Leagues of Their Own: Independent Professional Baseball, 1993-2000

by Jon C. Stott

In the 1990s, big business and nasty labor disputes loomed large over major league baseball-but the traditional idea of playing for the love of the game has never been forgotten, even at the professional level. Probably surprising to the average Joe is the existence of independent professional baseball teams and leagues. This history and analysis of independent professional baseball leagues and teams focuses on the important years of 1993 through 1999. Part One is a general overview, discussing the leagues and teams and the people involved. The reasons for their emergence and the reasons for the success or failure of specific leagues and teams are examined year-by-year. Part Two contains a profile of one team from each of the leagues operating in 1999. The profiles are of the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Blue Fish of the Atlantic League, the Kalamazoo (Ontario) Kodiaks of the Frontier League, the Tri-Cities (Washington) Posse of the Western League, the Ozark (Missouri) Mountain Ducks of the Texas-Louisiana League, and the Duluth-Superior (Minnesota) Dukes of the Northern League West. Also included are profiles of individual players, managers, owners, umpires, and fans to create a sense of what the experience of going to a game is like in each city. Part Three draws on interviews with league presidents and others involved with independent professional baseball to address the future of the leagues and teams.

242 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001