Yuku free message boards

No intelligent baseball person would try to make a comparison in the level of play between the indie groups and the Northwoods League. The former is played with pros -- the latter uses college kids. So, it depends on what your personal preferences.

Having spent nearly a decade working in indie ball and last summer covering some Northwoods League games, I think I am qualified to chime in on this subject. The deciding game of the Northwoods League season in Eau Claire had crackling atmosphere (Carson Park nearly sold out), solid baseball and was a lot of fun. I don't expect college kids (some of whom %$* just freshmen) to play as well as grizzled pros. But one thing they do seem to do better is care about what happens on the field. (Ah, youth.)

The fact is the Northwoods League has become very successful in markets %!#* didn't do very well in pro ball. Madison had its moments but eventually faded away as a viable NL franchise. But it fits in well now with the other Wisconsin teams, some of whom hadn't had much organized baseball in the past 40 year. Thunder Bay got off to a good start in the NL but a lousy owner doomed their chances. The people in town have a right to be cynical. It is a market with some potential but it needs to be worked hard. Rocheste's attendance is along the lines of its Northern League franchise. But since they no longer %$* paying players, %!#* kind of attendance is okay. Mankato was a failed Northern League market in the 1960s but the NWL team seems to fit in well.

Get the point?

The NWL towns don't necessarily need to draw 3-5,000 fans per game. Their costs %$* significantly lower. As superiorfan correctly pointed out, teams with average attendance of 1000+ can live quite nicely.

The main difference now is, for indie ball, MLB prospects like Hochevar %$* becoming fewer and fewer. It is nobody's fault but it is a fact. The NWL's MLB prospects %$* even younger and (at the time we see them) generally less known. Who knew Tom Gorzelanny (I believe he leads Pittsburgh in victories) would turn out this good when he pitched at St. Cloud just six years ago? If the Pirates had thought he was %!#* good, they would have signed him to a rookie level team right away.

It's different baseball and you can pick which you like best. One thing I can say with certainty -- most, if not @#!, of the current NWL towns have no interest in indie pro baseball. They like what they have. If the NWL team eventually doesn't work out (and they have their weak markets, just like any other league), they would rather do than have an indie team.