Four turn down Frontier League

According to ballparkdigest.com, the eight-team Northern League split today with four teams joining the American Association and four others (Joliet, Lake County, Rockford and Schaumburg) turning down an offer to join the Frontier League. The remaining four teams also spurned an offer to join their former rivals in the American Association.

The four remaining teams -- each located in Illinois -- will comprise the new Northern League and the its commissioner will seek expansion opportunities. According to the website, there are financial reasons for the two teams to remain in the Northern League -- it's seen by some owners as the best way to preserve franchise values at a time when Joliet and Schaumburg are up for sale -- and some logistical arguments to running a league in which all four teams are in close proximity, which cuts travel costs. As mentioned in an earlier post, Joliet and Schaumburg are deep in debt.

I'm not sure how you can run a league with only four teams. Four teams is not a league. Heck, it's not even a division.

So, for now, a 16-team Frontier League in 2011 is not a possibility. It will be interesting to see if the four-team Northern League even makes it to opening day, and you can be sure the Frontier League will be watching.