For the first month of the 2021 season, minor league operators are confident they will be serving one of the most appreciative fanbases they’ve ever seen.
After a completely lost 2020 season, fans will be thrilled simply to walk back into a ballpark. Green grass, a beer, a hot dog and a baseball game are all signs that normalcy is slowly returning to an increasingly vaccinated United States.
That will be enough to thrill fans who have been away for a long time. The first month of this year’s minor league season is expected to be the honeymoon period of all honeymoon periods.
Teams will throw open their gates and welcome fans back with universal appreciation. Everyone will (mostly) happily endure physical distancing, mask-wearing and plenty of coronavirus-enacted rules. Simply seeing a game in person will be an experience many didn’t realize how much they enjoyed until it was gone.
That feeling should last through the first and maybe the second visit a fan makes to a park in 2021—just put on a baseball game, keep the fans safe and everyone goes home happy.
By the time June rolls around, the novelty of getting back to the ballpark will begin to fade. The grass will still be green. The kids will still love getting an ice cream in the seventh inning. But the novelty of returning to the ballpark will start to dissipate.
At that point, minor league teams will face their biggest challenge of 2021: How do they make a night at the ballpark as entertaining as possible without many of the tools they use to make their experience more than just a baseball game?
Once the new car smell of a night at the ballpark wears off, fans will begin to notice all the differences of baseball in a world still affected by the pandemic.
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2021 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
Blaze Alexander entered spring training as a long shot to make the team, but there he was on March 28, starting and batting seventh in the D-backs’ Opening Day lineup.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Louisville Slugger makes Prime bat 30% harder by dipping into 1902 company patent
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
After narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament last year, UC Irvine is determined to finish strong
MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
Dramatically scaling back young pitchers’ workloads has failed to keep them healthier
GEM COLLECTOR
In just four years, Diamond Baseball Holdings has become the most powerful owner ever in Minor League Baseball. What is the plan for their 33 teams—and counting?
LIFE AFTER AFFILIATED BALL
For many minor league teams that lost their MLB affiliations, it has been business as usual— with some unexpected benefits
EARNING POWER
A dramatic upgrade to playing conditions for minor leaguersincluding pay, housing and nutrition has made pro baseball economically viable for all players
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.