fiction/non/fiction S8 Ep. 46: Will Bardenwerper on Baseball’s Betrayal of Its Minor League Roots
Aug 14, 2025
Will Bardenwerper, a journalist and author of 'Homestand,' discusses the heart-wrenching cuts to minor league baseball teams and their impact on small communities. He passionately highlights the story of the Batavia Muckdogs, celebrating the resilience of fans and the unique gathering spaces that local teams provide. Bardenwerper reflects on the emotional ties fans have to the game, contrasting the comfort of local traditions with the corporate pressures of Major League Baseball. His insights shed light on the intricate connections between sports, community values, and economic challenges.
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Contraction Saved Little, Cost Much
- MLB cut 40 minor-league teams to save roughly one major-league minimum salary per team annually.
- Will Bardenwerper argues that this small saving had outsized cultural costs for small towns.
From Appalachian Plan To Batavia MuckDogs
- Bardenwerper intended to cover the Appalachian League but COVID canceled the season and he pivoted to Batavia's Muckdogs.
- A local writer invited him, leading to a season spent following the team as it converted to a collegiate league.
Consultant Becomes Big Owner
- Peter Friend helped execute MLB's contraction then formed Diamond Baseball Holdings and bought many surviving teams.
- Bardenwerper calls this sequence ethically troubling and emblematic of extraction.
