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Originally Posted by jpeters1734
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A few points to mention:
(1) It isn't clear when the 'A' level was officially split into Advanced and regular (or, 'High' and 'Low'). The earliest reference I can find to 'A' being split into two distinct levels is in the early 1990s, in the
Baseball America Directory publications. Unofficially, the split existed some years before that.
(2) 'Short Season A' didn't exist until 1965, which is the first year an 'A' level league—the Northern League—began playing a short schedule. The Northwest League did the same in 1966, and the New York-Penn League in 1967.
(3) The distinction between 'Rookie Advanced' and 'Rookie' is less clear now than it once was.
See this article from Jan. of 2008, which mentions changes to active roster rules. Note specifically this paragraph:
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In Thursday's other rule change, Rule 51 concerning limits on Minor League service time eliminated the distinction between the levels Rookie, where the limit had been two years, and Rookie Advanced, where players could be kept for three years.
Henceforth, the three-year limit will apply to both.
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Thus, in terms of how long a player is qualified to play in the Rookie levels, there seems to no longer be any distinction between the two. The two levels are still distinguished in terms of the 'Rookie Advanced' leagues—the Appalachian and Pioneer—still have for-profit clubs which play in specific town parks and charge admission; the Arizona and Gulf Coast Leagues play at the spring training parks of their major league parent clubs, and no admission is charged nor attendance records kept.
(4) The first year 'Rookie' was officially used was in 1964. The first were the Cocoa Rookie League and Sarasota Rookie League, both of which operated much as the current AZL and GCL do, and the Pioneer League. However, according to the National Association Agreement rules as published in the
Baseball Blue Book annual, the 'Rookie' classification existed earlier. starting in at least 1959, and probably before that. It was distinguished from 'Class D' in terms of its roster limit being different, and the fact that it was specifically to play a shorter schedule. Based on this, it is my contention that the Appalachian League (1957-onward) and Nebraska State League (1956-59), referred to as 'D' leagues in sources, were in fact the first 'Rookie' level leagues.
(This would explain their different active roster limit—21 compared to 17 for 'D' leagues—and why they played short-season schedules while other 'D' leagues still played longer seasons, usually 120+ games.)