Merger talk

Interesting story by Mike DeDoncker of the Rockford Register Star about the potential for a merger between the Frontier League and Northern League.

href="http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/SPORTS08/105
110042/1001/SPORTS">Click here to read story

Though NL teams Joliet (Ill.), Gary (Ind.) and Schaumburg (Ill.) are in the heart of Frontier Legaue country, I can't see those franchises ever joining the Frontier League. The size of their stadiums, crowds and budgets are too big for FL standards and there is no age restriction in the NL. Would the FL ever consider meeting the NL teams in some sort of rules compromise, as suggested by the Rockford owner? It's doubtful. Raising the stakes and budgets would likely cripple the smaller FL markets such as Chillicothe, Slippery Rock and perhaps Washington. Plus, the FL has carved out a nice niche as an under-28 league with a smaller salary cap than what is used in the NL and Atlantic League. There might not bee any former major leaguers in the FL, but I don't think those who attend Wild Things games really care if they get to watch Jermaine Allensworth play center field again.