Suddenly, the minor leagues are the only game in town. Farm teams have been doing a swift business lately (merchandise sales have risen from $2.5 million to $40 million since 1991), and the strike may be a boon. TV has not exactly come running: ESPN will air two Double A Birmingham Barons games, starring Michael Jordan, but ABC will pass. “Minor league has never been viable on the network level,” says ABC spokesman Mark Mandel. Still, a night at a minor-league stadium may be a welcome throwback. “I tell my players, “It’s time for you to shine right now’,” says Paw Sox manager Buddy Bailey. Fans, he thinks, will get the message: “At least somebody’s willing to play ball.”
The Paw Sox are so close to their parent team that Bosox fans have nothing to lose but an hour on I-95. Will Blue Jay devotees trek 31/2 hours to see the Syracuse Chiefs? Manager Anthony Simone thinks they will: “We’ll definitely have some spillover from Canada.” OK, but will Dodger fans venture into New Mexico to see the Albuquerque Dukes? General manager Pat McKernan isn’t holding his breath. But baseball junkies in search of a fix may drive off in search of a ballpark – any ballpark. And they won’t be the only ones suddenly turning up at the McCoy Stadiums of the world. “If a major-league coach sees us play a few good games,” says Paw Sox outfielder Paul Thoutsis, “it could open up some eyes.”
Before the game, players admit to having mixed emotions about the strike – and not just because the average big leaguer is making $1.2 million while the typical Paw Sock is hovering around $30,000. “I’ve got to support the players, but their being on strike makes you feel like you don’t have much to work for in the near future,” says outfielder Andy Tomberlin. “Every one of these players wants to get to the majors. If there are no majors, it takes a lot out of you.” Pitcher Gar Finnvold takes a longer view: “The strike is for the guys down here who will be playing there in the future.”
Minor leaguers may be comforted by the knowledge that their fans are more appreciative than ever. Mike Schuster, 32, from Foxboro, Mass., says, “I’ll see more games here now. I’m pretty disgusted with the major-league teams.” Then, as he watches outfielder Glenn Murray knock one over the fence on the way to a 4-0 win over the Lynx, Schuster suggests how the big-league owners can put an end to the whole sorry business: “Why don’t they just hire these guys?”
