Category:Independent League Ballparks
From Ballparkdirectory
Independent Leagues have been a constant factor in baseball since its re-invention in 1993 Northern League.
Though there are constant changings in teams and leagues the concept of independent baseball have been a success in many markets and a lot of parks that fell through the rost with affiliated ball now host indy teams.
Independent baseball leagues or teams have a long tradition in baseball. Untill the 1950 there were independent teams along with affiliated teams in the minor leagues. However, new rules under the National Baseball Congress made that impossible and for years, people thought that was the end of independent baseball.
In 1991 a group formed around Miles Wolff and they started what was to become the first modern independent baseball leauge, the Northern League. In 2005 it was one of the two biggest indy-leagues. A lot of different leagues tried to get into business, some failed and some stayed. For 2006 there are 7 independent leagues in the US. Over the years those leagues built up their own reputation and today Major League organizations buy contracts from indy-teams quite often.
There are both advantages and disadvantages with being independent. For once, the team management decides what players to get and how to play. Other than in the higher affiliated leagues players are not restricted (by the parent club) to play only a certain time. Some players show up for a few years so that a fan base can built around a team and not around the franchise. And teams can freely decide where they play as they don't have to think about territorial rights of major and other minor-league teams. If the league gives its O.K. they can play wherever they find a place to play.
On the other hand the indy teams have also to pay the players and coaches and for other things that are paid by the parent club in the affiliated world.
In recent years some of the leagues turned away from using old parks with tradition but without all the modern amenities. Instead they (or the cities they are in) started to built new parks, the Atlantic League started that trend but others followed soon, especially the Northern League. The Frontier League plays also in some newer parks but usually in this league they built stadiums for 6-10 Million US$ and not for 20-40 Million. Even the CanAm League (the former Northeast League) has some new parks. The Golden Baseball League uses a different track as they are fielding two teams on springtraining sites in Arizona. There is no affiliated ball in those parks (as it is common in Florida) so this seems to be a good idea. We'll wait and see what they make out of it.
New for 2006 were the American Association, a name that has been used by both affilated and independent leagues in the past. The league consists of teams from the now folded Central Baseball League and some teams that were in the Northern League in 2005. Also new is the United League Baseball which also is home to some teams from the Central League.
The Northern League on the other hand shrinked from 12 to 8 teams.
The Continental Baseball League and the South Coast League are working on a start for 2007. The New York State League tries a differnt concept as all 4 teams play in one stadium, Murnane Field. The 'Winter League', a spinoff of the United League is another newcomer with a new strategy: the season starts in January and lasts till mid february.
Subcategories
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