Surviving The SAL
The South Atlantic League is the first stop for many Venezuelan baseball players with big dreams. For many, it is also their last stop. [Article]
The Roof Is On Fire
Nobody wants to put water on the spark Manager Phil Roof has given the Rochester Red Wings. [Article]
Greetings from Rochester's
Mr. Baseball
Joe Altobelli's long career includes the year that he skippered the Orioles to their last World Series title. His career Kodak moment? You have to go back to his adopted home town, Rochester, New York. [Article]
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MLN 2004 Minor League Business of the Year
The Ryan Express
The Next Generation
The Ryan Family, Nolan, Reid, and Reese bring the fundamentals back to the business of the game. Nolan's Hall of Fame name opens doors, but it's Reid and Reese's hard work, vision, and ability to execute that make them one of the best and most savvy organizations in professional sports. Today the AAA. Tomorrow? Don't count Austin out as a major league burg someday. [Article] |
Pride of Pawtucket
Pawtucket Red Sox owner Ben Mondor retires (again) after more than twenty years in which he turned the Pawsox from salvage job into sensation. [Article]
The 25th Man
Can Vinny Rottino use big numbers to knock down another big number (age 24) to break into the majors as the utility guy? You might want to bet Money on it. [Article]
Young 61
Is the Twins' Jason Kubel the resurrection of Roger? The Minnesota Maris is magic for the Rochester Redwings, and MLN's 2004 Player of the Year. [Article]
The Boys of Summer (Southern Chapter)
As the weather turns cold in the States, the basepaths of Venezuela heat up with some of the best talent, old and new, chasing the summer sun. [Article]
If You Build It…Will They Come?
Although it's not in the middle of a cornfield, John Q. Hammons did construct a $32 million stadium without having a team to play in it. Did his gamble pay off? [Feature] |
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Good Times, Bad Times
Jim Chamblee has had his share during a decade in pro baseball. [Article]
Hall's Heroics
A member of the Louisville Bats for only one day, Noah Hall waited nearly three years to exact some revenge on his former team. [Article]
Keep ‘Em Honest
Journeyman Jason Tyner may not make an appearance at a home run derby, but he will try to make every appearance at the plate a pitcher’s worst nightmare. [Article]
Rebuilt & Ready To Run
Phillies southpaw Cole Hamels of the Threshers wants to take a bite out of the bigs. Given the adversity that he's already overcome, you've got to like his chances. [Article]
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A Rival Revered
Pawsox fans cheering a Triple-A prospect from the hated Yankees? Somewhere up there, the Babe must be smiling... The 2004 edition of the Triple-A (AAA) All-Star classic goes into the record books with other miracles, too. Our man Dan Hickling takes you to Beantown South for a night of the rising stars.
[Article]
[Photo Essay] |
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When FAB50 player and Phillies phenom Howie Kendrick went down with an injury at the 2004 Midwest League All-Star Game, The Burlington Bees’s Mitch Maier stepped up to the plate in more ways than one. [Article] |
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Upton No.1 Player
in the Minors
B.J.Upton of the Tampa Bay organization and most recently the Durham Bulls, was named the top player in affiliated minor league baseball by Minor League News in its annual MLN Fab50 Baseball 2004 survey of the best and brightest stars in the minor leagues.
[Upton Section]
[Fab50 Article] |
Bozied's Blunder
Dramatic Beavers victory diminished by injury; Portland slugger out for season with ruptured patella tendon in left knee. [Article]
Pot Luck
Clubhouse commode creates chaos causing the i-Tribe's Liefer to turn tiger. [Article]
Zack Greinke: Little Red Corvette
Is Royals pitching phenom Zack Greinke on the fast track or the test track? After burning up the turf in the Carolina and the Texas leagues, the Royals are tuning up the hurler for his debut in Royal blue in KC. [Article]
Update: Greinke Called Up
Kansas City prospect Zack Greinke is promoted from Omaha and will make Major League debut at Oakland A's on Saturday. [Article]
Nomar on the Farm
A gracious Nomar Garciaparra thrilled fans, teammates, and reporters alike during his recent minor league rehab stint with Pawtucket. [Article]
Lightning Strikes
A relaxed mental approach towards the game has allowed Charlotte Knights' outfielder Joe Borchard to finally live up to the enormous expectations that made him a first-round pick. [Article]
Red Barons Skipper Makes 1500 Club
Manager Marc Bombard Knows What It Takes To Drive Excellence. Will Anyone Looking To Win in the Majors Take Notice in an Age of Celeb Skips? [Article]
Nowhere To Go But... Nowhere
Bronson Sardinha, Tampa's hottest talent, faces insurmountable obstacles to wearing Yankee pinstripes. [Article]
A Maiden Voyage
Portland Sea Dogs infielder John Hattig is striving to become the first Major League player from the island of Guam. [Article]
Hurler Thompson Sets Southern League Shutout Record
22-year-old Southern League hurler breaks Southern League record; Came within striking distance of both major and minor league single season shutout marks. [Article]
Top Ten (10) Ballparks 2004
What are the best ballparks in the minors to catch a game? The most fun and fan-friendly? The "vintage" ballpark experience? Baseballpark.com's Joe Mock takes MLN for our annual tour of the best of the minors. [Article]
New Ballparks in 2004 and Beyond
The minor league facelift continues into 2005 as more cities vie to either snatch a team from another berg, or keep their ballclub happy, and local. [Article]
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The Pacific Coast League (PCL) Hall of Fame inducts its second class since its reopening in 2003. In the days before MLB found its way to the West Coast, the PCL ruled the West. The greats, the characters, and "The Brawl of the Century" are all tales of the dynamic dozen admitted this year. [Article] |
The Crow and The Eagle: A True Fable
Book Review: Is this the soaring tale of Yankee great Bob Turley, or a bird-brained fable? You decide. [Article]
Bigger Than The Yankees-Red Sox... In Venezuela
For true fans of the game, the Caracas-Magallanes game is one that you should see before you die. [Article]
A Day to Remember
With his dad looking on in the stands, Prince Fielder goes yard twice to collect his first two double-A hits. [Article]
Make It or Break It
The Milwaukee Brewers are hopeful that an influx of prospects to Indianapolis will result in a winning season on the farm. Their AAA affiliation with the Indians could depend on it. [Article]
Like Father, Like Son(s)
Omaha Royals coach Dave LaRoche will miss the first game of the season to watch his boys play ball. [Article]
Unbalanced Schedule
Travel concerns are forcing PCL teams to play more games within their own conference; fans pay the price as not every team visits each city. [Article]
Indian Winter
The top prospects in the Cleveland Indians organization spend their offseason working on making the transition from minor to major-leaguers. [Article]
Venezuela Fiesta
An exciting, extra inning affair, the 2003 Venezuelan League All-Star Game was a true celebration of winter baseball. [Article]
Joe Mauer's Summer of Dreams
Will 2004 be the year that Joe Mauer, who traded in a career in football for a ringside seat and a glove at home plate, to take his place in Twins history? The scouts Magic 8® ball says "It is certain." [Article]
