Take Me Out to the Ball Game?

By...Erik Schuman

If you have ever been to a baseball game you know that in the bottom of the 7^th inning the fans sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” NO ONE and I mean ABSOLUTELY NO ONE did it better (or worse?) than legendary Cubs (and White Sox) announcer Harry Caray. By that time of the game Caray’s BAC was closer to 1.00 than 0.00 “thanks” to all of the Budweiser and/or Old Style beers he had consumed. As pitiful as the Cubs were during his time there that might have been the best move he could make. Having to do their game sober would have been far worse. Come that time of the game everyone at Wrigley Field turned to where Harry was. This took place September 21, 1997 for the Cubs' last home game of the season and the final time Caray ever did this for a Cubs team that finished 68-94 and in DFL.

Caray did Cubs’ games in 1997 and was scheduled to do games in 1998 with his grandson, Chip, but died on February 18, two weeks shy of his 84th birthday. The Cubs still have someone lead the singing and on September 17, 2009 had Dennis Miller do it. I was actually at Wrigley for that game. I sat behind home plate but this I what it looked and sounded like from the right field bleachers:

Baseball was supposed to start its season in late March, but Covid-19 has kept it from starting and with tremendous discord between the players and owners there might not be a season. That would be sad. But at least at some point in time major league baseball will return. The same cannot be said for many teams and players in the minor leagues.

Minor league baseball has 160 teams. By the time things start up again – whenever that may be – the number is expected to decrease around 25% to 120-ish teams. A reduction in teams also means a reduction in players. May 28 saw hundreds of players released with more coming later on. For many of these players it means the end of their career. Odds are that would have happened anyway, but this just expedited it. The loss of teams also has ancillary losses, too.

It gets even worse for the draft. Instead of 40 rounds this year’s draft will only be 5. After that, all undrafted players can be signed for $20,000. In 1988 Mike Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd round, 1390 overall. It was only done as a favor to Tommy Lasorda, a long-time friend of Mike’s father, Vince. Tommy is Mike’s godfather. That would be Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. If Piazza was in the 2020 draft not only does he go undrafted, odds are he never gets signed by the Dodgers or any of the other 29 teams with the reduction in minor league teams. How many Mike Piazzas will there be in this year’s draft? We will never know but odds are there will be a few players who would have made Cooperstown – never get the chance. Every single player in the minor leagues was (one of) the best, or one of the best players on his high school team. The difference between Mike Trout and someone who played baseball in high school but now makes his living fishing for trout, is not as big as you may think. Playing minor league baseball allows late-bloomers to go from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. For many – that is now gone!

From 2002-2018 I officiated high school basketball in the area. Before I did a single game I spent four years officiating youth league games. I must have done 1000, or more. When I started doing high school ball I was much better off for doing the 1000 games I did. I made plenty of mistakes in those four years. But making a mistake in a 3^rd Grade girls’ game with a mostly empty gym is accepted a lot more than a high school boys varsity game on a Friday Night with a packed crowd.

The loss of minor league teams also hurts those looking to get their start in the game working behind the scenes. Those just out of college get their start working for minor league teams. The pay is pitiful, but the experience is priceless. Make a mistake working for a low-level minor league team you will still have a job the next day. Do it for one of the 30 MLB teams and your next check might come from the unemployment office. Teams can take chances with promotions in the minor leagues. If they fail – que sera sera. If they succeed rest assured the big-league affiliate will notice and maybe incorporate it at that level. The impact these teams make on the community is immeasurable. Local businesses support the teams and the community treats the players like sons.

There are four California League teams that call Southern California home. These Single-A teams are located well outside the general area of most Dodgers and Angels fans. It is 70 miles from Lancaster’s (Rockies) home stadium to Dodger Stadium and 100 miles to Angel Stadium. The drive from San Bernardino (Inland Empire 66ers – Angels) is 65 and 47 miles respectively to see the Dodgers and Angels. Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers) is the shortest drive at 48 and 40 miles. Lake Elsinore (Padres) has a commute of 73 and 47 miles, respectively and 73-miles to Petco Park – home of the parent club Padres.

On weekdays there is simply no way a large number of people are willing to make any of these commutes. Especially if they have kids because if you stay until the end of the game you won’t make it home until at least 11 pm and most likely midnight. If you are lucky (For someone living in Lancaster they would have to leave by about 2 pm to make it to Anaheim for a 7 pm weekday Angels game – seriously). You can’t have school-age children staying up until at least midnight when they have to be up a handful of hours later or adults doing the same when they have to be at work no later than 9 am and maybe even earlier. But you can see the minor league team a few miles (at most) from home knowing they will be back and in bed by 10.

For most of the last 30 years I have seen a minor league game, with Rancho and Elsinore the usual destinations. It’s great to be able to sit close enough to the field to be able to touch the players and do so at a price for that will allow you to eat and pay the rent/mortgage the next month. If you walk around The Epicenter (Rancho Cucamonga) you see famous alumni include both of the MLB’s 2019 MVPs in Mike Trout and Cody Bellinger.

I understand why the reduction is being done and honestly, it is probably a good move. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I don’t. It is sad to see happen because of the massive trickle-down effect this has on all aspects of the game. I do think Rancho Cucamonga, Lake Elsinore and Inland Empire will survive (Even Lancaster has pretty much resigned themselves to the fact they will probably be eliminated) but we won’t know for some time if I can make that annual pilgrimage to a game and that stinks.

The sentence “Take me out to the Ball Game” has always ended in an exclamation point. For those cities and areas of minor league teams that sentence is now phrased in the form of a question. Much to the dismay of a large number of people.