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Mollie Radzinski | TV2

Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, all of today’s big Major League Baseball stars started somewhere. For those two players, their start in professional baseball was in a tiny little town nestled between Rochester and Buffalo:

Namely, Batavia, NY.

There in Batavia is the single-A club the Batavia Muckdogs, where I had the privilege to intern this summer. I could have been with the Triple A Rochester Redwings or Buffalo Bisons, but I chose the Muckdogs, and am glad I did. A Single A team has such a different dynamic than a bigger-league ball club.

First, there are the players. Fresh out of college, these guys have signing bonuses ranging from $940,000 to $1,000. Unlike many of the bigger-league stars, every one of them is willing to sign autographs for fans.

I won’t say there aren’t any egos on the team, but it is hard to have too much of an ego when one has to drive around town on a Huffy bike.

The other great thing about Single A baseball is being able to see players get their start and follow their progress. As mentioned earlier, MLB power-players Utley and Howard both spent a season as a Muckdog.

Who knows who’s next; there very well could be another MLB M.V.P. on this season’s roster.

And of course, in the small-town atmosphere, there are the fans. Although attendance in Batavia is low among all the New York-Penn League teams, we still have our regulars who are there rain or shine throughout the season.

There are the booster club members, too, who are always making the players feel as at home as possible, which is tough when you go from living in Southern California to living in small-town Western New York.

The Muckdogs are on the road in Mahoning Valley this week, just about an hour away from Kent, and I am so excited to be there. For those of you out there that love a good baseball game, instead of attending only a handful of Major League games a year, tryout a minor league team. They are cheaper, they are more fan-friendly, and they are just as exciting as any MLB game you can see on TV.

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