OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - 1979--A 3rd (and 4th) League is born

seth70liz76 · 08-05-2004, 01:51 PM

NOTE: ACTUAL PEOPLE/INSTITUTIONS ARE FICTIONALIZED FOR MY PURPOSES (hey, I work for a lawyer—don’t want to get sued)

Media coverage of the league was spotty at best. Unsurprisingly, coverage in the major league cities was limited to notes in transaction section—if that. The Miami (Fort Lauderdale), Tampa, Tulsa and Memphis press was somewhat nicer, although affiliated minor league teams in the area received more coverage. Inside Sports magazine had a one page write up on the two competing “new” leagues—but it lumped these new leagues with the WFL, WHA and ABA. Not the type of press the league needed.

But the leagues plodded on. Some owners (New England and Detroit’s specifically) made boast about signing establish major leaguers—but instead career AA players and fringe AAA players made the bulk of the signees. Unsigned college, high school makes up the future. Even then, a little reported statement from MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (“Any player signing with organizations outside the auspices of the National Agreement which violates Major League Baseball territorial rights, may be declared permanently ineligible for Major League service”) frightens many into staying in their dead-end minor league careers. But still, some decided it was better to be a big fish in a little pond and not nameless roster filler at the minor league level.

08-05-2004, 01:51 PM	#9
seth70liz76 All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,634	NOTE: ACTUAL PEOPLE/INSTITUTIONS ARE FICTIONALIZED FOR MY PURPOSES (hey, I work for a lawyer—don’t want to get sued) Media coverage of the league was spotty at best. Unsurprisingly, coverage in the major league cities was limited to notes in transaction section—if that. The Miami (Fort Lauderdale), Tampa, Tulsa and Memphis press was somewhat nicer, although affiliated minor league teams in the area received more coverage. Inside Sports magazine had a one page write up on the two competing “new” leagues—but it lumped these new leagues with the WFL, WHA and ABA. Not the type of press the league needed. But the leagues plodded on. Some owners (New England and Detroit’s specifically) made boast about signing establish major leaguers—but instead career AA players and fringe AAA players made the bulk of the signees. Unsigned college, high school makes up the future. Even then, a little reported statement from MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (“Any player signing with organizations outside the auspices of the National Agreement which violates Major League Baseball territorial rights, may be declared permanently ineligible for Major League service”) frightens many into staying in their dead-end minor league careers. But still, some decided it was better to be a big fish in a little pond and not nameless roster filler at the minor league level.