As we discussed last time, the beginning of the off-season is all about setting the organization up for a strong off-season of ticket, sponsorship and suite sales. For a Minor League team to succeed on attendance thresholds and eclipse year-long budget totals, it is imperative that they insulate themselves with a large proportion of sold assets […]
Author: Jason Takefman
How Great Minor League Teams Prepare for a Busy Offseason – Part 2
Last month, we started a series detailing what goes on in an MiLB front office at various points of the year, specifically focusing on the off-season. Currently, the season has ended, and front offices are full steam ahead planning for next season. As a reminder, this is written as if the team is not in […]
How Great Minor League Teams Prepare for a Busy Offseason
There are two questions that I get asked often about my time as a minor league GM: 1. How did you get into sports? This is a story for another day and another article. 2. What goes on in the off-season? Over the next few months, I will break down the latter question, as different […]
3 Major League Rule Changes to Test in the Minors
Increasing the speed and pace of MLB games, with the main goal of appealing to a younger audience, has been at the forefront of Rob Manfred’s brief tenure as MLB commissioner. Give MLB credit, they acknowledge that the average age of a baseball fan is getting older and that fewer younger kids are playing and following the game […]
Why Some Minor League Baseball Teams DON’T Want To Win It All
For most sports leagues, a winning team equates to stronger attendance, corporate sponsorship, better brand perception, and high overall revenue. Winning is the primary reason sports team play. It’s also a very good excuse to raise prices to leverage and monetize that window of success. Minor league baseball is different. Because clubs do not control their […]
6 Distractions That Can Derail a MLB Prospect’s Entire Career
Playing for an MLB team is a privilege attained after overcoming various barriers and statistical improbabilities. Players are drafted from all over North America, and unlike other sports, there’s a competitive and very lengthy minor league system designed to filter out players who won’t have long, sustainable careers. Once a player is drafted or signed by […]
Why I Hate Minor League Opening Day
This week marked the beginning of the season for the 22 combined teams of the Northwest and New York-Penn Leagues, both Single A Short Season (SS) levels. For Jays fans, tonight is the home opener for their SS affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians, the seventh season in partnership with each other. As I’ve previously mentioned, Opening Night is […]
What Players are Thinking During the First Few Days After the MLB Draft
For those lucky enough to be selected in the MLB Draft, the last few days were the ones they have dreamed about since birth. The media focuses on players who grace the cover of SI at 13 or this year’s renaissance kid that does it all. Baseball, however, has 40 draft rounds, supplementary picks, international free agents, […]
How MiLB Teams Deal With Public Relations Disasters
By now, you’ve probably heard of the Ogden Raptors’ recent PR disaster, in which they attempted to host an Hourglass Appreciation Night. The tagline for the event guaranteed, “gorgeous women whose curves rival those of any stud pitching prospect!” They wanted to push the envelope and appear edgy, but went about it in the wrong way and got […]
What Keeps a General Manager Awake At Night?
Being a GM is glamorous. There is media attention, peer reverence, people seeking career advice AND you get to drive to a ballpark every day. This piece is NOT about those great aspects, however. It is about the low points, irritations, and the things I’ve had to worry about many, many times. Things like hitting […]