Jackson: Rochester, rock of ages of minor-league ball
From SABR member Frank Jackson at The Hardball Times on July 10, 2017:
When the American Association granted a franchise to Cleburne, Texas for the 2017 season, it was a pretty big deal for a small town (30,000 or so). Cleburne baseball hitory was not extensive. In fact, the last time the city hosted pro ball was in 1922, when the Cleburne Generals toiled in the Class D Texas-Oklahoma League.
This 95-year absence of professional ball is an extreme example of the vagaries of minor league ball. Players come and go, franchises come and go, and leagues come and go. Hell, after almost a century, even some towns come and go. That’s life in the bushes.
Major league franchises tend to be more stable, but only a few National League cities (Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis) have hosted pro ball non-stop since the 19th century. One minor league town can make the same claim. That town is Rochester, N.Y.
Read the full article here: http://www.hardballtimes.com/rochester-rock-of-ages-of-minor-league-ball/
Originally published: July 13, 2017. Last Updated: July 13, 2017.