2015 Minor League Baseball Preview: Teams To Watch

Iowa Cubs – Triple-A – Pacific Coast League

Javier Baez
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The Cubs made headline news when they sent down slugger Kris Bryant to Triple-A. He will most likely spend about two weeks with Iowa before he is called up to the big league club. Along with Bryant, former top ten prospect (he was not eligible this year to be on top prospects list) Javier Baez was sent down to the Iowa as well. Baez had 229 plate appearances in the big show last year, but he did not play as well as he would have hoped. He hit .169 with .227 OBP along with 95 strikeouts compared to 15 walks. He had too many swings-and-misses to be successful and has been working on his approach ever since he got moved up. His spring training numbers were not much better than his numbers from the 2014 season (.182 batting average, .237 OBP, 21 strikeouts and three walks in 55 at-bats) and as a result he was sent down to Iowa. This was the smart move. Baez has been in a slump since August and he needs to find his groove, while working on his approach and drawing more walks. Baez is an important part of the Cubs future plans. He does not have to be drawing walks at a substantial clip, but he cannot hit .200 and have an OBP of .250. Those numbers will not lead to success. If he could hit over .260 with an OBP north of .320 to go along with 30+ homers, he could be one of the best second baseman in baseball. He still has that potential. However, he needs to reboot in Iowa first, where I expect he will stay until at least June.

Charlotte Knights – Triple-A  – International League

Also not in Chicago, albeit on the south side, is southpaw Carlos Rodon. Rodon has the makings of a future number one starter. After being drafted third overall in 2014 out of North Carolina State, Rodon rose through the ranks, reaching Triple-A Charlotte. He performed well in Spring Training, where he had a 3.06 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 17.2 innings. However, the White Sox sent him down to Charlotte, where he will start the season. The decision to put Rodon back in the minors raised some eyebrows, but will beneficial for Rodon. If Rodon stayed with the big club, he most likely would have been a relief pitcher, not a starter. While Rodon should be up with the White Sox before the September roster expansion, he may still be slotted in as a bullpen guy. Getting more starts under his belt this year will only help him in both the short-term and the long-term. Having him stay in the bullpen for one full season may set him back long-term. Rodon will be up at soon point this year, especially if the White Sox are in the playoff hunt.

Biloxi Shuckers – Double-A – Southern League

Orlando Arcia
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The 2015 season is the inaugural season for the Biloxi Shuckers. The Shuckers moved from Huntsville over the winter, but their major league affiliate, Milwaukee, stayed the same. Biloxi will play at least the first two months of the season on the road as their stadium, MGM Park, gets completed. The first game at MGM Park is set for Saturday, June 6 against the Mobile BayBears, although the date could be pushed back if delays occur. On the baseball side of the club, the Brewers top two prospects are starting off the season in Biloxi. Middle infielder Orlando Arcia and outfielder Tyrone Taylor are both top 100 prospects according to Baseball America and project to reach the Brew Crew by 2016. Both guys are not big power hitters, but Taylor has good pop (he hit 36 doubles in 2014 and 33 in 2013). If they have solid years, they will be in contention for roster spots with Milwaukee in 2016. 

Chattanooga Lookouts  – Double-A – Southern League

The Lookouts changed their affiliation over the winter, moving from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Minnesota Twins. With the change, two of the best prospects in baseball will start the season in Chattanooga. Outfielder Byron Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano are both top fifteen prospects (Buxton is the #1 prospect according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, while Baseball America has him #2 after having him #1 last season) coming off injury-riddled 2014 campaigns. Sano did not play one game in 2014 due to Tommy John, while Buxton played in only 31 games due to a wrist injury and a concussion. Buxton has five-tool potential, while Sano has All-Star potential as a slugging third baseman who is competent defensively. This is a big season for both players. Even though both are heading into their year-21 seasons, their injuries put them behind schedule. They need to get back on track, prove that they can overcome injuries, and still have the potential to be All-Stars. 

Potomac Nationals – Class-A Advanced – Carolina League

Lucas Giolito
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Jayson Werth is starting the season with the Potomac Nationals while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. While he is not expected to be there long, the most fascinating player in Potomac is not with the club yet. Lucas Giolito is a top ten prospect and is currently the number one right handed pitching prospect in baseball. He was outstanding during the 2014 season with the Auburn Doubledays and Hagerstown Suns. He went 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA, 10.1 Strikeouts per Nine, and a 1.000 WHIP. Giolito is staying in extended spring training, along with fellow top 100 prospect Reynaldo Lopez, because he started throwing later than the other pitchers. Giolito had Tommy John in August 2012 and the Nationals have been very cautious with Giolito. He only threw 98 innings last season and was not allowed to start throwing until he reported to spring training. He is expected to be assigned to Potomac later this month. Giolito is not the only one with potential in Potomac. Lopez will likely join the club with Giolito. Middle infielder Wilmer Difo, pitcher Nick Pivetta, and third baseman Drew Ward are all top prospects in the Washington organization that are currently in Potomac. P-Nats fans are in for a good year. 

Notes on MLB, MiLB, and Cape Cod Baseball

Jackie Bradley Jr Demoted

Jackie Bradley Jr.
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Jackie Bradley Jr's first season in the majors has been impressive yet disappointing at the same time. His slash line of .216/.288/.290 is the sign of someone who is not ready for major league baseball. But, his 13 assists, eight double plays, 1.000 fielding percentage, and 16.8 UZR indicate Bradley is very deserving of a Gold Glove. He is in the bottom of the league in hitting and the top of the league in defense. What do you do with a guy like that? The Red Sox have decided enough is enough on the hitting side and have sent him down to Triple-A. Considering the expansion of rosters to 40 players is less than two weeks away, this is an interesting time to move Bradley down. They should have moved him down earlier. On the flip side, it is smart to move him down so he can get at-bats and boost his confidence.

Joey Gallo Hits 40th HR in Minors for 2nd Straight Season

Joey Gallo of the Frisco RoughRiders hit home run number 40 yesterday against the Tulsa Drillers. Gallo, the number one prospect in the Rangers organization, is the first player since Ron Kittle in 1981-82 to hit 40 homers in back-to-back minor league seasons. Gallo is on track for an even better year then last. He is hitting for a higher average and getting on base at a higher clip. However, he strikes out way too much and is questionable fielding even though he has a great arm. Gallo will need another season under his belt before he starts making his impact felt in Arlington. 

Rusney Castillo's Decision

Rusney Castillo
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Rusney Castillo is rumored to make his decision on which team to sign for in the near future. Castillo defected from Cuba in December 2013. He is a center fielder with very good speed. When he showed up to his workout last month, he added twenty pounds, which impressed scouts. The added mussel means he has more power now. His defense has been rated as questionable. 28 teams went to his workout and the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Phillies are known to be interested. Castillo has potential to become a very good major league center fielder. The big question is when will he be ready. I think he can make an immediate impact, albeit small, in October. He is not going to be of the quality of a Yasiel Puig or Yoenis Cespedes, but he has a good chance of becoming a nice, everyday player.

Y-D Wins Cape League Championship

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox won the Cape Cod Baseball League championship on Saturday by defeating the Falmouth Commodores 10-4. The Red Sox had defeated the Commodores 5-0 in the first game of the best-of-three championship series on Friday. The Red Sox had previously defeated the Orleans Firebirds and the Harwich Mariners in round one and two of the playoffs. Y-D's Walter Buehler and Marcus Mastrobuoni were the Co-Postseason Most Valuable Players. Buehler, a pitcher, went 2-0 in the playoffs, including an eight inning gem in Game One of the championship. Mastrobuoni, a catcher, went five for six with two walks, five ribbies, three runs scored, a double, and a homer during the championship series. This is the fourth title for the Red Sox under Scott Pickler and their first since 2007.

Chris Carter

Chris Carter
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Astros' DH Chris Carter is an interesting case of a player with tremendous power but has trouble making contact. Carter has 29 home runs, a .516 slugging percentage, and a .283 isolated power average. He leads the MLB in fly ball percentage at 53.5%. Those are numbers of a true slugger. However, he makes contact only 65.6% of the time and 78.7% of the time when the ball is in the strike zone, which is worst and third worst in the majors respectively and has 129 strikeouts and strikeout 30.4% of the time. Carter is comparable to Adam Dunn, but without the plate discipline and walks. In Dunn's age 27 season, he had 40 homers, 101 walks, 165 strikeouts, 26.1 K%, 46.5 Fly Ball %, and a 23.8 HR/Fly Ball %. Carter, through 109 games, currently has 29 home runs, 34 walks, 129 strikeouts, 30.4 K%, 53.5 Fly Ball %, and a 21.2 HR/Fly Ball %. Carter will have to make changes to his approach to reach the value of Ådam Dunn, but he is currently showing why he may have a part in the Astros' future. 

Minor League and Independent League Baseball All Star Games

Triple A


The Triple-A All-Star Game was celebrating it's 25th anniversary at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY, where, in 1988, the 1st Triple-A All-Star Game was held. This is also Coca-Cola Field's 25th anniversary. A Home Run Derby and Celebrity Home Run Derby was held with the festivities. In the Celebrity All Star Game, New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski hit a homer over the left field wall. For the Celebrity Contest, there was a wall that was much closer to home plate. He hit 12 jacks to win the contest.


In the Triple-A Home Run Derby, 6 players competed to be called champion. Those players are the Round Rock Express' Joey Butler, the Oklahoma City RedHawks' Mike Hessman, the Tacoma Rainers' Luis Jimenez, the Charlotte Knights' Dan Johnson, the Columbus Clippers' Matt LaPorta, and the Buffalo Bisons' Valentino Pascucci. In the 1st round, Hessman hit 9 homeruns and Jimenez hit 5 shots to make it to the 2nd round. Butler, Johnson, and Pascucci all hit 3 homers, so they went into a playoff where the top 2 make the next round. Johnson, who won the 2010 Triple-A Home Run Derby, and Pascucci made the next round. The 2nd Round had both of the contestants in the playoff hit 13 home runs to make the finals. In the finals, Johnson went 1st and hit 5 homers. The hometown favorite, Pascucci, hit 6 big flys to win the Derby to the delight of the crowd.

Wil Myers won the game's MVP
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The Triple-A All-Star Game is between the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The Pacific Coast League had lost the last 3 All-Star Games coming into the match-up on Wednesday night.  However, from the start, it looked like it would be their night. They got on the board in the top of the 1st when Hessman hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the Reno Aces' Adam Eaton. Later in the inning, Omaha Storm Chasers' Wil Myers singled to bring in Reno Aces' Jake Elmore. The Albuquerque Isotopes' Tim Federowicz doubled home Myers in the 4th to put the lead at 3-0. No other runs were scored for the rest of the game and the PCL won. Myers won the game's MVP and was named the PCL's Star of Stars. He went 2 for 3 including an RBI and a double with a run scored. This performance was just 3 days after he went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. Matt Harvey won the International League's Star of Stars award. He pitched 2 innings, gave up no hits, and had 2 strikeouts. 


Eastern League 

Eastern League Home Run Derby
Carl Kline/MiLB.com

The Eastern League is a Double-A baseball league. It had both an All-Star Game and a Home Run Derby, the latter being held the day before. Both were held at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA. The Home Run Derby was a very unique derby style. There were targets around the stadium where the 31 contestants must hit to get points in a 2 minute span. The system for the Derby was not it's only interesting aspect. There was a screen protecting fans from a "party" on the infield dirt and a screen protecting live music on the infield grass. The Harrisburg Senators' Chris Rahl won the event, highlighted by hitting a crane on one of his longballs, giving him 100 points. He won with a score of 340, only 6 points ahead the Richmond Flying Squirrels' Daniel Mayora.


Eastern Division beat the Western League 5-4 in a thriller that ended with a walkoff.
Binghamton Mets' Eric Campbell, with a 3-1 count in the bottom of the 9th and 2 outs on the board, hit a groundball single into left field. Reading's Tony Hanzawa scored to win the game for the Eastern Division. Campbell won the MVP with that clutch hit and for going 2 for 3, including a double and scoring a run. Campbell got into the game in the bottom of the 5th when he pinch hit for Darin RufFor the West, the Erie SeaWolves' Jordan Lennerton went 2 for 3 with a dinger and 3 RBIs. New Britain's Daniel Trupen got the winning by pitching the last 1/3 of the top of the ninth for the Eastern Division.


Atlantic League 


The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is known as one of the most competitive and has some of the best players in independent baseball. Their All-Star Game was held at Campbell's Field in Camden, NJ. A Celebrity All-Star Game was held before the game. The Freedom Division features the Lancaster Barnstormers, the Somerset Patriots, the Sugar Land Skeeters, and the York Revolution. The Liberty Division's teams are the Bridgeport Bluefish, the Camden Riversharks, the Long Island Ducks, and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. There were 8 players from Lancaster, 7 players from Bridgeport Bluefish, 6 players from the Camden Riversharks and Long Island Ducks, 5 players from Somerset and York, 4 players from Sugar Land Skeeters and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.


The game was won by the Freedom Division, 9-5, over the Liberty Division. The Liberty Division was up when the top of the 9th inning. The Liberty Division's Manager, and Long Island's Manager, Kevin Baez put in hometown player, Zach Hammes. He gave up 6 runs as the Liberty All-Stars went from up 4-3 to down 9-4. They could get a comeback as the Freedom Division won. Somerset's Jeff Nettles played in his 8th All-Star Game as he is coming close the the league's all-time home run record. He has the Atlantic League's record for game played, at bats, RBIs, and doubles. The MVP of the game was the Barnstormers' Fehlandt Lentini, who went 2 for 3 and scored the go-ahead run in the 8th inning for the Liberty Division. 


Frontier League 


The Frontier League is an independent league in the midwest. It is the oldest independent league still currently around. The All-Star Festivities included a Home Run Derby and an 
All-Star Game. 14 players were in the Home Run Derby, held July 10th, the day before their All-Star Game. From the 14 that started the 1st Round, only 4 made the 2nd Round. Those players are the Florence Freedoms Jim Jacquot with 9, the Lake Erie Crushers Russell Moldenhauer hit 7, the London Rippers' Joash Brodin had 5, and the Traverse City Beach Bums' Jeff Flagg, who won a tiebreaker to get in. Both Flagg and Brodin couldn't get enough homers to tie or get past the 1st round totals of Jacquot and Moldenhauer so those 2 automatically made the finals. In the finals, Moldenhauer went 1st and set the bar at 5 round-trippers. Jacquot couldn't beat that and the Crusher Mouldenhauer won.


The All-Star Game was a slugfest. A total of 7 homers were hit in the 9 inning ball game. The East defeated the West 9-6 at the Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois. Traverse City had 3 players hit home runs, Jose Vargas, Jeff Flagg, and Brain Heere. Southern Illinois also had 2 players hit longballs, Chad Maddox and Jake Kaase. Crushers' Paul Fagan pick up the victory for the East Joash Brodin may have lost the Home Run Derby but he did get MVP honors, by going 4 for 5 with a four-bagger. 


Pecos League


The Pecos League has 6 teams in the states of New Mexico (Las Cruces Vaqueros, Roswell Invaders, Santa Fe Fuego, White Sand Pupfish), Colorado (Trinidad Triggers), and Texas (Alpine Cowboys). It is also an independent league. For the All-Star Game, players from the Invaders, Pupfish, and Triggers will be on a team called the Mountaineers. Players from the Cowboys, Fuegos, and the Vaqueros will be on the Desert Plainsmen. Before the game, there was a Home Run Derby, won by the Triggers Daniel Pembroke. He has 11 diggers on the season and, in the contest, he had 4 homers in the 1st round and then 4 in the final. 

Both teams line up before the game
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The game was a high-scoring affair. The Mountaineers scored at least a run in the 1st 5 innings. 3 runs in the 1st, 1 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and 2 in the 5th. They added 3 more runs in the 8th. The Desert Plainsmen scored 3 runs in the 4th and 4 in the 8th. The Mountaineers won 11-7. The Desert Plainsmen had 4 errors in the game. Trinidad's OF Jacob Fabry went 2 for 2 off the bench for the Mountaineers with a run and an RBI. Roswell's Nathan Johnson struck out the side in the top of the 1st for Mountaineers. 

MiLB Championships from Triple A to Class A

Logo
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CLASS AAA: Triple A Baseball National Championship


Columbus Clippers (International League) def Omaha Storm Chatters (Pacific Coast League) 
Recap: After winning 88 games in the regular season, the International League's Columbus Clippers started their postseason against the Durham Bulls. Columbus had no trouble with Durham, winning all 3 games. In the IL finals, their opponent was the Leigh Valley IronPigs. The IronPigs defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox 3 games to 1. After losing in Game 1, Columbus won the next 3 games to win their 2nd consecutive IL championship.

The Omaha Storm Chasers won 79 games in the regular season to win the Pacific Coast League's American Northern Division. Their 1st Round opponent in the playoffs was the Round Rock Express. They won the series 3 games to 1. Their opponent for the PCL championship was the Sacramento River Cats. The River Cats went down 2 to 0 against the Reno Aces. In the finals, the Storm Chasers swept Sacramento to win their first ever PCL title.


The Triple A National Championship had Omaha as the away team and Columbus as home. Omaha started the game off well, scoring 3 runs in the first. But, that was all they could manage to score. Columbus had back to back 3 run innings in the 2nd and 3rd, scored another run in the 4th to make it 7-3, and then scoring one last run in the 8th to make it 8-3. Columbus had the championship in their hands. The Clippers were led by the game's MVP, pitcher Joe Martinez. Martinez pitched 6 spotless innings after the 3 run first.


CLASS AA


Eastern League: New Hampshire Fisher Cats def Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 games to 1

New Hampshire starts the celebration
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Recap: New Hampshire was the ultimate nail-bitter team in the postseason. Every game they won in the playoffs, the difference in runs was no more than 2. The Fisher Cats started the postseason against the Reading Phillies. They lost the first game but won the next 3 to make the championship. In the finals, they were set to face the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Richmond beat the Harrisburg Senators 3 games to 0 in their semi. In the finals, New Hampshire lost the first game by 1. The Fisher Cats were, however, not fazed. They won the next 3 to become the champs. This is the Fisher Cats first championship since 2004. 2004 was their first season in New Hampshire after moving from Connecticut.


Southern League: Mobile BayBears def Tennessee Smokies 3 games to 1
Recap: Mobile had a tough time getting to the championship but when in it , cursed to the title. In the semi's, they had defeated the Birmingham Barons 3 games to 2. What gave Mobile problems was when they lost, they lost by a lot. In the championship series they rolled, only losing one game to Tennessee. Tennessee swept their semi-final against the Chattanogga Lookouts. This is the BayBears first championship since they were co-champs with the Smokies in 2004.


Texas League: San Antonio Missions def Arkansas Travelers 3 games to 0
Recap: San Antonio Missions won their 100th game of the year and a championship on the same day. For San Antonio their playoffs started against the Frisco RoughRiders. They beat them 3 games to 1. The Missions opponent in the finals was the Arkansas Travelers, who beat state rivals Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3 games to 0 in the semi-finals. In Game 1 of the finals they won 5-4 by scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th. Game 2 went 20 innings but San Antonio won by the same score as Game 1. In the 3rd game, San Antonio won 10-6 to clinch the championship. This is the Missions 12th Texas Championship and first since 2007. 


CLASS Advanced A


California League: Lake Elsinorm Storm def Stockton Ports 3 games to 1
Recap: The California League is one of the few minor leagues that has 3 round of playoffs. In the 1st round the Lake Elsinorm Storm beat the Inland Empire 66ers 2 games to 1 and the Stockton Ports defeated the Modesto Nuts 2 games to 1. In the 2nd Round, the Storm defeated the Rancho Cucamongo Quakes 3 games to 1 while the Ports beat the San Jose Giants 3 games to 1. In the finals, Lake Elsinorm won the first to game. Then, in Game 3 Stockton blew the Storm out. But it didn't affect Lake Elsinorm as they won the next game which game them the championship. This is the Storms first championship since 2001 when they were co-champs with San Jose. 


Carolina League: Kendrick Keys def Kinston Indians 3 games to 1
Recap: The Kendrick Keys had the keys to success this year, winning 80 games in the regular season and then winning 6 more to become Carolina league champions. They started off against the Potomac Nationals in the 1st Round. It was a close series but prevailed in Game 5 to win the series 3 games to 2. The Kinston Indians beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans  3 games to 1. In the championship series, Fredrick beat Kinston 3 games to 1 to win the championship. This is the Keys first championship since 2007.


Florida State League: Daytona Cubs def St. Lucie Mets 3 games to 0

The Daytona Cubs, 2011 FSL Champs
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Recap: When teams lose their first game in the playoffs it usually is a sign of what is to come. For Daytona it was the complete opposite. In the semi-finals they lost their first game to Dunedin Blue Jays. The Cubs then won their next to game to make the championship. They were set to face the St. Lucie Mets. The Mets beat the Bradenton Marauders 2 games to 1 in the semi. In the finals, Daytona continued the winning streak by winning all 3 games. In doing that they won the championship. This is the Cubs first championship since 2008.

Quad City After the Game
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CLASS A


Midwest League: Quad Cities River Bandits def Lansing Lugnuts 3 games to 0
Recap: Quad Cities played one of the best postseasons in minor league history. They went undefeated in the quarter-finals (beat Clinton LumberKings 2 games-0), the semi-finals (beat Kane County Cougers 2 games-0), and in the finals. The star of the team was INF Jonathan Rodriguez, who batted .381 and drove in 11 RBI's in the playoffs. This is the River Bandits first championship since 1990.


South Atlantic League: Greensboro Grasshoppers def Savannah Sand Gnats 3 games to 2
Recap: The South American League had it self a great championship series. To make the championship game Greensboro beat Hickory Crawdads 2-0 and Savannah beat the Augusta GreenJackets 2 games-1. In the the last game of the championship, the Grasshoppers finally took an advantage in the series and won. This was the Grasshoppers first championship since 1982. In 1982 they won their 3rd straight championship. 

A Proposition for the National Football League

The NFL is the only sports league of the 4 major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) that does not have a minor league. I believe they should have two minor leagues. Here is my proposition.

The NFL Should Have Two Minor Leagues

Some teams need more players then the standard 53,

Reason 1: Gives Players a Chance to Play

Sometimes teams have to cut players they want to have develop but they can fit on the 53 man roster. This would give these players the chance to develop under NFL supervision. Teams might also find that they have a star no one knew about. Some players need to develop before they hit it big time. It can also help injured players recover and train.

Reason 2: It Can Make A Lot Of Revenue 

After a lockout where one of the top issues was how to split the revenue. The owners love to get money and this will get them money they never thought of getting before. Anyone will want to go to a football game. The fans will want to buy merchandise, food, drinks and more. That can add a lot of money to 9 billion the NFL has right now.

How: Buy the UFL and bring back NFL Europe 
To me this is simple. The UFL and NFL Europe will make the more popular around the country and the world. It will bring in more revenue in new places and expand football around the world.


Here what the United Football League brings. In areas where there is no pro football, there is an opportunity for the NFL to make money. The UFL has taken advantage of that opportunity, placing teams in Las Vegas Omaha, NE Sacramento, CA, Hartford, CO, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. But if you add teams in Oregon, Alabama, Mississippi, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Mexico, Oklahoma City, Tennessee, and Iowa you've expanded pro football to new places where getting money was much harder.

Bringing back NFL Europe will globalize the game, which is needed. The 3 other major sports league of the major 4 major sports leagues capitalize on the the world market. Football isn't as popular as it is in the US. Did anyone even know that the International Federation of American Football World Cup was held last July? I doubt it. The US team featured no real superstars and they dominated every other team. Bringing back the league will defiantly make other countries better at football and you never know. The next Jim Brown or Joe Montana might find interest in football thanks to NFL Europe. 

If my plan happens to come true, NFL Europe will have 14 teams