The Call Up to the Majors: A Proximity-Based Approach to the Economics of Minor League Baseball

ISBN-13: 9781461489238 / Angielski / Twarda / 2015 / 121 str.

Thomas A. Rhoads

Opis

Just like any other business, Major League Baseball (MLB) seeks to continually increase brand awareness and brand value. Maintaining high consumer demand for its product is an important element of this business strategy.It is the unique relationship that MLB has with Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and more precisely, the fact that the fan base for MLB and MiLB are very similar that allows the MLB brand to reach outside of the major leagues, into the minor leagues, and into the way the minor league game is structured and played. Major League teams provide each of their Minor League affiliates with players and coaches in order to develop baseball players who can eventually play for the MLB parent club or be traded for another player who can.While Minor League teams are independent businesses, MLB gives them certain rules and regulations to play by, presumably to enhance and maintain consumer demand at the major league level.A strong player development system in the minor leagues is therefore a crucial piece of the business strategy that can help lead to the success of the major league team.This book explores the unique relationship and the unique way the MLB brand is developed through minor league baseball and how MLB and the individual MLB teams are trying to build and maintain consumer demand through the relationship with MiLB, making it of interest to both sports economists and practitioners. "

Spis treści

Proximity and Minor League Baseball.- Proximity’s impact on minor league baseball attendance.- Regionalization of Affiliated Minor League Teams.- Another affiliation allocation model.- Some select proposed affiliation switches.- What does this all mean and where do we go from here?.

O autorze

Dr. Rhoads is Professor of Economics at Towson University where he has taught Sports Economics and Macroeconomics Principles since 1999. He has authored papers on minor league baseball, professional golf, and other applied microeconomics topics that have appeared in academic journals including Contemporary Economic Policy, Economics Letters, Journal of Sports Economics, and Southern Economic Journal. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Wyoming.

Blurb

This book explores the unique relationships between professional baseball teams and the unique ways professional baseball leagues are organized in North America with a primary focus on how proximity can and does impact consumer demand. Perhaps more than any other matter that arises in the business of baseball, proximity to other professional baseball teams is a concern that has uniquely shaped professional baseball leagues in North America.  It is this particular component in how professional baseball leagues are organized that suggests building a proximity-based approach to studying the economics of minor league baseball.  This book opens up new ways to study minor league baseball, specifically, and sports leagues more generally.  So even as advanced technology has eliminated some of the need for fans to be in close proximity to the teams they love to follow, there is still a need to understand more completely how proximity matters can impact the way professional baseball leagues are structured and how that structure can ultimately impact the quality of the games that entertain sports fans everywhere.  This book will be of interest to both sports economists and practitioners.