Monday, September 5, 2011

Minor Leagues, Major Impact

Today was the last day of the season for the Bisons and B-Mets.  Neither team had particularly good seasons but both teams were fun to follow.  And this season I followed minor league baseball closer than I ever have.  Yes, I can thank Mike Nickeas for that.  Once I knew Nickeas would be with the Bisons for seemingly most of the season I decided to subscribe to watch all the televised minor league games.  I finally had a way to watch minor league baseball without going to a game, which isn't easy around here.

The games were definitely cool to watch.  They have a faster pace than Major League games but the fact that they're AAA means some of the talent isn't that far away from being Major League talent.  It's also fun to see the players that could be on the Mets in the future.  It makes the call-ups exponentially more exciting when you have been watching their season and know the ups and downs they have worked through.

I didn't get to watch all the games Mike Nickeas played in at every level, but I followed plenty of them.  When he was called up I was clearly ecstatic and knew he was more deserving than anyone.  I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't followed the B-Mets and the Zephyrs (yes, the Zephyrs) and the Bisons.  Just knowing that my favorite player had worked through every level of the minor leagues and had finally reached the MLB was awesome.

It's almost easier to root for players in the minor leagues.  If the player isn't a major prospect, there's less chatter about their ups and downs and whether or not they have a future.  Mike Nickeas and Josh Satin both prove that it's worth it to stick with the less-talked about players.  And when they finally get the call, there's a special feeling of knowing how far they have come.

Yes, it takes more effort to follow anyone in the minor leagues, but it is worth every minute.  It literally and figuratively takes baseball to another level.  Thank you, Mike Nickeas, for giving me a reason to follow the awesome world of MiLB.

Let's Go Mets!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I started following a MiLB team about a month ago and I really do enjoy it. It's fun looking at the games' box scores and guessing who's next to get called up and reminding yourself who needs to work on things. I haven't been as involved with the Smokies as you have been with the Mets' minor league system, but I still seriously consider myself a fan of the MiLB! I'm super excited for the Smokies' post-season and I can't wait to see what happens next season!