Chase happy, weighs changes
Dave Chase is in his fourth year as commissioner of the Prospect League. He has 35 years of baseball experience overall, including administrative stints with the Class AA Savannah Braves and Memphis Chicks, Class A Anderson Braves and Class AAA Memphis Redbirds.
He is also president and executive director of minor league baseball.
Chase sat down for a Q&A prior to the Prospect League All-Star Game at Pullman Park:
Given your schedule, why take on the position of Prospect League commissioner?“I wanted to give back to the game, to serve baseball in a different way. Leagues like this build the future of the game. It gives budding college players a place to play in the summer.”
The league sits at 11 teams right now. Do you anticipate expansion?“Definitely. The immediate goal is to get back to 12 teams by next year so we can play a balanced schedule. Eleven teams ... any odd number ... it just doesn’t work.“We’ve got the geographical framework of the league in place — Slippery Rock to Danville, Cleveland to Springfield. We don’t want the league to branch outward from those towns. We just have to find more viable locations in between that framework.”
Any possibilities?“Plenty of towns have contacted us about joining, but it’s not easy. You need solid, dependable ownership and a nice, suitable ballpark. That combination is hard to find in the markets we seek.“We tried putting a team in Nashville and it was a disaster. We didn’t have enough money to promote that team so people in town cared, or even knew about it. Viable markets for us are places like Butler, Terre Haute, Quincy ... where we can be the big game in town.”
The Prospect League schedule has East Division teams playing only East Division opponents, West playing only West, during the regular season. Will that continue?“No. We originally believed staying within the division would save on travel costs, but it doesn’t. You’re paying for the bus whether it’s a five-hour ride or eight-hour ride.“Next year, we’ll go back to a full schedule. There may be longer road trips involved with more stops along the way. And if we expand to 15 of 16 teams, we’ll have a three-division format.”
The Springfield franchise (6-39) is really struggling this year. Why?“They were a little slow in getting a team together and they got their manager late. Connections are the name of the game in this league. Quincy has a ton of them, that’s why they contend every year.“Some teams have a full roster in place by the previous November, but injuries happen or collegiate seasons run longer than anticipated. Finding players and maintaining contacts is an ongoing process that doesn’t stop.”
Where does the Prospect League rate today on a national level?“There’s approximately 75 collegiate summer leagues and we’re on the cusp of the top five. The Cape Cod League has been losing a few players to us.“The Northwoods League (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan), Coastal Plains League in Virginia and the Carolinas, the Alaskan League — they’re all very good.Just the fact we had 50 current or former Prospect League players drafted by major league clubs this year — twice as many as we’ve had in any previous year — speaks volumes for where we’re at.”
How important is league parity to you?“I guess everyone strives for it and if you look at both of our divisions, there are two teams within a game of first place and the (Butler) BlueSox aren’t far behind.“You need to have some balance, but you can expect almost anything on a given night. We play 60 games in 69 days, bus trips and in hot weather. ... That takes its toll on teams from time to time.”
Is league attendance healthy?“Very much so. Some teams draw more than others. Danville and Chillicothe get between 1,500 and 1,600 a game, Quincy more than 1,000. Butler is averaging 600 or so, but that franchise is connected to its community better than most.“The ownership group with Butler have made baseball and the BlueSox the main event there. Pullman Park has become a gathering place for the community during the summer months.“Their games bring people together and that is truly priceless.”
