Minorleague baseball is back after a year’s absence

They’ve waited for the Wahoos, stood by for the Sod Poodles, bided their time for the Biscuits or Trash Pandas.

After more than a year of uncertainty and empty ballparks, fans in minorleague cities are finally getting baseball back.

“Smalltown baseball, it’s the fabric of the United States,” Brooklyn Cyclones manager Ed Blankmeyer said. “It’s a culture.”

Minorleague teams across the country opened their seasons Tuesday, returning baseball to communities denied the national pastime during the coronavirus pandemic. Capacities will differ by jurisdiction, but for most, it will be the first opportunity to see pro players in person since the entire 2020 season was canceled.

Of course, much has changed since the last affiliated games were played in 2019. There are fewer teams and leagues and Major League Baseball has introduced plans to use the minors as a testing ground for rules that could improve pace of play or reduce player injuries.

The biggest change, of course, is that MLB contracted the minors from 160 affiliates to 120.

Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office assumed full control of the minors after deciding this offseason not to renew its agreement with the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the body that operated minorleague ball.

The shortseason leagues were eliminated, as were several fullseason affiliates, to take 40 clubs out of the equation.

What remains are four levels — TripleA, DoubleA, HighA and

LowA — each with regional names. No more Pacific Coast League, for example — it’s just TripleA West.

The minors will be a testing ground for several rules experiments MLB is considering, including an automated strike zone, restrictions on defensive positioning and larger bases.

An automatic ballstrike system will be used at some LowA Southeast League games, the highest level yet for the robo zone that already has been tested in the independent Atlantic League and the Arizona Fall League.

At DoubleA, infielders will have to keep both feet in the infield at the start of every play, although there won’t yet be a ban on shifting three or more infielders to either side of second base.

The bases at TripleA will be expanded from 15 by 15 inches to 18 by 18, which MLB hopes will improve player safety and increase stolen bases and infield hits.

For most players, Opening Day would be their first competitive game since the end of the 2019 season. More advanced players may have gotten reps last season at alternate training sites, but the bulk of players reported to spring training in late March after scrambling to stay sharp in 2020.

Players are understandably eager to get back into the minorleague grind, competing against other teams and playing in front of fans.

About the only thing they aren’t excited for?

“The nine or 10hour bus rides,” Mets righthanded prospect Matt Allan joked.