Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Future of Minor League University


Minor League University got me through the off-season. I went to work every day, not dreading the stack of paperwork or staff meetings that were ahead of me, but excited about the hour long block of my day I had set aside to be 'Scotty Smalls'. I was anxious to share little tidbits of my life in the minors, and I couldn't wait to go on rants about anything related to the wide world of baseball. 

My off-season job was perfect. After a long season, I needed a break from baseball, and I appreciated my time away from the game- but for that chunk of the morning I spent writing the day's post, I was right back in baseball mode, and I loved it. In a setting where passion and excitement were lacking, it was a daily reminder of my love for the game- a small way for me to stay connected.

So now that my time at the office is over and my departure for Spring Training is a mere week away, what does the future hold for MLU?

Lawlessness. Sheer lawlessness.


As the season picks up, my schedule will likely lack the structure that my recent job was so reliable in providing. Road trips, varying wake-up times, infuriatingly weak Internet signals- these are all byproducts of the existence many of my posts depict: Minor League life.

As much as I'm going to miss being able to write and publish a post by noon on a daily basis, I'm extremely excited to witness the evolution of MLU as the season begins.

These past few months have been a blast, but the actual season is when all the good stuff happens: the games, the pranks, the stories, the record-breaking hit streaks (Yep, just called my shot.)

Think of Minor League University as an actual college for a second- everything you've read up to this point has been Minor League Life 101- an introduction, really. We've built a base, giving you enough knowledge and insight for you to be able to enjoy and make sense of your next course: the season.

As I said, new posts won't come as consistently as they have over the past three months- however, I don't think the lack of structure will negatively affect the blog's output. While I won't be able to post at the same time every day, posts will come from all hours- morning, afternoon, even late nights after games- and there will be plenty of days that produce more than one new post. I assume it will all average out to about a post a day over the peaks and valleys of the long season.

The length of the posts will also differ once the season starts. While the first 78 articles on MLU feature an essay-style format, some future pieces will likely be shorter and more casual. I'll be publishing new posts regularly- from videos and commentaries, to random thoughts- and quicker posts will be more conducive to my new on-the-go style of blogging; however, when a topic calls for it and time permits, I will still resort back to my MLU origins and make my English professors proud.

Aside from a few slight differences, MLU will remain the same glimpse into the world of professional baseball as it's always been. Readers will live out the season with me, experience the nightly torment and ecstasy that baseball provides, and get a taste of a life on the road- all without having to set foot on a bus.

I'm extremely excited to see how MLU develops over these next seven months- this is only the beginning for Minor League University.
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Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive of MLU over the past couple months. I'm amazed at the amount of positive feedback this blog has already received, and baseball season hasn't even started.

There are thousands of baseball fans out there- please continue to spread the word of MLU to anyone you think may enjoy this insider's look.

Want to know when the newest post hits MLU? Join the MLU Facebook page or follow Scotty Smalls on Twitter (@MinorLeagueU) for instant notifications.

5 comments:

  1. Good luck this season Scotty! Hopefully the stories will come easily for you.

    I'm sure you can get a bunch of minor league teams to share your posts during the season. It's so hard to create good content when you're always getting ready for the next big homestand.

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  2. Best of luck Scotty! Thanks for keeping my family and me entertained all off season !! We love baseball and love your blog. Keep up the great writing !!

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  3. great stories. Passed this site on to my son, who hopes to be in milb after this June.

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  4. So, I've been meaning to ask - what kind of office work does an off-season MiLB player do exactly and do you have to sit in a cubicle?

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  5. Dude, REALLY enjoy your blog. Glad you're staying at it. Excellent writing and insights.

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