league team who play in the International League and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is best known through the film, Bull Durham.


Images:
Left: Pacific Coast League logo from the website upload.wikimedia.org
Center: Cape Cod League logo from the website capecodbaseball.org
Right: International League logo from the website upload.wikimedia.org