There something to be said about the heft of a book on your lap that a website, regardless of how visually well done or informative, can never match.
While preparing for this review, I couldn’t help but think of the Total Baseball series which produced eight editions beginning in 1989 and ending in 2004. These massive tomes — weighing in at almost seven pounds — were expensive for the day, which may be one of the factors as to why they stopped publishing. That and because the statistical information, which took up most of the book, were available elsewhere.
So it was sad to read in the preface of The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: A Complete Record of Teams, Leagues and Seasons, 1876-2019 that the current edition — the fourth — would be the last. The first was published in 1993 by Baseball America, which also issued the second and third editions (1997 and 2007, respectively). The current Encyclopedia — which lists for $99 — was published in two volumes and over 1,000 pages by McFarland last December.
This is an invaluable tool for the baseball researcher. Although short on text — each decade begins with a only few paragraphs to highlight the period — it is long on tables for all sorts of data: teams by cities, states, countries, and leagues; records for active and defunct leagues; and all-time leaders for single seasons and careers. Each season provides information on standings, statistical leaders, All-Stars, no-hitters, etc.
The first volume covers the bush leagues from 1876-1929; the latter brings us to 2019, the last full season before Covid-19 shut down the game.
Younger readers might be surprised to learn how many affiliates there were “back in the day.” For example, in 1926, there were 29 minor leagues (AAA to D). Numbers fluctuated, of course, during the Depression, WWII, and in more recent years. Leagues disbanded, affiliates were cut, mostly due to economic factors.
As the authors write in the preface to the final edition,
Even before the pandemic, Major League Baseball was planning aggressive changes in the minor league system. The National Association of Professional baseball Leagues…the governing body of the minors since 1901m, was eliminated. Major League Baseball took over running the minors…..
Many of the established teams from the old leagues were retained, but 42 were not, leaving some cities with deep historical connections to the minors without professional baseball.
It’s no wonder the national pastime has been declining in popularity for years. The minors used to offer a more affordable way to see the game, but that’s gone the way of the rotary phone (kids, ask your parents).
is available on Amazon.com,
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