Sarasota Rookie League
Encyclopedia
The Sarasota Rookie League was an American
Rookie-classification minor baseball league
that existed in . Its four teams were owned and operated by Major League Baseball
clubs and played in minor league training complexes in Sarasota, Florida
. The SRL was succeeded in by the Florida Rookie League, which had six teams in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida
-based camps. Then, in , the modern Gulf Coast League
was established on the foundation built by the two earlier circuits.
Complex-based baseball leagues, which played before sparse crowds and often scheduled morning games to avoid the summer heat and afternoon thunderstorms, were adopted after the drastic shrinking of minor league baseball during the 1950s and 1960s. MLB teams needed an entry level to professional baseball for 18- and 19-year-old players graduating from high schools or signed from Latin America
. They are typically considered the lowest rung on the minor league ladder, a notch below other Rookie-level leagues such as the Appalachian
or the Pioneer circuits.
The SRL's four teams consisted of squads sponsored by the Chicago White Sox
, Milwaukee Braves
, New York Yankees
and St. Louis Cardinals
. The SRL Braves, managed by Paul Snyder
, future Atlanta farm system director, won the championship with a 36-23 record.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Rookie-classification minor baseball league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
that existed in . Its four teams were owned and operated by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
clubs and played in minor league training complexes in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
. The SRL was succeeded in by the Florida Rookie League, which had six teams in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
-based camps. Then, in , the modern Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
was established on the foundation built by the two earlier circuits.
Complex-based baseball leagues, which played before sparse crowds and often scheduled morning games to avoid the summer heat and afternoon thunderstorms, were adopted after the drastic shrinking of minor league baseball during the 1950s and 1960s. MLB teams needed an entry level to professional baseball for 18- and 19-year-old players graduating from high schools or signed from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. They are typically considered the lowest rung on the minor league ladder, a notch below other Rookie-level leagues such as the Appalachian
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
or the Pioneer circuits.
The SRL's four teams consisted of squads sponsored by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The SRL Braves, managed by Paul Snyder
Paul Snyder (baseball)
Paul Luther Snyder is a retired American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. He played an integral role in the rise and sustained dominance of the Atlanta Braves during the 1990s as the team's longtime amateur scouting director , assistant to the general manager , and director of player...
, future Atlanta farm system director, won the championship with a 36-23 record.