There is a bit of a divide amongst the fans of minor league baseball.  There are those who think that the only minor league baseball to watch are the teams that are affiliated with major league teams.  In the Chicago area, this would be the Kane County Cougars.

The Cougars, just by attendance, might have an argument there.  Certainly it was the first minor league team in the area.  It is a team that also routinely draws about ten thousand people. 

At the same time, the indpendent teams in the area have their die-hard fans.  These teams are interesting because they are not beholden to any major league force like Major League Baseball.  They are able to make their own rules, provide their own drug testing and decide for themselves whether or not to have designated hitters and such.

Personally, I have a fondness for the independent leagues.  The indpendent teams, as a whole, play at a level of a Single-A minor league baseball team.  They play hard and they play well.  This crosses all of the various league lines as evidenced by the rumors of the Frontier League and Northern League and the exhibition games played this season between the Gary SouthShore Railcats and the Windy City Thunderbolts.

The key may be if you really want to take a chance of seeing a potential major league star of the future.  The guys at an affiliated team game are those recruited by the major league team.  This is their chance to hone their skills and impress the people higher up.  Therefore, there have been many a Cougar who have gone on to play for the Marlins and the Oakland Athletics.

The indpendent leagues like to publish and talk about the players on their teams that get signed to big league contracts.  The Gary SouthShore Railcats just had a pitcher signed to a big league deal, for example.  However, the fact is, these are few and far between.  For the most part, these players are going to play in this league for their entire careers and their careers are likely to be relatively short compared to a big league players.  Only a select few can survive on under a $1,000 a month.

That is why all of the minor league teams spend so much time putting their money and effort behind selling the experience of going to a game.  The players are transitory.  They are often there one week and gone the next.  Therefore, you sell the games, the prices, the parking and the mascot and hope for the best when it comes to the team.

So, which is better?  Really, there isn’t much of a difference.  I am willing to bet that a Cougars/Railcats game would be very evenly matched and that the Railcats stand a really great chance of beating the Cougars. 

It’s a psychological difference if there is one at all.  Some people prefer to get the brand name drug even if you tell them that the generic pill was made in the same factory or even on the same line as the brand name.  Some people prefer to believe that just because the team is affiliated with a big company like Major League Baseball, then it has to be a better product.

It’s ok, though.  The great thing is that all of the teams in this area seem to be doing well.  They also seem to be drawing devoted fans regardless of their affiliations. 

In any case, they are all businesses and they all want your money.  The fact is, however, that you will spend much less of it attending any of these minor league games than you will attending any of the big league team games.  Enjoy!

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