120-767: The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins . They are located in Fort Myers, Florida , and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at Hammond Stadium , which has a capacity of 7,500 and opened in 1991. The park is also used as the Minnesota Twins' spring training facility. The majority owner
240-589: A Baltimore Orioles affiliate in 1966, and were renamed the Miami Orioles after their MLB parent club from 1971 to 1981. The Orioles owned the franchise until it was sold to an investment group led by then- Class AAA American Association president Joe Ryan on January 30, 1976. Upon the Baltimore Orioles' severing of their affiliation with the Miami Orioles following the 1981 season, the franchise reverted to
360-536: A "rent-a-player" model, centering on the acquisition of other clubs' stars in their option years. The gambit was moderately successful: in 1977 the White Sox won 90 games and finished in third place with additions such as Oscar Gamble and Richie Zisk . During this last run, Veeck decided to have announcer Harry Caray sing " Take Me Out to the Ball Game " during the seventh inning stretch. Veeck asked Caray to sing for
480-451: A 2–0 lead midway through the fourth inning. Daytona tied the game in the sixth. Going into extra innings, Kanzler gave the Miracle a 4–2 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the eleventh. Zack Jones recorded a perfect ninth inning, striking out Contreras for the save. The FSL Championship was the first in team history since moving to Fort Myers in 1992. The series win also marked the first time
600-499: A Major League Baseball game. Veeck sent Gaedel to pinch hit in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of a double header. Wearing "1/8" as his uniform number, Gaedel was walked on four straight pitches and then was pulled for a pinch runner. Shortly afterwards "Grandstand Manager's Day" – involving Veeck, Connie Mack , and thousands of regular fans, enabled the crowd to vote on various in-game strategic decisions (i.e., steal , bunt , change pitchers) by holding up placards:
720-659: A championship pennant. The first true minor league is traditionally considered to be the Northwestern League of 1883 to 1884. Unlike the earlier minor associations, it was conceived as a permanent organization. It also, along with the NL and the American Association (AA), was a party to the National Agreement of 1883 . Included in this was the agreement to respect the reserve lists of clubs in each league. Teams in
840-530: A contract, making him the oldest rookie ever in Major League Baseball history. To take advantage of the large size of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed in 1947, which he could move in or out depending on how the distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following
960-482: A flat-fee purchase amount of $ 5,000 for the contract of any player from an NA member league team. This measure was leveled primarily at the Baltimore Orioles , then a Triple-A team that had dominated the minors by keeping players longer than many competitors, allowing the players to more fully develop, driving up their sale value to major-league teams and giving Baltimore a talent advantage. Deprived of this option by
1080-647: A higher level of play. These leagues are intended almost exclusively to allow players to hone their skills; no admission is charged and no concessions are sold. As of the 2024 season, the Arizona Complex League and Florida Complex League seasons commence in early May and conclude in late July in order to provide players with previous experience in the Dominican Summer League with a full season in stateside professional baseball without having to compete for playing time with newly drafted players selected in
1200-457: A hotel lobby, in full view of the public; other owners considered this undignified. Two weeks later, however, arbitrator Peter Seitz 's ruling struck down the reserve clause and ushered in the era of free agency , leading to dramatic increases in player salaries. Ironically Veeck had been the only baseball owner to testify in support of Curt Flood during his landmark court case, at which Flood had attempted to gain free agency after being traded to
1320-568: A limited membership which excluded less competitive and financially weaker teams. Professional clubs outside the NL responded by forming regional associations of their own. There was a series of ad hoc groupings, such as the New England Association of 1877 and the Eastern Championship Association of 1881. These were loose groups of independent clubs which agreed to play a series of games over the course of one season for
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#17328699141311440-561: A prospective sale to Veeck. Subsequently, the article was criticized by historian Jules Tygiel, who reviewed it point-by-point in an article in the 2006 issue of SABR's The Baseball Research Journal , and in an appendix, entitled "Did Bill Veeck Lie About His Plan to Purchase the '43 Phillies?", published in Paul Dickson's biography, Bill Veeck: Baseball's Greatest Maverick . In the SABR article, Tygiel explained that Veeck and others had mentioned
1560-403: A recoiling artillery piece crushed his right leg, requiring amputation first of the foot, and shortly after of the leg above the knee. Over the course of his life he had 36 operations on the leg. He had a series of wooden legs and, as an inveterate smoker, cut holes in them to use as ashtrays. Veeck also used the wooden leg in props such as a recreation of iconic Revolutionary War soldiers during
1680-522: A regular season record of 80–58 and winning game one of a best-of-three series on the road, the Charlotte Stone Crabs defeated the Miracle in games two and three. After a three-season hiatus, the Miracle returned to the FSL Playoffs under first-year manager Doug Mientkiewicz. Guiding a star-studded team of Twins prospects such as Miguel Sano , Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario , the Miracle won
1800-643: A riot at Comiskey Park and a forfeit to the visiting Detroit Tigers . Finding himself no longer able to financially compete in the free agent era, Veeck sold the White Sox in January 1981 , albeit not without controversy, as his first choice in Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. (owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers ) was rejected by a league vote (eight votes in favor with ten required to pass). Veeck then sold
1920-477: A second or third promotion for a minor league player, although some high first-round draftees, particularly those with experience playing college baseball , begin at this level. Below the High-A level is Single-A, named "Class A" before 2021, when it was also known as Single-A or Full-Season A, and "Low-A" for the 2021 season. This classification has three leagues: the 8-team California League , known as Low-A West for
2040-516: A statement, asserting that it is "unnecessary and unacceptable to wipe out one-quarter of minor league teams" and characterized the proposal as a way "to improve the profitability of MLB". Manfred rebuked Minor League Baseball for releasing the negotiations to the public and threatened to cut ties with MiLB altogether. The following changes, which represent the first significant overhaul of minor league classifications since 1963, have since been implemented: When MLB teams announced their affiliates for
2160-514: A steady supply of players, as many NA and independent teams could not afford to keep their doors open without the patronage of Major League Baseball. The leagues of the NA became subordinate to the major leagues, creating the first minor leagues in the current sense of the term. Other than the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which under its president Pants Rowland tried to become a third major league in
2280-506: A temporary replacement. There are currently three leagues in this classification: the 12-team Eastern League , known as Double-A Northeast for the 2021 season, with teams in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., the eight-team Southern League (known as Double-A South for the 2021 season) with teams in the Deep South, and the 10-team Texas League (known as Double-A Central for
2400-650: A tenth round draft pick. Jim Gattis was named manager by April 1989. The Miracle were sold again a year later to the Marv Goldklang Group. Mike Veeck (son of Hall of Fame inductee Bill Veeck , and author of the book, Fun is Good ) also became part owner of the organization while Murray and Buffett still maintained their shares as well. In 1990, the team moved again, playing its home games at Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium . The team spent two seasons in Pompano Beach with future big league skipper Fredi González at
2520-699: A two-game sweep of the Marauders, the Miracle advanced to the FSL Championship series for the third time in team history. Facing the Cubs again, the Miracle hosted the first two games of the best-of-five series at JetBlue Park . The Miracle pitching staff allowed just one run in a pair of wins. Fort Myers took game one, 5–1, and game two, 5–0. With a 2–0 series lead for the Miracle, the Cubs staved off elimination in game three at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona, Florida After
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#17328699141312640-440: A two-hour, seven-minute delay, the Cubs and Miracle engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Daytona eventually going on to win, 8–7. The Cubs trailed 6–5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, but took the lead on a three-run homer by Wilson Contreras. After the Cubs' win, the two teams had to wait a day after heavy storms made the field in Daytona unplayable. On Monday, September 8, the Miracle and Cubs played game four. Fort Myers built
2760-686: Is Kaufy Baseball, LLC, a privately held company managed by John Martin, who purchased a controlling interest in the club from Andrew Kaufmann in January 2022. The Mighty Mussels continue the proud tradition of the Florida State League baseball in Fort Myers that began in 1926 with the Fort Myers Palms . The modern day franchise began in Miami during the 1961–1962 offseason to serve as the Class D affiliate of
2880-486: Is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), including teams affiliated with MLB clubs. Entering the 2021 season, the number of full-season MLB-affiliated minor leagues with teams in the United States and Canada was reduced to 11, with a total of 120 teams (four per each of the 30 MLB franchises). There are also two affiliated rookie leagues based in the United States, with teams based at
3000-481: Is usually that these veteran players will be in the majors by the end of the season, as their salaries tend to be higher than those of most prospects. One level below Double-A is the High-A level, named "Class A-Advanced" before 2021. This classification has three leagues: the 12-team Midwest League , known as High-A Central for the 2021 season, covering the Midwest, the six-team Northwest League , known as High-A West for
3120-645: The Arizona Complex League and Florida Complex League , known as the Arizona League and Gulf Coast League, respectively, before 2021, and one Caribbean-based league, the Dominican Summer League . The U.S.-based Rookie leagues play a schedule of approximately 60 games and are named "complex leagues" because games are played at their parent clubs' spring training complexes. Rosters consist primarily of newly drafted players who are not yet ready for
3240-563: The Arizona Complex League or Florida Complex League , and international summer baseball teams in the Dominican Summer League . While major league teams play a 162-game schedule, minor league seasons are shorter. As of 2022 , a complete season in Triple-A is 150 games, Double-A is 138 games, and High-A and Single-A are each 132 games. In addition to the below organized leagues, the off-season Arizona Fall League has six teams that play approximately 30 games apiece in autumn, with rosters comprising
3360-679: The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels . In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Mighty Mussels were organized into the Low-A Southeast at the Low-A classification. In 2022, the Low-A Southeast became known as the Florida State League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit. Since moving to Fort Myers for
3480-612: The Los Angeles Angels . In 1961 , due to poor health, Veeck sold his share of the White Sox to John and Arthur Allyn for $ 2.5 million. After selling the White Sox, Veeck worked intermittently as a television commentator for ABC . Veeck then moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his family to convalesce. When his health improved, Veeck made an unsuccessful attempt to buy the Washington Senators , then operated
3600-585: The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players of 1871 to 1875, commonly referred to as the National Association, comprised all fully professional teams. This system proved unworkable, however, as there was no way to ensure competitive balance, and financially unsound clubs often failed in midseason. This problem was solved in 1876 with the formation of the National League (NL), with
3720-684: The Northwest League and Midwest League promoted with 75% of their teams. The Carolina League dropped to Low-A with seven of its ten teams and added five from the old South Atlantic League in trade; the SAL in turn moved to High-A with half of its previous 12-team roster, filling it out with two Carolina League High-A holdovers, one Midwest League returnee, and three formerly short-season New York-Penn League promotees. On February 12, 2021, Major League Baseball announced new league alignments for all 120 affiliated Minor League Baseball clubs effective as of
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3840-670: The Philadelphia Phillies . The team was named the Miami Marlins in honor of the original Marlins of the Triple-A International League who had moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico (and subsequently Charleston, West Virginia ), following the 1960 season. In 1963, there was a restructuring of the classification system of all Minor League Baseball , which resulted in the FSL changing from Class D to Class A-Advanced. They became
3960-596: The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that this story was made up or certainly exaggerated by Veeck. The two researchers could not find any references to a moveable fence or any reference to the gear required for a moveable fence to work. While a co-owner of the Brewers, Veeck served for nearly three years in the United States Marine Corps during World War II in an artillery unit. During this time
4080-583: The St. Louis Browns led to mass protests and petitions supporting Boudreau. Veeck, in response, said he would listen to the fans, and re-signed Boudreau to a new two-year contract. Veeck claimed later that the trade talks had already broken down before they became public, but he seized the opportunity to promote the concept he had dropped the idea of the trade in response to public outcry. By 1948 , led by Boudreau's .355 batting average, Cleveland won its first pennant and World Series since 1920 (as of 2023, this remains
4200-699: The Suffolk Downs race track in Boston in 1969–70. He also tried to buy the Baltimore Orioles in 1974 but failed due to troubles with the IRS . Veeck was not heard from again in baseball ownership circles until 1975 , when he repurchased the White Sox from John Allyn (sole owner since 1969). Veeck's return rankled baseball's establishment, most owners viewing him as a pariah after exposing industry politics and maneuvering in his 1961 book Veeck As In Wreck. The owners were also unhappy with Veeck's extensive unfavorable discussion of
4320-557: The United States Congress signed a letter sent to Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred opposing the proposal, noting that it "is not in the best interest of the overall game of baseball" and that it would "devastate our communities, their bond purchasers and other stakeholders affected by the potential loss of these clubs." A response from MLB highlighted that the proposal aims to improve player travel and working conditions. On November 21, 2019, Minor League Baseball released
4440-566: The integration of the American League , and the following year won a World Series title . Unable to compete in the new era of salary escalation ignited by arbitration and free agency, Veeck sold his ownership interests in the White Sox after the 1980 season. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991. Bill Veeck was born on February 9, 1914, in Chicago . While Veeck
4560-542: The "new" Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field ) when it opened in 1991. One year later in 1960, Veeck and former Detroit Tigers great Hank Greenberg , his partner with the Indians and White Sox, reportedly made a strong bid for the American League expansion franchise in Los Angeles. Greenberg would have been the principal owner, with Veeck as a minority partner. However Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley
4680-518: The 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. As in Milwaukee, Veeck took a unique approach to promotions, hiring Max Patkin , the "Clown Prince of Baseball", as a coach . Patkin's appearance in the coaching box delighted fans and infuriated the front office of the American League. Although Veeck had become extremely popular, an attempt in 1947 to trade Boudreau to
4800-595: The 1950s and early 1960s. In 1949, the peak of the postwar minor league baseball boom, 448 teams in 59 leagues were members of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, with the number of teams falling to 324 in 1952, and 243 in 1955. By the end of 1963, only 15 leagues above Rookie-level survived in the United States and Canada. After the 1962 season, the Triple-A American Association—which had lost key markets such as Milwaukee , Kansas City , Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Houston to
4920-486: The 1964 purchase of the New York Yankees by CBS in 1965's The Hustler's Handbook (a move Veeck felt exposed MLB to dangerous antitrust liabilities and endangered the antitrust exemption established in a 1922 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court). The White Sox were slated to move to Seattle, Washington for the amount of $ 14 million while Charlie O. Finley planned to move his Oakland Athletics to Chicago. However, it
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5040-651: The 1992 season, the Mighty Mussels have qualified for the Florida State League Playoffs eight times. As the Miracle, the club won the FSL West Division first half in 2003 and 2008 and the FSL West second half in 1995, 2000 and 2006. In 2009, the Florida State League adopted a North–South setup of divisions. In that year, the Miracle won both the FSL South first and second half under manager Jeff Smith . Despite
5160-525: The 2014 FSL All-Star Game in Bradenton , at McKechnie Field . In the second half, the Miracle posted a record of 41–29 for an overall mark of 82–57, second-best in team history. In the FSL South Divisional Playoff, the Miracle faced Bradenton. Trailing 7–3 in the top of the fourth inning, Jason Kanzler hit an opposite field grand slam to tie the game in the first of a best-of-three series. After
5280-515: The 2021 season on December 9, 2020, each of the 30 MLB teams had one affiliate at four levels—Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, and Low-A—for a total of 120 affiliated teams. Approximately 40 teams lost their MLB affiliations; the Fresno Grizzlies were demoted from Triple-A to Low-A; and the majority of surviving clubs at High-A and Low-A swapped levels, with the former Florida State League and California League dropped down nearly as intact units and
5400-461: The 2021 season) with teams in the Southwest and Great Plains. Some players jump to the majors from this level, as many of the top prospects are put here to play against each other rather than against minor and major league veterans in Triple-A. A small handful of players might be placed here to start, usually veterans from foreign leagues with more experience in professional baseball. The expectation
5520-480: The 2021 season, located entirely in California , the 12-team Carolina League , known as Low-A East for the 2021 season, and the 10-team Florida State League , known as Low-A Southeast for the 2021 season. All three leagues were demoted from High-A to Single-A effective with the 2021 season. These leagues are a mix of players moving up from Rookie leagues, as well as the occasional experienced first-year player. Most of
5640-641: The 2021 season, with teams in the Pacific Northwest, and the 12-team South Atlantic League , known as High-A East for the 2021 season, with teams in the eastern states. All three leagues were reclassified prior to the 2021 season, with the Midwest League and the South Atlantic League promoted from Single-A and the Northwest League promoted from Class A Short Season. This level of play is often
5760-491: The 2021 season. Contrary to previously published reports indicating that realignment would retain the names of the existing minor leagues, Major League Baseball elected to abandon the names of existing minor leagues in favor of a new, class- and region-based naming system. Triple-A was divided into two leagues: Bill Veeck William Louis Veeck Jr. ( / ˈ v ɛ k / VEK ; February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), also known as " Sport Shirt Bill " and " Wild Bill ",
5880-506: The Bicentennial year of 1976. At other times, engaged in intensive trade talks with competing owners, Veeck would complain they were demanding "an arm and a leg" in negotiations, then unbuckle the leg and throw it on the desktop for dramatic effect. Veeck had been a fan of the Negro leagues since his early teens. He had also admired Abe Saperstein 's Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, which
6000-408: The Browns elsewhere. As a preliminary step, he sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals, who would eventually rename it as the first incarnation of Busch Stadium. At first Veeck considered moving the Browns back to Milwaukee (where they had played their inaugural season in 1901). Milwaukee recently built Milwaukee County Stadium in an attempt to entice a major league franchise. However, the decision
6120-402: The Browns to Baltimore, where they were renamed as the Orioles , which has been their name ever since. Taking advantage of inter-familial friction within the Comiskey family, in 1959 , Veeck became head of a group that purchased a controlling interest in the Chicago White Sox . Following Veeck's acquisition of the team, the White Sox went on to win their first pennant in 40 years. That year
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#17328699141316240-441: The Browns won, 5–3, snapping a four-game losing streak. After the 1952 season , Veeck suggested that the American League clubs share radio and television revenue with visiting clubs, a proposal anathema to the powerful Yankees, whose broadcasting revenues dwarfed all the other AL franchises. Outvoted, he refused to allow the Browns' opponents to broadcast games played against his team on the road. The league responded by eliminating
6360-406: The Cardinals had been the Browns' tenants since 1920, even though they had long since passed the Browns as St. Louis' favorite team. Some of Veeck's most memorable publicity stunts occurred during his tenure with the Browns, including the appearance on August 19, 1951, by Eddie Gaedel , who had dwarfism and stood 3 feet 7 inches (1.09 m) tall, and is the shortest person to appear in
6480-469: The Cardinals to interests who would have moved them to Houston, Texas , he instead accepted a much lower bid from St. Louis-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch , who entered the picture with the specific intent of keeping the Cardinals in town. It has long been claimed that Saigh was persuaded to accept Anheuser-Busch's bid more out of civic duty than money. However, according to Anheuser-Busch historian William Knoedelseder , Saigh's first preference all along
6600-1101: The Daytona Cubs had lost a FSL Playoff series. These statistics are current through the 2022 season, and include seasons dating back to 1971. The Miracle's name and logo appeared in the 1998 film Major League: Back to the Minors . Gus Cantrell ( Scott Bakula ) pitched for the Miracle before retiring to become the manager of the Buzz. Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches 60-day injured list [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On Minnesota Twins 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated September 18, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Florida State League → Minnesota Twins minor league players † Injured & did not play †† Promoted & did not play ‡ FSL All-Star Game MVP ‡‡ MLB All-Star Baseball Hall of Fame franchise alumni Notable alumni Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball ( MiLB )
6720-522: The Dominican Summer League who have not yet been assigned to a domestic affiliate, as well as players placed on the minor league 60-day and full-season injured lists—during the minor league season, with a limit of 175 domestic players during the offseason. During the minor league season, the following roster limits for each classification are used: Triple-A Double-A High-A Single-A Rookie Off-season leagues Showcase league Partner leagues The earliest professional baseball league,
6840-523: The July Major League Baseball draft . This adjusted schedule also allows the top Rookie-level prospects in each organization to be promoted to class Single-A for the final two months of the professional baseball season upon the conclusion of the complex league seasons. As of the 2024 season, each major league club may have no more than 165 players assigned to the rosters of their domestic affiliates (i.e., Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, Single-A, and complex-league Rookie)—excluding international players assigned to
6960-434: The Major Leagues since 1953—disbanded. The surviving International and Pacific Coast leagues absorbed the four remaining American Association franchises. Meanwhile, at the Double-A level and below there were even more significant changes: Designations below Class A disappeared because the lower levels could not sustain operation during a large downturn in the financial fortunes of minor league baseball, due to factors including
7080-686: The Marlins and were renamed the Miami Miracle . They moved the team from Miami Stadium, which the team had called home for the vast majority of its time in South Florida, to Florida International University 's University Park with some games to be held at Key West High School. South Florida BC LP consisted of Stuart Revo, managing partner, Marvin Goldklang, South Florida commercial real estate developer Michael M. Adler ; Potamkin Television, New Age Broadcasting automobile dealership group Potamkin Companies president Alan Potamkin; Sillerman-Magee Communication Management Corp. CEO Robert Sillerman, actor Bill Murray and recording artist Jimmy Buffett . E.J. Narcise
7200-430: The Marlins name and participated in the 1982 FSL season as an independent entry. Without a Major League affiliate, this team was composed of undrafted players from the area, free agents from various organizations and players on loan from the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres , and Oakland A's organizations. The following season the Miami Marlins became a San Diego Padres affiliate. This partnership lasted two years and
7320-443: The Marlins were without a parent club for the 1985 season. They filled their roster with ten former major leaguers looking to rejuvenate their careers, including Derrel Thomas , who made it back to MLB later that season with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins continued this practice through the 1988 season. One of their signees in 1987, Dennis Martínez, also returned to MLB, signing with the Montreal Expos later that season. In 1987,
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#17328699141317440-445: The NL and the AA could only reserve players who had been paid at least $ 1,000. Northwestern League teams could reserve players paid $ 750, implicitly establishing the division into major and minor leagues. Over the next two decades, more minor leagues signed various versions of the National Agreement. Eventually, the minor leagues allied to negotiate jointly. In the late 1890s, the Western League run by Ban Johnson decided to challenge
7560-453: The NL's position. In 1900, he changed the name of the league to the American League (AL) and vowed to make deals to sign contracts with players who were dissatisfied with the pay and terms of their deals with the NL. This led to a turf war that heated up in 1901 enough to concern Patrick T. Powers , president of the Eastern League, and many other minor league owners about the conflict potentially affecting their organizations. Representatives of
7680-404: The Philadelphia Phillies. Veeck had proposed a gradual transition to a free-agent system in which players would gain free agency rights after a certain amount of service time. The owners gambled that Seitz would rule in their favor and maintain the reserve clause; he did not. On the field, Veeck presented a Bicentennial -themed " Spirit of '76 " parade on Opening Day in 1976 , casting himself as
7800-629: The Phillies and stock the team's roster with stars from the Negro leagues. Although no formal rules barred African-American players from the majors, none had appeared in organized baseball since the 1890s. Veeck quickly secured financing to buy the Phillies, and agreed in principle to buy the team from Nugent. While on his way to Philadelphia to close on the purchase, Veeck decided to alert MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis of his intentions. Veeck did not believe Landis would dare say black players were unwelcome while blacks were fighting in World War II. However, when Veeck arrived in Philadelphia, he
7920-400: The Sox to his second choice, Jerry Reinsdorf and partner Eddie Einhorn for $ 20 million. When Einhorn stated his desire to make the White Sox a "high-class operation", Veeck publicly transferred his allegiance back to the Chicago Cubs , the team his father had operated in his youth (at any rate, when the White Sox won the 2005 World Series , the Veeck family received championship rings from
8040-416: The Texas League, which had last operated in 1942, and the Southern Association) became Class AA. Class A remained the third-highest classification, with lower levels still ranked Class B through Class D in descending order, with Class D being the equivalent of later Rookie leagues. The impact of the Korean War in 1950 caused a player shortage in many cities below Class B. In 1952, the "Open" classification
8160-460: The Triple-A Inter–American League (1979). None lasted more than a full season. In October 2019, Baseball America reported that Major League Baseball had proposed dramatic changes to MiLB that would take effect after expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement, which governed the MLB–MiLB relationship, at the end of the 2020 season. This included the elimination of many minor league teams. In mid-November 2019, more than 100 members of
8280-474: The Triple-A level. Such players are eligible to be added to a team's active major league roster. For teams in contention for a playoff spot late in a season, it gives them fresh players, while for teams not in contention, it gives them an opportunity to evaluate their second-tier players against major league competition. Some Triple-A players are "career minor leaguers", former prospects whose skill growth has halted and who are not likely to advance to MLB, unless as
8400-508: The Western states, the other leagues maintained autonomy in name only, being totally economically dependent upon the AL and NL. In 1922, the United States Supreme Court decision Federal Baseball Club v. National League (259 U.S. 200), which grants baseball a special immunity from antitrust laws , had a major effect on the minor leagues. The special immunity meant that the AL and NL could dictate terms under which every independent league did business. By 1925, major league baseball established
8520-400: The White Sox broke a team attendance record for home games with 1.4 million. The next year the team broke the same record with 1.6 million visitors to Comiskey Park with the addition of the first "exploding scoreboard" in the major leagues – producing electrical and sound effects , and shooting fireworks whenever the White Sox hit a home run . The "exploding scoreboard" was carried over to
8640-435: The age of 71 from cancer. He was posthumously elected five years later to the Baseball Hall of Fame . Veeck was survived by his wife, Mary Frances, and eight of his nine children. Two of the surviving children, Peter and Ellen, were from his first marriage, and the others ( Mike , Marya, Greg, Lisa, Julie and Chris) were from his second marriage. He was predeceased by his eldest child, William III, who died in 1985. His body
8760-452: The alleged scheme to buy and stock the Phillies up to fifteen years before the publication of Veeck's memoir, but conceded that, "In all of these accounts the only voice telling the story remains Veeck's." The Tygiel article also conceded, "The overall assessment of Jordan, et al. - that Veeck's notion of buying the Phillies and fielding a team of Negro League stars never quite moved as far from
8880-530: The consensus top prospect in baseball Byron Buxton , to just one run in a two-game sweep. Entering the 2014 season, the Miracle had appeared in the Florida State League Championship series twice; losing to the Daytona Cubs in 1995 and 2008. For a second consecutive season, Mientkiewicz led the Miracle to a first half title in the FSL South, narrowly edging the St. Lucie Mets by one game in
9000-506: The crosstown Chicago White Sox . Later, in 1937, he came up with the idea of planting ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field . Veeck attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts . In 1933, when his father died, Veeck left Kenyon College and eventually became club treasurer for the Cubs. In 1935, he married his first wife, Eleanor. In 1940, Veeck left Chicago and, in a syndicate with former Cubs star and manager Charlie Grimm , purchased
9120-468: The death of Caray in 1998. The 1979 season was filled with more promotions. On April 10, he offered fans free admission the day after a 10–2 Opening Day defeat by the Toronto Blue Jays . On July 12, Veeck, with assistance from son Mike and radio personality Steve Dahl , held one of his most infamous promotions, Disco Demolition Night , between games of a scheduled doubleheader, which resulted in
9240-551: The different minor leagues met at the Leland Hotel in Chicago on September 5, 1901. In response to the NL–AL battle, they agreed to form the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL), sometimes shortened to National Association (NA), which would later adopt the trade name "Minor League Baseball". The purpose of the NAPBL at the time was to maintain the independence of
9360-575: The drawing board as Veeck claimed - may still be true. We still lack any solid evidence that confirms that Veeck had not only conceptualized this action, but made a firm offer to buy the Phillies and met a rebuff by Landis and (then-National League president Ford) Frick ." In 1946 , having sold his interest in the Class AAA Milwaukee Brewers, Veeck became the owner of a major league team, the Cleveland Indians . He immediately put all
9480-463: The entire park, but he refused. Veeck replied that he already had a recording, so Caray would be heard either way. Caray reluctantly agreed to sing it live, accompanied by White Sox organist Nancy Faust , and went on to become famous for singing the tune, continuing to do so at Wrigley Field after becoming the broadcaster of the Chicago Cubs in 1982. This tradition has continued there since even with
9600-457: The fifth inning, play was halted for 58 minutes due to rain. When the game resumed in the top of the sixth, Dalton Hicks drove in the eventual game-winning run with a single. The Miracle won game one, 8–7, and Kanzler had six runs batted in. In game two, the Miracle scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning to take 6–1 lead. Miracle starter D. J. Baxendale earned the win with six innings allowing just one unearned run and five strikeouts. After
9720-545: The first black player to play in the American League. Doby's first game was on July 5 and before the game, Doby was introduced to his teammates by player-manager Lou Boudreau . "One by one, Lou introduced me to each player. 'This is Joe Gordon,' and Gordon put his hand out. 'This is Bob Lemon,' and Lemon put his hand out. 'This is Jim Hegan,' and Hegan put his hand out. All the guys put their hand out, all but three. As soon as he could, Bill Veeck got rid of those three", Doby said. The following year Veeck signed Satchel Paige to
9840-493: The first half in the FSL South with a 45–22 record. The 45 wins tied the franchise record for the most in a single half and the winning percentage of .672 marked the best for a half in team history. Posting the best overall record in the Florida State League at 79–56 during the regular season, the Miracle again fell to the Stone Crabs in the FSL South Divisional Playoff. Charlotte held the league-best Fort Myers offense, that included
9960-496: The flat-fee policy, minor league teams had little choice but to sell players as soon as they drew major-league interest. The earliest classifications used in the minor leagues began circa 1890, for teams that were party to the National Agreement of 1883. The different levels represented different levels of protection for player contracts and reserve clauses : After the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues
10080-446: The following assignments entering the 1902 season: Additional classifications added prior to World War II included: In 1946, with the minor leagues poised for unprecedented growth, the higher-level classifications were changed. Class AAA ("Triple-A") was created and the three Double-A circuits (the Pacific Coast League , International League , and the American Association ) were reclassified into Triple-A. Class A1 (comprising
10200-486: The helm. In 1992, with the impending arrival of MLB's Florida Marlins , the Goldklang Group relocated the Miracle to Fort Myers. The Miracle operated as a co-op club with the Minnesota Twins that season, and became a full Twins affiliate a year later. The current Player Development Contract runs through 2018. In December 2019, the franchise announced that it would be rebrand ahead of the 2020 season and become known as
10320-496: The later stages of the negotiations to develop rules for the acquisition of players from their leagues by the NL and the AL. The 1903 agreement ensured that teams would be compensated for the players that they had taken the time and effort to scout and develop, and no NA team was required to sell their players, although most did because the cash was an important source of revenue for most teams. The NA leagues were still fiercely independent, and
10440-523: The leagues involved. Several did not sign the agreement and continued to work independently. Powers was made the first president of the NAPBL, whose offices were established in Auburn, New York . In 1903, the conflict between the AL and NL ended in the National Agreement of 1903 , which created the National Baseball Commission to oversee the major and minor leagues. The NAPBL became involved in
10560-497: The lucrative Friday night games in St. Louis. A year later, Cardinals owner Fred Saigh was convicted of tax evasion . Facing certain banishment from baseball, he was forced to put the Cardinals up for sale. At first, the only credible offers came from out-of-town interests, and it appeared that Veeck would succeed in driving the Cardinals out of town. However, just as Saigh was about to sell
10680-572: The minor leagues, such as Buzz Arlett , Jigger Statz , Ike Boone , Buddy Ryan , Earl Rapp , and Frank Shellenback , as comparable to major league players. Leagues in the NA would not be truly called minor until Branch Rickey developed the first modern farm system in the 1930s. The Commissioner of Baseball , Kenesaw Mountain Landis fought Rickey's scheme, but, ultimately, the Great Depression drove teams to establish systems like Rickey's to ensure
10800-534: The organization). Veeck retired to his home in Chicago but in summer could often be found in the Wrigley Field bleachers. Veeck also wrote occasional articles for magazines and newspapers, usually opining on the overall state of baseball. Veeck had been a heavy smoker and drinker until 1980. In 1984, Veeck underwent two operations for lung cancer . Two years later, on the day after New Year's Day , 1986, he died at
10920-578: The other two leagues, as part of a reorganization of the Triple-A level in 1997. The International League features teams from the Atlantic coast and midwestern U.S., while the Pacific Coast League features teams from the Pacific coast and the southwest. Both young players and veterans play for Triple-A teams. Parent clubs often hold players who are on the 40-man roster , but not on the active MLB roster, at
11040-578: The parent clubs' spring training complexes in Arizona and Florida , an off-season autumn league, and one affiliated rookie league in the Dominican Republic . Additionally, four independent leagues are in association with MiLB. As of the 2022 season, the minor league system is divided into four classes: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), High-A (A+), and Single-A (A). Major League Baseball franchises may also maintain one or two complex-based rookie teams in
11160-586: The peg-legged fifer bringing up the rear. In the same year he reactivated Minnie Miñoso for eight at-bats, in order to give Miñoso a claim towards playing in four decades; he did so again in 1980, to expand the claim to five. He also unveiled radically altered uniforms for the players, including clamdigger pants and even shorts, which the Sox wore for the first time against the Kansas City Royals on August 8, 1976. In an attempt to adapt to free agency, he developed
11280-467: The previous year while in Cleveland. After his second marriage, Veeck bought an 80% stake in the St. Louis Browns in 1951 . Hoping to force the NL's St. Louis Cardinals out of town, Veeck hired Cardinal greats Rogers Hornsby and Marty Marion as managers , and Dizzy Dean as an announcer; and he decorated their shared home park, Sportsman's Park , exclusively with Browns memorabilia. Ironically
11400-406: The principal owner, with approximately a 40% interest. Even though league president Will Harridge told him approval was certain, only four owners—two short of the necessary six for passage—supported it. Realizing the other owners simply wanted him out of the picture (indeed, he was facing threats of having his franchise canceled), Veeck agreed to sell his entire stake to Miles' group, who then moved
11520-608: The rise of television broadcasts of major league sports across broad regions of the country. As part of the 1963 reorganization, Major League clubs increased their commitments to affiliate with minor league teams through Player Development Contracts, outright ownerships, or shared affiliations and co-op arrangements. The minor league system that evolved following the 1963 reorganization remained in place through 2020, categorizing leagues into one of six classes: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), Class A-Advanced (High A or A+), Class A (Low A), Class A Short Season, and Rookie. Furthermore, Rookie
11640-512: The standings with a final day win, 4–0, over the Bradenton Marauders . Fort Myers finished with a first half record of 41–28 with a roster featuring top prospects José Berríos , Jorge Polanco and Adam Brett Walker. During the 2014 campaign, Walker broke the Miracle franchise record for home runs in a season with 25; previously held by Brock Peterson with 21 in 2006. Walker was also a 2014 FSL All-Star Game MVP and Home Run Derby Champion at
11760-628: The team started receiving some players on loan from the Tokyo Giants. This lasted through the 1988 season. In 1988, the team began the season at Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium, but moved later in the season to the Miami-Hialeah Lakes High School field. The Marlins had per-game attendance totals of approximately 100 fans. On February 22, 1989 , the South Florida Baseball Club Limited Partnership purchased
11880-462: The team's games on radio (previously, only limited games had been broadcast). He also moved the team to Cleveland Municipal Stadium permanently in 1947 . The team had split their games between the larger Municipal Stadium and the smaller League Park since the 1930s. However, Veeck concluded that League Park, which had been built in its final form in 1910, was far too small and deteriorated to be viable. In July of that year, he signed Larry Doby ,
12000-541: The team's, now known as the Guardians, last World Series title). Famously, the following season Veeck buried the 1948 flag, once it became mathematically certain the team could not repeat its championship in 1949 . Later that year, Veeck's first wife, Eleanor, filed for divorce. Most of his money was tied up in the Indians, so he was forced to sell the team to fund the divorce settlement. One year later, in 1950, Veeck married his second wife, Mary Frances Ackerman. He had met her
12120-458: The teams in the Florida State League are owned by major league parent clubs and use their spring training complexes. In 2022, the official name of the class became Single-A. Minor leagues with the Rookie classification play a shortened season that traditionally began in mid-June and ended in late August or early September. This lowest level of minor league baseball consists of two US-based leagues,
12240-404: The term minor was seldom used in reference to them, save by the major-market sportswriters. Sports news, like most news generally, often did not travel far in the days before radio and television, so, while the leagues often bristled at the major market writers' descriptions, they viewed themselves as independent sports businesses. Many baseball writers of that time regarded the greatest players of
12360-455: The then-struggling Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association . After winning three pennants in five seasons Veeck sold his Milwaukee franchise in 1945 for a $ 275,000 profit. According to his autobiography Veeck – As in Wreck , Veeck claimed to have installed a screen to make the right field target a little more difficult for left-handed pull hitters of the opposing team. The screen
12480-505: The time it seemed like the PCL would eventually become a third major league. The PCL would revert to Triple-A in 1958, due to increasing television coverage of major league games and in light of the Dodgers and Giants moving to Los Angeles and San Francisco , respectively. A significant reorganization of the minor leagues took place in 1963, caused by the contraction of clubs and leagues during
12600-439: The top prospects associated with each of the six MLB divisions. This classification currently includes two affiliated leagues: the 20-team International League and the 10-team Pacific Coast League , known as Triple-A East and Triple-A West, respectively, for the 2021 season. For most of the 20th century, Triple-A also included the American Association , based in the Midwest, but that league disbanded with its clubs absorbed by
12720-399: Was Andy McKenna who approached Veeck about the possibility of returning home to Chicago, which got Veeck to assemble an ownership group to make an offer for the team. On December 16, 1975, Veeck's group purchased the team from Allyn. Almost immediately after reassuming control of the Sox, Veeck unleashed another publicity stunt. He and general manager Roland Hemond conducted four trades in
12840-504: Was an American Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians , the St. Louis Browns , and the Chicago White Sox . Veeck was the last owner to purchase a baseball franchise without an independent fortune, and is responsible for many innovations and contributions to baseball. As owner and team president of the Indians in 1947, Veeck signed Larry Doby , thus beginning
12960-473: Was based in Chicago. Saperstein saved Veeck from financial disaster early on in Milwaukee by giving him the right to promote the Globetrotters in the upper Midwest in the winter of 1941–42. In the fall of 1942, Veeck met with Gerry Nugent , president of the Philadelphia Phillies , to discuss the possibility of buying the struggling National League team. He later wrote in his memoirs that he intended to buy
13080-410: Was created. The Pacific Coast League (PCL), which had been rated Triple-A since 1946, was the only minor league to obtain this classification, which it held through 1957. At this time, the major leagues only extended as far west as St. Louis, Missouri , and as far south as Washington, D.C. This classification severely restricted the rights of the major leagues to draft players out of the PCL, and at
13200-724: Was cremated. Mike Veeck became a minor league and independent baseball executive and was the co-founder of the St. Paul Saints , a successful charter member of the Northern League . The younger Veeck emulated many of Bill Veeck's promotional stunts with the Saints. Greg Veeck earned a Ph.D. at the University of Georgia in 1988 and is a geography professor at Western Michigan University focusing on urban geology and East Asia. Mary Frances Veeck died in Hyde Park, Ill., on September 10, 2022, at
13320-422: Was founded in 1901, classifications were redefined: † Draft fee set an amount for a team in a higher class to select a player; n/a for Class A as it would be up to each team to negotiate with an interested major league club. ‡ Protection fee reserved a player to a team, even after a contract expired, preventing the player for seeking employment with any other team. All minor leagues were classified, and had
13440-467: Was further informally subdivided into Rookie Advanced, complex-based Rookie, and international summer baseball. There have also been some failed start-up leagues. During the 1970s, three official minor leagues (members of NAPBL) attempted unsuccessfully to revive unaffiliated baseball (teams not associated with specific MLB franchises) within the organized baseball structure. These were the Class A Gulf States League (1976) and Lone Star League (1977), and
13560-473: Was growing up in Hinsdale, Illinois , his father, William Veeck Sr. , became president of the Chicago Cubs . Veeck Sr. was a local sports writer who wrote numerous columns about how he would run the Cubs differently, and the team's owner, William Wrigley Jr. , took him up on the implied offer. While growing up, the younger Veeck worked as a popcorn vendor for the Cubs and also as a part-time concession salesman for
13680-509: Was in the hands of the Boston Braves , the parent team of the Brewers. Under major league rules of the time, the Braves held the major league rights to Milwaukee. The Braves wanted another team with the same talent if the Brewers were shut down, and an agreement was not made in time for the start of the 1953 season. Ironically, a few weeks later, the Braves themselves moved to Milwaukee. St. Louis
13800-467: Was known to want the team to stay, so some in St. Louis campaigned for the removal of Veeck. Undaunted, Veeck got in touch with a group that was looking to bring a major league franchise to Baltimore, Maryland . After the 1953 season , Veeck agreed in principle to sell half his stock to Baltimore attorney Clarence Miles , the front man of the Baltimore group, and his other partners. He would have remained
13920-576: Was named general manager. While having a partial affiliation with the Cleveland Indians and the Tokyo Giants of the Japanese league, the Miracle were considered an independent entry in the FSL. The team received only nine players from the Indians for the 1989 season and had to scramble to find players like pitcher Longo Garcia who was released by the San Francisco Giants organization having been
14040-509: Was not willing to compete with a team owned by Veeck, even if he would only be a minority partner. When O'Malley heard of the deal, he invoked his exclusive franchise rights for Southern California. Any potential owner of an American League team in the area would have had to have O'Malley's approval, and it was apparent that O'Malley would not allow any team to set up shop with Veeck as a major shareholder. Rather than try to persuade his friend to back out, Greenberg abandoned his bid for what became
14160-411: Was on wheels, so any given day it might be in place or not, depending on the batting strength of the opposing team. There was no rule against that activity as such, but Veeck then took it to an extreme, rolling it out when the opponents batted, and pulling it back when the Brewers batted. Veeck reported that the league passed a rule against it the very next day. However, extensive research by two members of
14280-487: Was surprised to discover that the National League had taken over the Phillies and was seeking a new owner (the Phillies were ultimately sold to lumber baron William D. Cox ). The authors of a controversial article in the 1998 issue of SABR's The National Pastime argued that Veeck invented the story of buying the Phillies and filling their roster with Negro leaguers, claiming Philadelphia's black press made no mention of
14400-450: Was to sell the Cardinals to interests who would keep the team in St. Louis. What is beyond dispute is that as soon as Anheuser-Busch closed on its purchase of the Cardinals, Veeck knew he was finished in St. Louis. He quickly realized that with Anheuser-Busch's wealth behind them, the Cardinals now had more financial resources than he could even begin to match, especially since he had no other source of income. Reluctantly, he decided to move
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