Baseball is often referred to as America’s pastime, but a more appropriate name might be the Midwest’s pastime. The sport has long been a central fixture in the region’s culture, and you’d be hard-pressed to find fans more passionate about the game than those who call the Midwest home.
While New York is the agreed-upon birthplace of organized baseball, prominent Midwestern cities like Cincinnati and Chicago are often credited with popularizing the sport, having been home to some of the earliest professional teams.
“In our area, you could just tell our fans get baseball,” Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, who is in charge of media relations and broadcasting for the Lansing Lugnuts, said. “They know baseball.”
The Lansing Lugnuts are based out of Michigan and are the High-A affiliate of the Athletics. The team is part of the Midwest League, which was established in 1947 and is a part of MiLB, a baseball organization directly below Major League Baseball. Prior to the restructuring, minor league baseball was made up of teams at four different levels: Triple-A, Double-A, Class A and Rookie.
The Midwest League, a Class A league, drew devoted fans across the region and became a Midwest institution, at once uniting communities and stimulating local economies. In 2021, however, the MLB announced a complete restructuring of MiLB, and the Midwest League lost not only several teams, but also its identity: The Midwest League officially became the High-A Central.
“It really feels like a game of musical chairs where major league teams are choosing which areas to sit down and claim that affiliate, and if you don’t get claimed, you’re out in the woods, you lose your affiliation [and] you no longer have your team,” Goldberg-Strassler said. “There was a lot of worry at the time. There was a lot of stress, and a lot of great friends who … did not have an affiliate when it all was said and done, and suddenly they were out of … the Midwest League.”
The new name didn’t last long — the Midwest League reverted to its original name the following season — but other developments, which Goldberg-Strassler called “unsettling,” were here to stay. What began as 14 leagues spread over five levels became 11 leagues spread over four levels, prompting major realignments.
The Midwest League lost four teams in the restructuring process — the Burlington Bees, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars and Bowling Green Hot Rods. This loss was felt by many throughout the league, Ben Love, director of marketing for the West Michigan Whitecaps, said.
“I think it hit home for a lot of us,” Love said. “A lot of us had friends, our colleagues that worked there. There were a lot of great ballparks and a lot of great cities that lost baseball.”
Five years after the restructuring, the league has adapted to some of the obstacles that came with it. Teams have even become more popular locally and are experiencing higher attendance. Many have speculated about this rise in popularity, pointing to everything from affordability of the games to a higher number of top prospects on the field.
Love said he noticed the Whitecaps are now attracting bigger-name prospects, but he thinks the success comes from another source.
“I think the first thing that we always talk about is we don’t really sell baseball,” Love said. “We sell the fan experience. Minor League Baseball is getting more popular [because] I think you’re seeing more and more teams getting back to that and really pushing that fan experience, the fun of coming out to the ballpark.”
Teams have experimented with theme nights and promotions to appeal to their local communities, even inviting local T-ball and Little League baseball teams onto their fields.
Tom Nichols is the director of media relations and broadcasting for the Dayton Dragons, who currently have the longest sellout streak in the history of North American professional sports. This success can be attributed to the team’s focus on community.
“Our success has really been a function of our commitment to community service and customer service,” Nichols said. “More than anything else, we focus on family entertainment at our games … we continue to look for new ways to entertain fans and be a valuable member of the community, and that will continue going forward.”
According to Goldberg-Strassler, something that sets minor league baseball apart is that it “cares on a personal basis about people.” For many teams, this looks like tapping into their local and regional Midwest identity.
Chris Mehring, broadcaster and director of media relations for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, said his team’s identity is “fully tied to the state of Wisconsin.” The team adopts a variety of different themes and uniforms throughout the season, playing on various aspects of Wisconsin history, including the dairy industry, German heritage and frozen pizzas.
Minor league baseball has been a core part of the Midwest’s identity for decades. And for just as long, the Midwest has been central to the identity of the region’s minor league teams. As the teams continue to grow in the years following the restructuring, this much will remain true.
“We take pride in playing in the Midwest League with some of the best franchises in all of minor league baseball,” Love said. “We are lucky to call the Midwest League home.”
