Farm systems are huge. In addition to Rookie-level leagues at complexes in the Dominican Republic and the grounds where big league Spring Training camps are held, there are four under-the-lights, ticket-selling affiliates for every single Major League Baseball organization, amounting to 120 Minor League Baseball teams.
Many of these teams are known to suit up in alternate identities, along with participating in Copa de la Diversión and featuring historical throwbacks in honor of Negro League teams.
And a number of them have been around for decades, meaning their all-time rosters might include not only MLB All-Stars and Hall of Famers, but Super Bowl participants, NBA greats and assorted celebrities.
With so much history and cultural variance among the teams, is it possible to truly know everything about Minor League Baseball?
Maybe yes, maybe no. But we're here to give you one fun fact from every system that will get you a little bit closer.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: The sushi mecca of Minor League Baseball
Vancouver Canadians, High-A Northwest League
Vancouver is sometimes referred to as the sushi capital of North America. The city's official tourism website says that this is due to the "combination of an engaged Japanese community together with top-quality fish and seafood." The Canadians, who serve sushi at the ballpark, have staged a nightly sushi mascot race since 2008. Over the years, competitors have included Chef Wasabi, Ms. BC Roll, Chop and Stix, Kappa Maki and Sadaharu Soy.
Orioles: The exec immortalized in animation
Norfolk Tides, Triple-A International League
Dave Rosenfield, who passed away in 2017, was a legendary Norfolk Tides executive who spent over 50 years with the franchise. One of Rosenfield's most striking claims to fame was that he was depicted in what is arguably the greatest television show of all time. In a 1990 episode of The Simpsons, "Dancin' Homer," the owner of the Capital City Capitals is a short-tempered individual named, you guessed it, Dave Rosenfield. The episode was written by Ken Levine, who served as the Tides' broadcaster before transitioning to the television industry.
Rays: Famous team, famous sign
Durham Bulls, Triple-A International League
The Durham Bulls' iconic "Hit Bull Win Steak" outfield sign is a case of real life being inspired by Hollywood. The sign was the invention of Ron Shelton, a Minor League Baseball player who went on to write and direct the classic 1988 film Bull Durham. The original "Hit Bull Win Steak" sign was a movie prop, installed in right field at the Bulls' then-home of Durham Athletic Park. It's been an integral part of the Bulls' gameday experience ever since. The current "Hit Bull Win Steak" sign, located in left field at the team's current home of Durham Bulls Athletic Park, was installed in 1998. It is the sign's third iteration. To get rid of it now would be a big missed steak.
Red Sox: The best view in baseball?
Salem RidgeYaks, Single-A Carolina League
Boston's Carolina League affiliate was known as the Salem Red Sox from 2009 until this year, when it rebranded as the RidgeYaks. The new moniker alludes to the gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains offered by their home park as well as the deep love of the outdoors common among Salemites. It's also something of a return to the club's roots -- the team was originally known by another explicitly mountainous identity, as they played as the Salem Avalanche from 1995-2008.
Yankees: How do you spell that, again? MiLB's longest name
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A International League
Consisting of 31 characters, "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders" is the longest team name in all of Minor League Baseball. The RailRiders' home of PNC Field is not located in Scranton or Wilkes-Barre, however. It instead is found in the town of Moosic, Pa., which is just south of Scranton and to the northeast of Wilkes-Barre. In addition to being the home of the RailRiders, Moosic was once home to reliever Joe Grzenda, who threw the last pitch in Washington Senators franchise history. Grzenda graduated from Moosic High School in 1955 and remains the only Grzenda to play Major League Baseball.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: This team honored LeBron James
Akron RubberDucks, Double-A Eastern League
Active players don't typically have their numbers retired, and teams generally don't retire the numbers of athletes who never played for them. This is especially true when the athlete in question plays an entirely different sport. On July 23, 2018, the RubberDucks made an exception on all fronts and retired the number 23 in honor of Akron native LeBron James. In conjunction with this endeavor, the RubberDucks sold The GOAT (greatest of all time) burgers at the concession stands. This meal, clearly fit for a king, featured two steak burger patties, whipped goat cheese, apple cider bacon jam, frizzled onions and blackberry barbecue sauce.
Royals: "Quad Cities" isn't what it sounds like
Quad Cities River Bandits, High-A Midwest League
The River Bandits are based in Davenport, Iowa, a Mississippi River city with professional baseball roots that date back to the 19th century. The first Davenport-based team to utilize "Quad Cities" as a geographical signifier was the 1962 Quad Cities Angels. By this point, however, the Quad Cities were actually the Quint Cities. In addition to Davenport, the locales comprising the so-called Quad Cities are Moline, Ill.; East Moline, Ill.; Rock Island, Ill. and Bettendorf, Iowa. Bettendorf, the fifth and presumably final Quad City, experienced a population boom in the late 1940s due to the construction of a massive Alcoa aluminum plant in the adjacent town of Riverdale.
Tigers: Lakeland and Detroit go way back
Lakeland Flying Tigers, Single-A Florida State League
The Lakeland Flying Tigers have been a Detroit affiliate since 1967, tying them with the Reading Fightin Phils for the longest affiliation in all of Minor League Baseball. But the city's Minor League history dates back far longer than that, as Lakeland was a charter member of the Florida State League. The Lakeland Highlanders operated from 1919-26, spending a portion of that time at a ballpark now known as Henley Stadium. That venerable facility, first utilized in 1924, went on to host Lakeland's FSL squad in 2002 and 2016. On both occasions this was because the team's home of Joker Marchant Stadium, venerable in its own right, was undergoing extensive renovations.
Twins: This guy runs marathons ... during games?!
St. Paul Saints, Triple-A International League
Did you hear the one about the singing usher who runs in-ballpark marathons during games? No joke, Seigo Masabuchi is a Saints "ushertainer" known for his karaoke performances and for running 26.2 miles while games are going on. That's 84 laps around the St. Paul concourse -- which is an official marathon course, because the team had USA Track and Field come certify it. If Seigo and the rest of the ushertainers aren't enough to get you to come out to a Saints game, the ball pig surely is.
White Sox: Not that kind of bat
Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Single-A Carolina League
The Cannon Ballers, formerly the Intimidators, moved into Atrium Health Ballpark for the 2021 season. The team previously played at Intimidators Stadium, where at least one person was attacked on the field by a bat. The year was 2010, and the person was Kannapolis second baseman Daniel Wagner. "It was clamped on my leg, so I swiped it off with my glove and it ended up on the ground opening and closing its mouth at me," said Wagner. "It was super-creepy, worse than a spider or a rat. Just nasty."
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: There's three times the history
Tri-City Dust Devils, High-A Northwest League
The three cities referenced in the Tri-City Dust Devils' name are Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. All three of these Washington state locales have hosted a Minor League team bearing the "Tri-City" geographical signifier. The Tri-City Braves, Atoms, Angels, A's, Padres, Triplets and Ports played at Sanders-Jacobs Field in Kennewick from 1950-74. The Tri-City Triplets played on Richland High School's baseball field from 1983-86. The Dust Devils, established in 2001, play at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.
Astros: "Thirsty Thursday" was born here
Asheville Tourists, High-A South Atlantic League
If you're of legal drinking age and a Minor League Baseball fan, then you may have enjoyed discounted beer during a "Thirsty Thursday" ballgame. This alliterative promotion originated with the Asheville Tourists. Former owner Ron McKee came up with the phrase in 1983 and trademarked it in 1995. The Tourists have been sold since then, and each time the Thirsty Thursday trademark was part of the deal.
A’s: Maybe there is joy in Mudville
Stockton Ports, Single-A California League
The California League was established in 1941, and Stockton was a charter member. Over the course of the city's long Minor League Baseball history, its team has most often been known as the Ports. In 2000 and 2001, however, Stockton fielded a team known as the Mudville Nine. This moniker was an homage to Ernest Thayer's poem "Casey at the Bat," which takes place in a "Mudville" locale that some believe was a stand-in for Stockton.
Mariners: A monument to Ken Griffey Jr.
Everett AquaSox, High-A Northwest League
On the sidewalk outside of Everett's stadium, a plaque can be found marking the approximate landing spot of Ken Griffey Jr.'s first professional home run. Griffey hit this now-historic dinger on June 17, 1987 as a member of the visiting Bellingham Mariners. (The AquaSox are currently a Seattle affiliate, but at the time, Everett was aligned with San Francisco.) The home run, a three-run opposite-field blast off Gil Heredia, occurred in the fourth inning of Griffey's second professional game. He went on to hit 14 home runs over 54 games for Bellingham.
Rangers: So that's where the beef is
Hub City Spartanburgers, High-A South Atlantic League
If your team name includes the word "burgers," you'd better be ready to deliver standout burgers. Hub City lives up to lofty expectations and then some with a toppings bar so expansive that there are nine nonillion possible combinations you can try on your burger.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Ty Cobb played here
Augusta Greenjackets, Single-A Carolina League
In 1905, at age 18, Ty Cobb won his first professional batting title as a member of the South Atlantic League's Augusta Tourists. He made his Major League debut later that season, collecting the first of his 4,191 career hits. In Cobb's honor, Augusta's Minor League team was named the Tygers from 1922-29. A more recent tribute to Cobb could be found at the GreenJackets' previous home of Lake Olmstead Stadium. It was 366 feet from home plate to the power alleys, a reference to Cobb's .366 lifetime batting average.
Marlins: Site of a very long ballgame
Jupiter Hammerheads, Single-A Florida State League
The Hammerheads, members of the Florida State League since 2002, played their longest game in franchise history on May 24, 2011. This contest, a 2-1 victory over Clearwater, took a whopping 23 innings to complete. This was far from being the longest game in FSL history, however. On June 14, 1966, the Miami Marlins beat the Petersburg Cardinals, 4-3, in a 29-inning marathon. This stood as the longest game in professional baseball history until 1981, when the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings played a 33-inning game.
Mets: The team that played as "The Devices"
Syracuse Mets, Triple-A International League
For one game in 2018, Syracuse's long-running Triple-A entity changed its name to The Devices. This was in honor of the Brannock Device, the anonymous yet ubiquitous metal foot-measuring tool invented in Syracuse in 1927 by Dr. Charles Brannock. (If you've ever bought shoes at a shoe store, then you've almost certainly slid your foot into a Brannock Device.) The team took the field wearing black jerseys emblazoned with "Devices" in a red-accented metallic font, while their hats featured an anthropomorphic Brannock Device named Chuck.
Nationals: The team that's all about community
Rochester Red Wings, Triple-A International League
The Red Wings have retired several numbers over the course of their long history, including 26 for Joe Altobelli (Rochester's "Mr. Baseball") and 36 for Luke Easter. They also retired a unique four-digit number: 8,222, the number of Red Wings shares sold by team president Morrie Silver to ensure the team stayed in Rochester. This effort occurred in 1956, and Silver remained the majority stockholder until his death in 1974. (His daughter, Naomi, is currently the President, CEO and COO of Rochester Community Baseball, which owns and runs the Red Wings.)
Phillies: This ballpark is a genuine launchpad
Reading Fightin Phils, Double-A Eastern League
Ryan Howard hit 37 home runs for the Reading Phillies in 2004, establishing what was then a Reading franchise record. Two years later, Howard blasted 58 long balls as a member of the parent Philadelphia Phillies. Howard's total in 2006 wasn't the most Major League homers hit in a season by a Reading alumnus, however. That honor belongs to Roger Maris, who played for the 1955 Reading Indians. Six years later, Maris achieved baseball immortality by belting 61 home runs as a member of the New York Yankees.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Two 500 HR club members
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, High-A Midwest League
The Timber Rattlers boast two members of the 500 home run club among their alums. Alex Rodriguez made his professional debut for the Appleton-based club in 1994, hitting 14 home runs over 65 games before getting promoted. Two years later David Ortiz (then known as David Arias) played for the Timber Rattlers and hit 18 home runs over 129 games. The Timber Rattlers were a Seattle Mariners affiliate during this time, a relationship that persisted through 2008.
Cardinals: The team known to The Man
Springfield Cardinals, Double-A Texas League
The first iteration of the Springfield Cardinals was a Class A Western Association franchise that existed from 1932-42. Sixty-three years later, the Springfield Cardinals returned in the form of a Texas League franchise that had relocated from El Paso. Stan Musial was a link to both. Prior to solidifying himself in St. Louis, Musial hit .379 as a member of the 1941 Springfield Cardinals. On April 2, 2005, Musial threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to Springfield's exhibition game against parent St. Louis. This was the first Springfield Cardinals game at Hammons Field, which remains the team's home.
Cubs: A team store on holy ground
South Bend Cubs, High-A Midwest League
Want to visit the most distinct team store in Minor League Baseball? Then look no further than South Bend. In 2013, the Cubs (then known as the Silver Hawks) converted a former synagogue located just beyond left field into their team store. The renovations included the restoration of the synagogue's majestic chandelier, which now shines resplendently upon souvenir shoppers.
Pirates: From the Hornets to the 'hoppers
Greensboro Grasshoppers, High-A South Atlantic League
The Greensboro Grasshoppers were originally known as the Hornets, a name they utilized from 1979-93. That 1993 team featured 19-year-old Derek Jeter, playing his first full season in the New York Yankees system after being drafted the year prior. On the plus side of the ledger, Jeter led the Hornets in hits (152) and batting average (.295). But he also committed a whopping 56 errors, the most in the South Atlantic League and, by far, his career high.
Reds: Where Jackie made history
Daytona Tortugas, Single-A Florida State League
The Tortugas' Jackie Robinson Ballpark is the oldest stadium in all of Minor League Baseball. It first opened in 1914 as City Island Ballpark, originally consisting of little more than a playing field and wooden bleachers. Jackie Robinson spent 1946 Spring Training playing at City Island Ballpark, marking his first games as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, and in 1989 the stadium was renamed in his honor. A statue of Robinson stands outside the ballpark, and the exterior concourse features an outdoor museum commemorating his time in Daytona Beach and his storied career as a whole.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: The Curse of the Alligator
Visalia Rawhide, Single-A California League
The Visalia Rawhide won the 2019 California League championship, breaking a title drought that stretched back to 1978. Accurately or not, this barren period was often attributed to the Curse of the Alligator. The story goes as follows: Joe Charboneau, a member of Visalia's 1978 championship squad, kept a pet alligator in his bathtub named Chopper. After the gator met an untimely demise, his raging reptilian ghost put a hex on the franchise.
Dodgers: Do you realize? The Flaming Lips connection
Oklahoma City Comers, Triple-A Pacific Coast League
The Comets' home of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is bordered to the south by Johnny Bench Drive. Mickey Mantle Drive is located on its west side, with Joe Carter Avenue on the east. All of these streets are named for notable Oklahoma natives, and so is the street bordering the north side of the ballpark. Here one can find Flaming Lips Alley, named for Oklahoma City's legendary troupe of psychedelic pop weirdos.
Giants: Where churros mean everything
San Jose Giants, Single-A California League
The Giants honor a beloved San Jose ballpark personality with their participation in the Copa de la Diversión program, a fan engagement initiative featuring Spanish-language alternate team identities. San Jose's Copa identity is the Churros, which is in large part an homage to iconic Excite Ballpark vendor Hippolito "Super Churros Man" Cerda. Cerda once roamed the stands vending his wares, but he now operates a churro stand on the third-base side of the ballpark.
Padres: Apples at the concessions stand
Fort Wayne TinCaps, High-A Midwest League
"How do you like them apples?" When attending a Fort Wayne TinCaps game at Parkview Field, this is not a rhetorical question. The TinCaps' name is a reference to 19th-century Fort Wayne resident John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman, who is often depicted wearing a tin pot for a hat. The TinCaps therefore offer a variety of apple-based concession items, with apple dumplings being a notable standout. These dessert treats, served with vanilla ice cream, are a fitting ballpark tribute to Johnny Appleseed's life and legacy.
Rockies: You've never seen baseball cards like these
Spokane Indians, High-A Northwest League
When it comes to the weirdest baseball cards in Minor League Baseball history, one could certainly make the case for the Spokane Indians' "Mall Ball" sets of 1987-89. The cards featured players posing at the local NorthTown Mall, which sponsored the cards. Highlights include Bruce Bochy at a tobacco store, Steve Lubravitch with a cardboard cutout of Whitney Houston and Pedro Aquino surrounded by literal fans. The Indians, a San Diego affiliate from 1983-94, won the Northwest League championship in each season in which a "Mall Ball" set was produced.