When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust

When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust is about the epic transformation the minor leagues underwent from the end of World War II to the onset of America’s space race with the Soviet Union. By 1949, the minors' boom would reach its peak, with 59 leagues and 448 teams, but their downfall was just around the corner.

This book, three years in the making, with contributions from 39 SABR members, contains stories about minor-league teams, individuals, and leagues that thrived, struggled, and mostly went defunct, because of changing cultural and economic trends beyond their control from 1946 through 1963. The fabled Newark Bears of the International League announced after the 1949 season that they would leave New Jersey for Springfield, Massachusetts, because of poor attendance. This was a sign of things to come as fans in medium-sized cities began fleeing to the suburbs.

Few minor-league teams made money during this era. Most teams traveled by bus, and owners, scrimping and saving, compromised the safety of their players by buying buses from their second or third owners, some beyond their normal life span. There were many reports of carbon monoxide poisonings and brake malfunctions. Tragic accidents in 1946 and 1948 claimed the lives of 14 players.

There were bright spots and historic feats, of course. Jackie Robinson would integrate an affiliated team for the first time when he played for the Montreal Royals in 1946. Phenom Ron Necciai, playing for Bristol of the Appalachian League, accomplished a pitching feat on May 21, 1952, that most likely will never be challenged—pitching a nine-inning no-hitter in which he struck out all 27 batters. Unfortunately for Necciai, his arm went dead the next season, ending his career.

By 1963, hundreds of minor-league teams had folded and minor-league baseball was at a critical crossroads. The American and National Leagues couldn't afford to let such a key resource for player development disappear. After extensive meetings, the AL and NL introduced a Player Development plan in which each major-league team would provide and pay the salaries of a full player and coaching roster to at least five minor-league teams. This stabilized the minors and set the way the minors would operate for the rest of the twentieth century and until 2020.