Minnesota Amateur Baseball Should Ditch The Draft

Before I even start on this issue, let me clear something up. What I'm about to write is in no way intended to be an excuse for my team (the Rochester Royals) losing any game in the state tournament. That being said, I think the tournament draft is a hindrance to true team competition and a tradition that needs to go.

Every fall, two teams from each section across the state qualify for the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball tournament. Each of those teams can "draft" players from the teams in their section that didn't qualify, although they can only take pitchers and catchers. The intention, I'm guessing, may be to make sure teams have enough pitching to make it through the tournament. After all, there are a lot of games. But the effect is something much different.

Several of the state tournament losses the Royals have suffered over the past decade have come at the hands of a draftee. Most often, it's a pitcher from another team that comes in and shuts the door. Sometimes it's in the form of a catcher who throws out baserunners and knocks in the winning run. Either way, it's a player that doesn't belong on the team, who isn't from the town or team that qualified, and has no business being there.

In the state tournament, it's not always about who has the best team, instead it's who has the best section. That doesn't seem right.

A survey was taken over the past year in which a vast majority of managers voted to get rid of the draft. But the state board ignored the results. One of the reasons was that the draft is part of Minnesota Amateur baseball tradition. To think that getting rid of the draft would somehow diminish the aura and atmosphere of state tournament baseball is ridiculous. It would simply allow the best team to win.

This year the Royals, who in recent history haven't used a draftee, might actually benefit from the draft. We have three players from the Austin Blue Sox who seem to be good guys and solid pitchers. We'll need those arms before the next eight games are over, and I'm happy to have them on the team.

The draft tradition is counter-productive and has to go. But for this one year, I might be glad we have it.

****As an aside, I was looking through the Post Bulletin the other day and noticed that the Rochester Royals were listed under "Amateur Baseball" while the Rochester Giants were listed as a "Semi-Pro" football team. Does anyone know the difference? I used to think that semi-pro meant some of the players were paid, but I once played for a "semi-pro" baseball team and as far as I could tell, it was the same as amateur. Anyone know?