A few wrapup articles from around the MWL

Some of it is on field. Some of it is off field.

Dayton

Individual talent was there at Fifth Third Field

By the end of the season, the Dragons had some players to watch if not a team to win.

“You really can’t judge the success of a team until two, three years down the road,” Dragons manager Todd Benzinger said as Dayton failed to make the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth time in 10 seasons.

“When the season began, I was informed shortstop Miguel Rojas was going to be our prospect. He not only lived up to expectations, he exceeded them. He hit 50 points higher than anyone thought.”

After running through a list of Dragons who did well in '09, there is this...

It was all watched by more than a half-million fans, who kept the team in the top 10 of all Minor League Baseball teams for the 10th consecutive season.

Quad Cities

Bandits draw crowds despite losing season

There's an old adage among operators of minor-league baseball teams that what happens on the field has little relevance to what happens off it.

That sentiment held true this season at Modern Woodmen Park, where the Quad-Cities River Bandits experienced continued attendance growth despite the club's worst record since 2003.

Manager Steve Dillard's team finished a 61-78 season Monday at Kane County, a record helped by wins in six of the team's final eight games. By then, inconsistency already had assured Quad-Cities that it would miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for just the second time in the last 15 years.

West Michigan

Economy blamed as Whitecaps finish with second lowest season attendance in franchise's 16 years

A slow economy and a cooler-than-usual summer didn't stop some fans in West Michigan from supporting their minor league baseball team.

The West Michigan Whitecaps closed out the regular season Monday afternoon, as a holiday crowd of 6,005 witnessed a 3-1 loss to the Fort Wayne Wizards.

The Whitecaps (81-59 overall) attracted a total of 356,637 fans to Fifth Third Ballpark this season -- an average of 5,245 for 68 home dates, good for fifth overall in the Midwest League.

And while their attendance numbers were down slightly from last season, Whitecaps vice president Jim Jarecki viewed it as a success in a turbulent economy.

"We're very enthusiastic about the attendance this season, and we can't thank the fans enough, especially with the economic times that we're having," Jarecki said. "I said before that the things that have prospered in economic times have been ballparks and movie theaters.

"And I think the fans came out again and supported us, and hopefully we supported them by giving them a great product on and off the field."

The final tally was the second-lowest in the franchise's 16-year history, narrowly eclipsing the 2006 season total of 356,155.

Fort Wayne

Is Parkview Field a downtown catalyst?
Too soon to tell - TinCaps attendance is promising, but is it sustainable?

In their first season downtown, the Fort Wayne TinCaps far surpassed the largest attendance the team pulled when it was the Wizards playing at Memorial Stadium on Coliseum Boulevard. Some restaurants near Parkview Field say they're seeing more business on game days. And the presence of the team and Parkview Field downtown are clearly drawing thousands of visitors from outside Allen County.

However, it's too soon to say whether the baseball stadium is a catalyst that ignites and supports a broader revival in the heart of Fort Wayne, or a novelty that will lose its draw. It may be years before tax receipts, property values, occupancy rates and other objective measures reveal how well the city's gamble on Parkview Field pays off.

“We have a lot of good anecdotal evidence, and I don't want to ignore that, because it's important,” said Rich Davis, president of the Downtown Improvement District. Through their presence, he said, the TinCaps and the new stadium have drawn “upwards of 400,000 people” downtown and given them a “mind-opening experience” of entertainment available there.

Clinton
L’Kings consider season a success

Yes, the LumberKings missed the Midwest League playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s past seven seasons. And yes, that ranks as a major disappointment for fans, players, coaches and the front office.

But no, that did not define Clinton’s season.

“It was a good year,” LumberKings general manager Ted Tornow said. “It wasn’t a great year. It wasn’t the worst year we’ve had. It wasn’t the best year we’ve had. It was right up near the top. It was a very good year.”

In its first season as the Seattle Mariners’ low Class A affiliate, Clinton boasted the league’s top pitching staff and individual ERA champ. The LumberKings overcame promotions and a major trade to contend for the postseason until each half’s final week. Clinton hosted the Midwest League All-Star game for a fourth time.

There’s more to the story than failed playoff races.

“Making the playoffs, it’s something we would have loved to do,” Mariners special assistant to the GM John Boles said. “It didn’t happen. But that doesn’t detract from what took place this summer.”

A lot more...and I do mean a lot more at that last link about the LumberKings.