ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Gene and Geno Buonomo are separated by one letter and not much else. Gene is the head groundskeeper for Triple-A Rochester while Geno, his son, is the assistant groundskeeper. As for how Geno came to Gene's line of work, it must've been in the genes. Right? "Uhhh,

ERIE, Penn. -- When Double-A Erie catcher Jon Rosoff steps to the plate at UPMC Park, an Army running cadence song plays over the PA. This anomalous walk-up music, more evocative of boot camp than ballgame, encapsulates Rosoff's dual existence. Since signing with the Tigers organization in 2018, he's balanced

ERIE, Penn. -- Yasin Chentouf, a bearded, long-haired and compactly built SeaWolves relief pitcher, has always had a gift for gab. It's just who he is. This propensity for loquaciousness resulted in his nickname, which he's had for the entirety of his baseball career: Yaya. "My first year playing baseball,

APPLETON, Wisconsin -- It's one hour before game time, and Charles Behrmann is busy. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers executive chef is working out of a spacious ballpark kitchen, stationed in front of a battery of sizzling deep fryers and frequently checking on the various items baking in the adjacent ovens.

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Subscribe HERE.

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Subscribe HERE.

Beloit, Wisconsin's Midwest League team may have a fish in its name, but Sky Carp is actually a slang term for a goose. Nonetheless, the Marlins' High-A affiliate still has an affinity for, and proximity to, the water. This was made abundantly clear this past Sunday, as fans traveled to

BELOIT, Wisconsin -- 2021 marked the end of the line for Pohlman Field, home of Beloit, Wisconsin’s Midwest League team since 1982. During that farewell campaign, the High-A Miami affiliate, then known as the Snappers, had seven full-season ticket holders. Not 700, 70 or even 17. Just seven. Pat and

OKLAHOMA CITY -- "Astronauts, country music stars and athletes, we seem to just spit 'em out." That's Justin Lenhart's succinct summation of Oklahoman occupations that have made an outsized impact on American culture. As curator of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Lenhart's focus is on the "athletes" portion of

For the average baseball fan, popcorn is a snack to be savored over the course of several innings. For Joey Chestnut, it's to be eaten nonstop at rapid speed over the course of eight suspense-filled minutes. At 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, prior to the evening's Indianapolis Indians game

ST. PAUL, Minnesota -- During their inaugural 1993 campaign at Midway Field and in every season since, the St. Paul Saints have employed a ball pig whose job is to deliver baseballs to the home plate umpire. These saddlebag-wearing dugout messengers are the most prominent aspect of a gameday experience

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Prior to a Tulsa Drillers game late last month, Jeff Hubbard was stationed just inside the front entrance handing out bobbleheads and breaking down the cardboard boxes they had been stored in. His brother, Dale, could be found on the streets outside, shuttling fans in a golf

DYERSVILLE, Iowa -- On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the inaugural MiLB at Field of Dreams game, a group of men wearing 1919 Chicago White Sox uniforms emerged from the same cornfield depicted in the movie. This pinstriped contingent were members of the Ghost Players, a group that played a huge

DYERSVILLE, Iowa -- "If you write it, they will read." As I traveled into Iowa, marveling at the grandeur of the mighty Mississippi, this sentiment echoed through my head. Whether a ghostly transmission or a convenient manifestation of my subconscious, it matters not. Cinematic inspiration is everywhere today, as the

Road trip! On Sunday morning, Kelsie Heneghan, Sam Dykstra and myself will set our GPS coordinates for Dyersville, Iowa, home of the inaugural MiLB at Field of Dreams game. This mystical Midwest League contest will take place Aug. 9, two days before the Cubs and the Reds play the MLB

WICHITA, Kansas -- An internship with a Minor League Baseball team can result in all sorts of unpredictable experiences. For example, Jacob Koch served as the inspiration for the lead protagonist in a romance novella set at the ballpark. The novella in question is Home Run Hunter, written by Cindy

OKLAHOMA CITY -- At every Oklahoma City Dodgers home game, students from the Del City High School band can be found working the concession stands. The money raised from their efforts is crucial, to the extent that head band director Sean Johnson calls it "the lifeblood of our program." "Our

BELOIT, Wisconsin -- How does one end up with a dream job? In Larry Larson’s case, he won a literal Dream Job Competition. Simple, right? Larson, a native of Rockford, Ill., is the voice of the Beloit Sky Carp. He landed the gig with the High-A Marlins affiliate after surviving

ST. PAUL, Minnesota -- How many laps around CHS Field does it take to complete a marathon? Seigo Masabuchi knows, because he's done it. He's done a lot of things over the course of nearly 25 years with the St. Paul Saints, all part of a baseball career that has

BELOIT, Wisconsin -- His legal name is Michael David Johnson, but these days he’s often referred to as Doc. It’s a fitting nickname for the ace of the Beloit Sky Carp, even if he’s a long way from a PhD. “In the baseball world I’ve always been known as M.D.,”

ST. PAUL, Minnesota -- There’s a lot going on at the St. Paul Saints’ home of CHS Field, in addition to whatever may be taking place between the white lines. For a representative tableau, consider this: A pig delivering balls to the umpire in the midst of a dizzy bat

BELOIT, Wisconsin -- Timothy Boatner Jr., batboy for the Beloit Sky Carp, says he's "just a chill kid, ready for fun. And dancing is one of the things I like to do." This approach to life has led to an unlikely ballpark phenomenon: Timmy Time. When it's Timmy Time at

PORTLAND, Maine -- Jimmy Knowlen is in his element. The 87-year-old Portland Sea Dogs usher, perhaps the most popular man at Hadlock Field, is standing in the aisle overlooking section 103. He’s decked out in a crisp pair of khakis and a neon yellow shirt denoting his status as a

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- After graduating high school, Mike Georgiadis joined the Navy and traveled the world. After leaving the Navy, he became a groundskeeper and traveled all over the country. Throughout these global and domestic journeys, there’s been one constant: a unique and personally meaningful American flag. Georgiadis, currently the

PORTLAND, Maine -- Slugger’s face is set in a permanent scowl, a countenance his spokesperson refers to as a “resting frown.” But don’t let that fixed expression fool you, as the Portland Sea Dogs’ resident anthropomorphic seal is one of the most exuberant and boundary-pushing mascots in Minor League Baseball.