Independent baseball has been an important aspect of professional baseball for over a century.  This History of Independent Baseball Leagues, 1993-2002 attempts to document the development of this phenomena during the past decade.  We have included all available statistics.  Both Miles Wolff and myself decided early in our involvement in the rise of this new era of independent baseball to collect and preserve the available statistical records and narratives which document the formal activities of each attempt at creating new independent teams and leagues.  Our narrative presents basic documentation of every independent league attempted.  This practice has been carried out by publishers of baseball material for the past century.  We believe the text fulfills this essential historical documentation.

In the past decade there have been discussions and formal attempts at describing the economics involved in the development of the independent teams and leagues.  This History of Independent Baseball Leagues describes, in detail, the shortfalls and miscalculations of league organizers.  The text will also give you some idea why successful franchises and leagues have been created.

Miles Wolff and I were both involved in the initial organization of the Northern League.  We were both very much aware that “organized baseball has essentially abandoned the potential locations for minor league franchises in the Upper Midwest in the 1970s.  This “new” development of the Independent Leagues is, in this way, an anticipated response of communities who have provided their residents with professional baseball over the past century.  These opportunities will continue to arise in the future for organized professional baseball operations.

David Kemp

The first Secretary of the Independent Northern League

Summer, 2003