Minor Leagues Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This article uses an extensive unique data set to investigate the efficiency of government subsides for minor league baseball teams and stadiums by measuring pecuniary gains in a local economy. Specifically, a dynamic panel data model incorporating
238 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that hosted affiliated or independent minor league teams between 1985 and 2006 shows that AAA teams, A+ teams, AA stadiums, and rookie stadiums are all associated with significant positive effects on the change in local per capita income. The presence of positive effects is
strikingly different from decades of nonpositive results at the major league level.

- by
- •
- Sports Management, Minor Leagues, Sport, Economic Impact
- by vibhor mathur
- •
- Tournaments, Minor Leagues, Physical Education, Sports
- by Nola Agha
- •
- Sports Management, Social & Economic Value, Minor Leagues, Sport

Although conventional wisdom holds that alcohol availability increases baseball attendance, little evidence exists on the complementarity between attendance and alcohol availability. To address this gap in the literature, we examine the effect of Rome, Georgia’s November 2004 legalization of Sunday alcohol sales on a minor league baseball team’s attendance. OLS and Tobit estimates of an attendance model find no statistically significant effect of alcohol availability on attendance. In addition to analyzing the relationship between attendance and alcohol availability, we also perform back-of-the-envelope calculations of the additional concession revenue generated by Sunday beer sales.

- by Ron Taylor and +1
- •
- Minor Leagues, Attendance, Alcoholic Beverages

Considerable time has been spent on identifying the demand determinants in major league sports. Much less attention has focused on minor league baseball despite its unique business structure: with free inputs provided by strategic alliance partners, minor league teams rely more heavily on their home stadiums, promotions, local brand, and partnerships with Major League clubs to generate demand. This conceptual research first defines the characteristics of minor league baseball that make it unique from demand in Major League Baseball. Next, it discusses theoretical demand determinants and provides a review of empirical results. It concludes by identifying the problems in current MiLB demand modelling and offers suggestions for improvements and future research. (JEL L83, D11, Z21)

- by Nola Agha
- •
- Minor Leagues, Attendance, Attendance demand

Professional baseball operates a tiered system of talent development facilitated by alliances between Minor League Baseball (MiLB) clubs and higher status Major League Baseball (MLB) parent teams. This study applies management theory to advance the literature on MiLB demand modeling by proposing and testing a new set of demand determinants based on interorganizational alliance principles. Team executives at the AA level should be alert to the high cost of switching team alliances and of changing to a parent club in closer geographical proximity. At the AAA level, affiliation with a winning MLB club exerts a positive effect on AAA demand.

- by Nola Agha and +1
- •
- Baseball, Strategic Alliances, Minor Leagues, Switching Costs

Background
In North America, more than 800,000 youth are registered in organized ice hockey leagues. Despite the many benefits of involvement, young players are at significant risk for injury. Body-checking and aggressive play are associated with high frequency of game-related injury including concussion. We conducted a qualitative study to understand why youth ice hockey players engage in aggressive, injury-prone behaviours on the ice.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 minor ice hockey participants, including male and female players, parents, coaches, trainers, managers and a game official. Players were aged 13–15 playing on competitive body checking teams or on non-body checking
teams. Interviews were manually transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes relating to aggressive play in minor ice hockey.
Results
Parents, coaches, teammates and the media exert a large influence on player behavior. Aggressive behavior is often reinforced by the player’s social environment and justified by players to demonstrate loyalty to teammates and especially injured teammates by seeking revenge particularly in competitive, body-checking leagues. Among female and male players in non-body checking organizations, aggressive play is not reinforced by the social environment. These findings are discussed within the framework of social identity theory and social learning theory, in order to understand players’ need to seek revenge and how the social environment reinforces aggressive behaviors.

- by Gabriela Ilie
- •
- Aggression (Psychology), Traumatic Brain Injury, Ice Hockey, Minor Leagues

Agha and Taks define minor sport events and teams and explain the different approaches to measuring impact. They present theoretical models and provide empirical examples of economic impact of minor sport events and leagues. They end the... more

- by Nola Agha
- •
- Event impacts, Minor Leagues, Economic Impact, Cost Benefit Analysis

This piece is a work of collaboration with former MLB/MilLB pitcher and analyst Dirk Hayhurst.

- by Nathan Kalman-Lamb
- •
- Sociology of Sport, Recreation & Leisure Studies, Baseball, Work and Labour

This article uses an extensive unique data set to investigate the efficiency of government subsides for minor league baseball teams and stadiums by measuring pecuniary gains in a local economy. Specifically, a dynamic panel data model incor-porating 238 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that hosted affiliated or inde-pendent minor league teams between 1985 and 2006 shows that AAA teams, Aþ teams, AA stadiums, and rookie stadiums are all associated with significant positive effects on the change in local per capita income. The presence of positive effects is strikingly different from decades of nonpositive results at the major league level.

- by Nola Agha
- •
- Sports Management, Minor Leagues, Sport, Sports economics