The world of Minor League Baseball can be an exhilarating experience.
The intimacy with the players, the small-town feel that many of the
parks have, the chance to see budding young stars on their way up and
the wacky promotions that had people coming out to the see the game
in record numbers last year are all part of what makes Minor League
Baseball an experience that could provide memories that will last a
lifetime.

That's why Minor League Baseball reached back into its promotional
bag this season and grabbed an idea that was the central focus of its
marketing plan back in the '70s and early '80s. The "It's Fun to Be a
Fan" program will kick off again this season as a multi-faceted
marketing and awareness campaign that will focus on what makes the
Minors fun.

Part of what makes the game fun is the fact that it is ever evolving.
There is always something new to see, hear or read about when you go
to a Minor League game. Whether it's a new manager, a new ballpark, a
new team or some new gimmick designed to get everyone involved, there
isn't any shortage of reasons why Minor League Baseball remains
wildly popular from coast to coast.

So, have fun this season being a fan. Go, enjoy games, take the
family and participate in Minor League Baseball. And when you do,
keep an eye out for some of the things that will be different this
season. Here's a glimpse of just some of what's changed since the
2004 season ended.

NEW YARDS

When talking new ballparks, the first ones that come to mind are the
usuallly big-league yards like Petco Park in San Diego or Citizens
Bank Park in Philadelphia. But there will be eight new Minor League
stadiums in use across the country this season from California to New
Hampshire. Here's a closer look at where baseball will be played for
the first time in 2005.

Banner Island Ballpark: The home of the Stockton Ports, the Class A
California League affiliate of the Oakland A's, sits 40 miles east of
Network Associates Coliseum. Opening night is scheduled for April 21
against Visalia. The Ports' new digs will feature a 360-degree walk-
around concourse, a 13-foot wall in left field that is being billed
as a scaled down version of Fenway Park's Green Monster and a "Splash
Landing" area in right field where home run balls can touch down in
Stockton's Water Channel. Fans can also relax in a new bar/dining
area.

Trustmark Park: The Mississippi Braves, the Double-A Southern League
affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, will kick off their inaugural season
in a new park that was named just last month. Trustmark,
Mississippi's second-largest bank, won the bid for the naming rights
to the yard that will open April 18 when the Braves, who relocated
from South Carolina, open the season. The building resembles a scaled-
down version of Turner Field. The 7,200-seat facility [5,500 chair-
back seats] has a complete concourse with 22 luxury boxes, a full
video board, picnic area and a restaurant that will remain open year-
round.

Fisher Cats Ballpark: The park, home to the New Hampshire Fisher
Cats -- the defending Eastern League champions and Double-A affiliate
of the Toronto Blue Jays -- sits on the banks of the Merrimack River
in Manchester. The stadium is part of a downtown development project
that includes a hotel and luxury condominiums. There is a Kids Fun
Land that runs along the first base line, a party deck in left field
and a VIP deck above the press box behind home plate. Left-handed
power hitters will thrive as the brick wall in the right-field corner
sits just 306 feet from home plate while the alley in right center is
353 feet. And, the access road to the park is lined, fittingly
enough, in granite to honor the state's nickname.

Appalachian Power Park: The newly named West Virginia Power (Class A
affiliate of the Brewers) of the South Atlantic League will host
Hagerstown on April 14 in the inaugural game. The $23-million
ballpark in Charleston's East End is expected to be a hotbed of
entertainment in the area with the team marketing family
entertainment as much as it will emphasize baseball. Five new
superhero-themed mascots will also be roaming the stands, interacting
with the younger fans. Their names are Hydro, Gusty, Axe, Pyro and
Charley. There is a Kid's Zone in center field with seating in the
left center field bleachers.

First Horizon Park: Like Appalachian Power Park, this new yard will
be one of the jewels of the South Atlantic League and serve as the
home to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, an affiliate of the Florida
Marlins. The main courtyard will sport a waterfall and baseball
sculptures while there is room to expand to more than 10,000 seats to
meet possible Triple-A standards. There are ceiling fans above the
mezzanine seats to keep fans cool in the summer and a monstrous
scoreboard in right field to provide loads of information. Look for
Guilford the Grasshopper, the team's new mascot, when you're at the
park.

Whataburger Field: The home of the Corpus Christi Hooks, Houston's
Double-A affiliate in the Texas League, will open its doors for the
first time on April 17 for a game against the Midland RockHounds.
This new yard features a kid's playground known as Kieschnick's
Corner just beyond the center field fence. There is a Sport Court and
luxury suites as well. There is a view of the Harbor Bridge and ship
channel, and fans will also have an opportunity to see the Texas
State Aquarium and the USS Lexington from several points inside the
ballpark. The building has an older look to it as the architects
designed it to look like an old cotton warehouse.

Parkway Crossing Stadium: This new facility, which will be home to
the Angels' Orem affiliate in the Class A Pioneer League, is on the
campus of Utah Valley State College. The 2,500-seat stadium will also
provide an excellent view of Mount Timpanogos, as well as stunning
panoramas provided by the rest of the Wasatch Range. There is berm
seating down both outfield foul lines and a Pacific States Kids Play
Area to keep the little ones occupied.

Hammons Field: Technically, this park opened in 2004 but it didn't
have a Minor League resident until this season when the Cardinals
moved in after relocating from El Paso. A bullpen patio and 28 luxury
deluxe suites are just two of the fan-friendly amenities this new
yard has to offer. The 8,000-seat facility also has upgraded
clubhouses and concession stands to accommodate the crowds at a Minor
League game.

In other ballpark news, Commerce Bank Park in Harrisburg, Pa., has a
new field and a new drainage system with more upgrades scheduled for
after the 2005 season while in Greeneville, Tenn., the facility at
the Tusculum College, where the Martinsville Astros previously
played, has been upgraded to a 2,400-seat park.

NEW AFFILIATIONS

The change in Minor League Baseball wasn't limited to new ballparks
this past winter. Twenty-five teams signed new affiliation deals with
Major League clubs, with the bulk of those changes taking place at
the Class A level.

The high Class A California League, the low Class A South Atlantic
League and the low Midwest League teams did the most maneuvering. The
California League had five of its teams make the switch. The
Bakersfield Blaze (Tampa Bay to Texas), the High Desert Mavericks
(Milwaukee to Kansas City), the Modesto A's (Oakland to Colorado),
the Stockton Ports (Texas to Oakland) and the Visalia Oaks (Colorado
to Tampa Bay) all signed player development deals with new teams.

The Augusta Green Jackets (Boston to San Francisco), the Capital City
Bombers (New York Mets to Boston), the Charleston River Dogs (Tampa
Bay to the Yankees), the Hagerstown Suns (San Francisco to the Mets)
all made switches in the "Sally" (SAL) League, along with the
Charleston Alley Cats, who changed their name to the West Virginia
Power (Toronto to Milwaukee). The Midwest League saw the Battle Creek
Yankees (Yankees to Tampa Bay), the Beloit Snappers (Milwaukee to
Minnesota), the Lansing Lugnuts (Cubs to Toronto), the Peoria Chiefs
(St. Louis to the Cubs) and the Swing of the Quad Cities (Minnesota
to St. Louis) all make moves.

Sarasota (Boston to Cincinnati) and Brevard County (Washington to
Milwaukee) switched hands in the Florida State League, while the
Potomac Cannons (Cincinnati to Washington) and the Wilmington Blue
Rocks (Kansas City to Boston) made moves in the Carolina League.

The El Paso Diablos moved to Springfield, Ill., in addition to
changing their affiliation in the Texas League, going from Arizona to
St. Louis. The Tennessee Smokies, meanwhile, made that swap complete,
going from St. Louis to Arizona.

Finally, in the Pacific Coast League, the Edmonton Trappers moved to
Round Rock, Tex., where they will now be the Triple-A affiliate of
the Houston Astros. In addition, the Nashville Sounds (Pittsburgh to
Milwaukee) and the New Orleans Zephyrs (Houston to Washington) will
be sending players to new parent teams. The Indianapolis Indians of
the International League also switched from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh.

OLD TEAMS IN NEW PLACES

The big move took place in the PCL as Edmonton pulled up stakes and
went south, to Round Rock. The franchise that was in Round Rock moved
into a new ballpark in Corpus Christi, changed its name to the Hooks
and will remain as the Astros Double-A affiliate in the Texas League.

The Southern League saw its Greeneville, S.C., team move to Pearl,
Miss. Greeneville, however, won't be without a team because Capital
City of the South Atlantic League will move from Columbia, S.C.

Finally, the Angels Class A Pioneer League affiliate moved from
Provo, Utah, up the road to Orem.

A NEW LOOK

No less than 17 teams will have new logos or identities heading into
this season. They include the Bakersfield Blaze, Corpus Christi
Hooks, Fresno Grizzlies, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Mississippi Braves,
Modesto Nuts, Orem Owlz, Peoria Chiefs, Potomac Nationals, Rancho
Cucamonga Quakes, Salem Avalanche, Sarasota Reds, Southwest Michigan
Devil Rays, Springfield Cardinals, Vancouver Canadians, West Virginia
Power and Wichita Wranglers.

The Wranglers, the Nuts and the Owlz all sport particularly neat new
logos. The Wranglers have a Cowboy on a horse, kicking up some dust
as he spins a lasso. The Owlz have a menacing bird holding a pair of
crossed bats in its claws, while the Nuts actually have a pair of
nuts dressed in baseball uniforms.

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES

The Minor League managerial carousel spins at such a frantic pace
that it's often times difficult to keep up with who is managing what
team. Traditionally, managing in Durham or Ogden or Binghamton is
simply a stepping stone to a Major League coaching or managerial job
so there are very few extended stays on the bench in the Minors. With
that in mind, here's a look at some of the new and not-so-new faces
who have found their way into the manager's office this season.

American League East

Baltimore's farm system will have a bevy of new managers with Dave
Trembley heading the pack by taking over at Triple-A Ottawa. Don
Werner (AA Bowie), Bien Figueroa (Class A Frederick), Gary Kendall
(Class A Delmarva) and former Baltimore catcher Andy Etchebarren
[Class A Aberdeen] are also on board.

The defending World Champion Red Sox promoted Ron Johnson from their
Double-A team in Portland to their Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket.
Todd Claus takes over in Portland, Maine. Dann Bilardello comes over
from the Dodgers organization to manage at Class A Wilmington while
Chad Eppserson got the call at Class A Greenville.

The East Division champ Yankees didn't rest on their laurels either,
making moves at almost every level. Bill Masse takes over at Double-A
Trenton, Joe Breeden at Class A Tampa, Bill Mosiello at Class A
Charleston, Andy Stankiewicz at Class A Staten Island and John Kremer
in the Gulf Coast League.

Tampa Bay tabbed Joe Szekely as the new skipper at Class A Southwest
Michigan.

American League Central

American League Central champs Minnesota tabbed Ricardo Ingram as its
new man at Class A Fort Myers and Nelson Prada to guide its Gulf
Coast League affiliate while Detroit named big-league catcher Duffy
Dyer as its skipper at Double-A Erie.

Cleveland has four new skippers in the system, Torey Lovullo (Double-
A Akron), Luis Rivera (Class A Kinston), Mike Sarbaugh (Class A Lake
County) and Rouglas Odor (Class A Mahoning Valley).

The White Sox promoted Nick Leyva from infield instructor to manager
and he will guide Triple-A Charlotte. Nick Capra, who managed
Charlotte last year will go to Class A Kannapolis while Chris Cron
moves from Kannapolis to Winston-Salem.

American League West

Seattle tabbed Scott Steinmann as the skipper for its Class A
affiliate in Wisconsin. He was at Rookie League Peoria last year and
will be replaced there this season by Dana Williams.

Oakland has a trio of new Minor League skippers. Former Major Leaguer
Von Hayes (Double-A Midland), Todd Stevenson (Class A Stockton) and
Webster Garrison (Class A Vancouver) have all come aboard.

The Rangers did some shuffling as well. Darryl Kennedy takes over at
Double-A Frisco, Arnie Beyeler is the new man at Class A Bakersfield
and Greg Riddoch will manage at Class A Spokane. In addition,
Bakersfield replaces Stockton as the Class A affiliate in the
California League.

In addition to moving their Pioneer League team from Provo to Orem,
the Angels made three managerial switches down below. Dino Ebel
(Triple-A Salt Lake), Tom Gamboa (Double-A Arkansas) and Tyrone
Boykin (Class A Rancho Cucamonga) will all be on the bench in a
managerial capacity this season.

National League East

The Mets promoted Ken Oberkfell from their Double-A Binghamton team
to Triple-A Norfolk with Jack Lind moving up from Class A Capital
City of the South Atlantic League. New York changed its Sally League
affiliate to Hagerstown this winter and tabbed Gene Richards as the
skipper. Former Met Mookie Wilson moves up from Kingsport to Class A
Brooklyn while Jesse Levis takes over the Rookie League affiliate.
Hall-of-Famer Gary Carter gets his first crack at managing the Gulf
Coast Mets.

The Phillies lost Hall-of-Famer Mike Schmidt in Class A Clearwater,
replacing him with Greg Legg. Former big-league skipper Gene Lamont
gets the nod at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre while former Major
Leaguer Steve Swisher takes over at Double-A Reading.

The Marlins had a complete overhaul of their minor-league staff,
sporting six new skippers. Dean Treanor [Triple-A Albuquerque], Gary
Allenson [Double-A Carolina], Tim Cossins [Class-A Jupiter], Brandon
Hyde [Class-A Greensboro], Mike Mordecai [Class-A Jamestown] and
Edwin Rodriguez [Gulf Coast League] are all newcomers.

Washington tabbed Tim Foli, who played part of his career in
Montreal, as the new skipper at Triple-A New Orleans. Keith Bodie
will assume the managerial duties for Double-A Harrisburg, while
Randy Knorr will be the skipper for Class A Savannah. Bobby Williams
got the nod at Class A Vermont while Doug Sisson will pilot the Gulf
Coast affiliate.

National League Central

Rick Sweet will take over for Rick Burleson as the manager of the
Reds Triple-A Louisville affiliate with Burleson replacing Donnie
Scott at Class A Billings. Dave Clark gets the call at Houston's
Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi.

The Cubs tabbed former big-league slugger Richie Zisk to manage their
Class A Daytona team after he served as the hitting coach there last
season. Steve McFarland moves from Daytona to Class A Mesa while Trey
Forkerway takes over in Class A Boise, moving from Mesa.

The Brewers made a host of moves right on down the line. They have a
new Pacific Coast League affiliate in Nashville and Frank Kremblas
takes over for Cecil Cooper, who moved on to become the bench coach
for the Astros. Former Milwaukee All-Star Don Money takes over at
Double-A Huntsville, replacing Kremblas, while Ramon Aviles gets the
nod for the club's new South Atlantic League affiliate in Charleston,
West Virginia.

St. Louis shook up its lower-level clubs, bringing in Chris Maloney
to manage at Double-A Springfield. Ron Warner will pilot Palm Beach
of the Florida State League with Joe Cunningham (Class A Quad Cities)
and Mark DeJohn (Class A New Jersey) also checking in as new
skippers.

National League West

Arizona not only brought in a new manager at the Major League level,
it shuffled most of its Minor League managerial staff as well. Tony
Perezchica will be the new skipper at Double-A Tennessee while Bill
Plummer takes over at Class A Lancaster. Mark Haley signs on in Class
A South Bend while Jay Gainer (Class A Yakima) and Hector De La Cruz
(Rookie Missoula) are also new.

The Giants will call on a pair of former Major Leaguers who will be
making their managerial debuts. Roberto Kelly will get the nod in
Class A Augusta while former Giants catcher Steve Decker will pilot
the Class A Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanotes of the Northwest
League.

Jerry Royster returns to the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas,
where he managed from 1989-92. John Shoemaker (Double-A Jackson),
Travis Barbary (Class A Columbus) and Juan Bustabad (Class A Ogden)
are also new.

NEW RULE

One of the biggest changes this year will be the adoption of an
experimental rule [6.02 (D) (1)] designed to encourage an improved
pace of play. It requires a batter to keep one foot in the batter's
box throughout an at-bat, unless certain exceptions apply, in which
case the batter must remain within the dirt area surrounding home
plate.

The umpire will be allowed to award an automatic strike or strikes,
without the pitcher having to deliver a pitch, if a batter
intentionally leaves the batter's box and delays play, which is
similar to a rule used in the NCAA. The experimental rule was tested
in 2004 during the Arizona Fall League and was deemed successful.

NEW WEBSITE

MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet
company of Major League Baseball, and the National Association of
Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL), better known as Minor League
Baseball, reached an historic, wide-ranging 10-year online
partnership agreement making MLBAM the exclusive provider of Internet-
related services and other interactive media services to NAPBL.

The online agreement makes MLBAM exclusively responsible for the
development, operation and maintenance of the official NAPBL website,
and the websites for the NAPBL teams and leagues that elect to
participate in the new website network. In addition, MLBAM has been
selected as the official statistician for the Minor League Baseball.

The agreement begins with the start of the 2005 season and extends
through 2014. As part of the agreement, MLBAM will handle the online
sale of merchandise, including tickets, content, advertising and
sponsorships and statistical syndication for the network. MLBAM will
have the exclusive online use of NAPBL, league and team trademarks,
names, logos, mascots, player names, likenesses, photos and game
audio and video.

SOME FUN STUFF

There are also a few fun things that may pique a different interest:
The Staten Island Yankees have put together a Japanese language
website, http://www.siyanks.jp/, that offers a unique look and
feel. ... Heater, the 7-foot fiberglass dolphin outside Whatabgurger
Field in Corpus Christi, has a depiction of Roger Clemens painted on
his left side and Nolan Ryan painted on his right side, both in
Astros uniforms. Ryan is the principle owner while Clemens has a
stake in the franchise as well. ... Minor League Baseball, in
conjunction with Major League Baseball Properties, Just Minors (an
official trading card licensee) and Beckett Baseball magazine have
teamed up on an exciting trading card redemption program that
includes a special nine-card pull-out sheet in the May issue of
Becket Baseball. ... and the Fresno Grizzlies will have their own
dance/cheerleading team. The 14-member squad will dance at all home
games and assist in promotions.