Minor League is here

Minor League is here, after no 2020 season. So, I am back to my old pastime of watching the minor leagues. First of all, I am enjoying the play of the Blue Hair Kid Name Jazz Chisholm & the Marlins. However, my love is still in the minor leagues. Oh, by the way, with the now re-organized independent leagues, this adds more flavor to watching the game. 

New Start dates

For example, new opening dates and lots of team movements, and a few leagues & teams dropped. Hence, learning new teams and league is still ongoing, even new rules that govern the games. 

Above all, Monday’s seen to be a fixed day off for all teams, and all series are six games at a time. Moreover, Monday’s most likely used as a travel day for teams to their next games. 

In the meantime, it is still a wait-and-see with the rookie league schedules. In these cases, so many players are still in camps waiting for a chance to play ball. Along with the pending 2021 MLB draft, it may get crowded soon. As for the games now playing, check out a series of stories on LOD by Brian Koss on the MILB Realignments. 

Indy Baseball Leagues:

As a result of MLB partnering with Indy ball, most ballparks who had lost their minor league teams picked up an Indy league team. (Oh, Happy Days, America’s past time continues in those stadiums). 

Lifeline for Free Agent Players: 

Indy Leagues were always a place for a free agent to show that they still belong in the game. Hence, for years when players got released, they would go and play there, and with the 2020 cuts of MILB teams, more players had to find a new team outside of an MLB affiliated team. 

As a result, many teams were looking for a home with an influx of good players into independent leagues. For the most part, new teams for more players, read.MiLB Realignment: Independent MLB Partner Leagues Edition – Legends On Deck, by Brian Koss. 

2021 season is here:

Tahnaj Thomas is at High-A, with 20 Ks in 15 innings.

In the meantime, some players are still waiting on their season to start. In their case, it may come after the 2021 MLB Draft, and this may also be the case for some Indy Leagues. 

As the summer is upon us, there will be many more leagues on the way. Hence, more players are looking forward to playing. 

Side Note:

Seymour within four hits of 500 career hits. Photo by Tom Hagerty

Finally, Anfernee Seymour is four hits shy of 500 career hits. We celebrate you. After becoming a free agent in 2019, he is now playing with Kane County Cougars In an (Independent League). Todd Issacs Jr. will also join the Indy League with the New Jersey Jackals.

Jeff Francis

Jeffrey was born on April 29th, 1961, in Nassau, Bahamas to Rejoiner Ann Rolle and Jerome James Francis Etienne. Married to Andrea G. Rolle-Francis, they have two daughters; Janae Latoya Francis, a graduate of Allegany College of Maryland, and Jessica Lee Francis a graduate Potomac State College West Virginia University in Kyser West Virginia. Jeffrey was coaching the sport of baseball from 1980 at the age of 18 years old because he loved the sport as a kid. He started listening to the game over the radio out of Miami Florida in the late 60s and in the early 70s started playing the game locally in various local leagues right up to the premier senior league; a league where all of the current Bahamian minor leaguers played. In 1982, Jeffrey had an invite to a three day tryout with the New York Yankees in Hollywood Florida, which was an awesome experience that is lasting a life time memory for him. Jeffrey has been following the Bahamian baseball players in the minor leagues since 1999 with Angelo Burrows, but found greater interest with the signing of Antoan Richardson in 2005. He also writes a year end review on their play on his Facebook page, Baseball Bahamas, and he has a website with the same name. He has a great following and would love to expose the baseball players to a bigger worldwide audience. He has a good relationship with all the players because he personally coached most of them. His favorite MLB Team is the Detroit Tigers from 1969.