Minors Memo: Heartland League (High-A) Could Work for AL & NL Central

Are you a fan of a team in the middle of the country? For some portion of us, the subject of minor league team affiliations is, for whatever reason, a fascinating one.

In this article, I offer some rationale for several of those teams (Astros fan, here) to begin working toward formation of a new high-A league, largely based on two midwestern independent leagues' success.

Join me on this journey if you dare...

When one looks at attendance figures of High-A leagues, the best average is the Carolina League (3108), followed by California (2478), and then the Florida State League (1476).

When you look at attendance figures of independent leagues—conventionally considered to be something between A and AA in terms of talent—the best average among those toward the middle of the nation is the Northern (4429), followed by the American Association (3154).

That logically gets a person to thinking…

For teams like Houston, located toward the middle of the country, the question arises, "Why are we fielding High-A teams on either coast… particularly in light of the fact that there are other centrally-based teams in a same or similar situation?"

To wit… Houston, Texas, and Colorado are fielding teams in the lower-half of attendance in the wilting California League. Kansas City and the White Sox have teams in Carolina. And, understanding that the incentive for fielding teams in the Florida State League is to take advantage of already-in-use spring training facilities, why would the Cubs and the Brewers feel necessarily compelled to base their High-A teams there?

Minnesota, Detroit and St. Louis, on the other hand, with teams in Ft. Myers, Lakeland, and Palm Beach in the FSL respectively, have a clear rationale for positioning their High-A team where it is, as a function of their spring training base also being there. Yet if one looks at the geography of the rest of their Single A-and-higher affiliate networks, Detroit (West Michigan, Erie PA, and Toledo) and St. Louis (Quad Cities, Springfield MO, and Memphis) would appear to have good reason to reassess their situations if a feasible alternative were available.

What about the other teams’ affiliate networks? Their AA franchises currently are located in the Texas League (Colorado, Houston, Texas, Kansas City) or the Southern League (White Sox in Birmingham, Cubs near Knoxville TN, and Brewers in Huntsville AL), and their AAA franchises are all in the PCL except for the White Sox (in Charlotte). At the Low-A level, four of the franchises have teams in the Midwest League, and Houston, of course, is based in Lexington, KY, which is actually closer to many Midwest League teams. The Rockies (Asheville, NC) and the White Sox (Kannapolis, NC) are in the Sally League.

Conceivably, then, there is merit in attempting to forge a new High-A league for some number of these franchises except, at first glance anyhow, for Minnesota, and for the White Sox., both of whom have affiliate networks that have some geographical integrity that the others do not. Minnesota has AA and AAA affiliates in the Northeast, and the White Sox’ network clearly is well-entrenched in the Southeast (Kannapolis, NC; Winston-Salem, NC; Birmingham, AL; and, Charlotte, NC).

On second glance, however, Minnesota’s Low-A team is currently in Beloit, WI, and intriguingly just down the street in St. Paul, there is an independent league team drawing well over 5000 per game. That’s an attractive location and an attractive number, and the mind boggles at how well they could do if the St. Paul Saints were actually affiliated with the Twins.

And, on second glance where the White Sox are concerned, the franchises that the White Sox have are not especially strong, and that may be an understatement. Kannapolis’ (Low-A) attendance ranks 25th of 30 Low-A teams. Winston-Salem in High-A ranks 27th of 30, and dead-last of those who don’t have spring training bases in Florida. Charlotte (AAA) ranks 28th of 30. Only Birmingham (AA) places at a respectable 14th of 30. The implication being, the White Sox—with a talent pool most recently rated 16th by Baseball America—perhaps should be open to considering an overhaul of their affiliate network.

Especially given the deteriorating conditions in the California League, and since these independent league teams are finding it feasible without any MLB support to field viable leagues… why shouldn’t those teams pursue forming a High-A league in the nation’s mid-section?

Drawing this to a conclusion, here’s what I would propose:

Clearly there are several teams that would almost have to have strong interest in placing a High-A franchise in a league positioned in the geographical center of the country. I would consider these six to have the strongest: Milwaukee, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City, Colorado, Texas and Houston. And a six-team High-A league--let's call it the Heartland League for the sake of having some moniker for it--could reasonably be formed from among some of the top cities in the Northern and/or American Association cities:

> Milwaukee = St. Paul (Amer Assn) or Rockford, IL (Northern)… instead of Brevard County, FL (Low-A = Appleton, WI, AA Huntsville, AAA Nashville)

> Chicago NL = Schaumburg or Joliet, IL or Gary IN (all Northern)… instead of Daytona Beach (Low-A Peoria, AA Knoxville, AAA Des Moines)

> Kansas City = Lincoln NE, Wichita KS (both Amer Assn) or Kansas City KS (Northern)… instead of Wilmington, DE (Low-A Burlington Iowa, AA NW Arkansas, AAA Omaha)

> Colorado = Lincoln NE or Wichita KS (both Amer Assn)… instead of Modesto, CA (Low-A Asheville, AA Tulsa, AAA Colorado Springs)

> Texas = Ft. Worth or Grand Prarie (both Amer Assn)… instead of Bakersfield, CA (Low-A Hickory NC, AA Frisco TX, AAA OK City or Round Rock?)

> Houston = Ft. Worth, Grand Prarie, El Paso (All Amer Assn) or Sugar Land(?)… instead of Lancaster, CA (Low-A Lexington, AA Corpus Christi, AAA Round Rock, OK City or San Antonio?)

Want an 8-team league?

St. Louis might be convinced to take Wichita, KS and Detroit might be convinced to take Gary, IL instead of their current FSL locations.

Want a 10-team league?

Gets a little tougher, but Minnesota would seem to be well-served to strongly consider St. Paul instead of their current FSL.

The White Sox would seem to be well-served to consider an overhaul of their lower-level locations anyhow, and potentially could jump on Schaumberg, Joliet, or Rockford.

And a third MLB team may even take an interest in this hypothetical new league from their remote northwestern location: Seattle. Currently the Mariners’ High-A franchise is High Desert, which with Bakersfield, have been the “problem children” of an otherwise-already-downcast California League. A move of their High-A franchise either toward West Tennessee (AA) or Clinton Iowa (Low-A) likely would be a welcome development.

Regardless of which 6, 8, or 10 team configuration you want to look at, the average attendance for the currently-hypothetical-but-somewhat-projectable Heartland League would have been just a hundred or two south of 4000 in 2009; and that, without the benefit of any major league affiliations. Compare that to the most popular current High-A league, Carolina, which averaged about a hundred more than 3000.

Assume this happens at the 6, 8 or 10 team levels… what would become of the Carolina, California, and Florida State Leagues?

If six teams, Carolina is reduced to 7 franchises, California is reduced to 7 franchises, and the FSL is reduced to 10. Obviously, something would need to happen to get two leagues to an even number. If this eight-team scenario occurred, the same situation remains since only the FSL would be reduced and reduced by an even number. If ten teams, either the situation remains the same with two FSL franchises leaving, or the FSL ends up with an odd number and Cali evens out (i.e., if High Desert were abandoned by Seattle). So, indeed, were this to occur, it’s very likely that Cali and Carolina would have to make some significant adjustment.

So there you have it… a what-if summary of a geographically-center high-A Heartland League and why it makes some serious sense, at least for six teams and maybe more.