Get ready for the very first MiLB Awards

Plus, a fan looks back on an absolutely loaded Midwest League matchup [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( September 28, 2023 Tungsten, often used as a catalyst, has the highest melting point of all known elements. Ben’s Biz Beat is the tungsten of newsletters, then, as it serves as a catalyst for Minor League explorations and will remain after everything else has melted away. Tungsten’s atomic number is 74, and this is the 74th edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat. Wow, I hadn’t even realized that until just now. Let’s talk about Minor League Baseball.   THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE: MiLB AWARDS AIR ON MLB NETWORK OCT. 2 [The inaugural MiLB Awards are Monday]( The end is nigh: The [Triple-A Championship Game]( the final contest of the 2023 Minor League season, takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30. Two nights later, on Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. E.T., usher in the offseason by watching MLB Network’s [first MiLB Awards Show](.  Most of the MiLB Awards will be related to on-field performance, but that sort of thing isn’t my area of expertise. I would therefore like to draw your attention to the [Best Alternate Identity]( award. [Vote for best alternate identity]( There are eight Best Alternate Identity nominees, and the winner will be selected via an online fan vote. Voting ends today -- Sept. 28 -- so move your mouse with alacrity to [this link]( and make your voice heard. Looking for an overview of the eight nominees before casting your vote? Anticipating your desires is my main concern, and therefore I have written an article dedicated to precisely this. [READ ABOUT THE MILB AWARDS’ BEST ALTERNATE IDENTITY NOMINEES HERE]( Once again, the MiLB Awards air on MLB Network on Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Tune in, and you’ll even get to see a segment or two featuring – wait for it -- me. Ben’s Biz on your television set, who could ask for more?   MIKE VEECK, SUBJECT OF NEW DOCUMENTARY, HAD HUGE MINOR LEAGUE IMPACT [Mike Veeck as in wreck]( The Saint of Second Chances, a documentary now streaming on Netflix, chronicles the life and times of groundbreaking baseball executive Mike Veeck. He got his start in the 1970s working for the Chicago White Sox -- a team owned by his father, the legendary Bill Veeck -- but the disaster that was Disco Demolition Night derailed his career. The documentary details how Veeck found redemption in the Minor Leagues, most notably with the St. Paul Saints.  I spoke with Veeck last month, in advance of The Saint of Second Chances’ Sept. 18 Netflix debut. Our conversation, combined with a rigorous viewing of the film, resulted in the production of two MLB.com feature stories. [Mike Veeck's second chance]( The first story provides an overview of Veeck’s Minor League career, in which he found success by continuing and expanding upon his father’s anything-goes promotional philosophy. The second focuses on the promotions themselves, detailing 10 notable endeavors from his time with the Miami/Fort Myers Miracle, St. Paul Saints, Charleston RiverDogs and Brockton Rox. Come for the mimes, stay for the existentialism.  [READ ABOUT MIKE VEECK’S MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IMPACT HERE]( [READ ABOUT MIKE VEECK’S 10 ZANIEST MINOR LEAGUE PROMOS HERE](   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson Interrupts]( This is Josh Jackson, kindly asking you to see the light. I host Ghosts of the Minors on [The Show Before the Show]( podcast, in which I ask you to spot the real Minor League team or player from history hiding amidst decoys. Last time, we multiplied our knowledge with mid-century pitcher Harold Breeding. This week, I ask you which of the following teams boogied through the Minors of yesteryear? - The Joliet Jazz - The Kansas City Blues - The New Glarus Polka Pokers For the answer, tune into the next Ghosts of the Minors on [The Show Before the Show](   STEVE KLAUKE SIGNS OFF [Steve Klauke ]( Steve Klauke, voice of the Salt Lake Bees since their inaugural 1994 season, called his 4,181st and final game on Sunday. He was one of the longest-tenured broadcasters in Minor League Baseball, and he will be missed. Watch his farewell sendoff [HERE]( and then peruse the comments to get a sense of what he meant to his listeners and broadcast colleagues.  I wrote a [feature on Klauke in 2017]( which had a unique focus. At that point he had eaten at 161 restaurants featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and most of these were in or near a Pacific Coast League city.    MY FIRST MINOR LEAGUE GAME: CEDAR RAPIDS REDS EDITION As you have probably noticed by now, this newsletter does not include my usual synopsis of a ballpark visit. I still have three more of those to deliver -- Louisville, Indianapolis and Columbus -- but this time around I just had too much to include up top. The flip side of that is that I now have room down bottom to include one (of many) first Minor League game recollections that I’ve received from readers like you.  This one, chronicling an Iowa-based Midwest League matchup, comes courtesy of David Hallstrom: Memories, memories, memories. April 1982. Quad Cities Cubs at Cedar Rapids Reds at the old Veteran's Memorial Stadium. Concessions were nearly non-existent. Popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, soda, the bare minimum. There was no merchandise for sale. There was a teenager who roamed the stands as a food vendor and between innings he would put on a mouse head, stand on top of the home dugout, move his legs a bit and clap his hands. Concessions and between-innings entertainment have come a long way since. But we go to Minor League games to see the stars of tomorrow and this game did not disappoint. Vance Lovelace pitched for the Cubs, whose lineup included Gary Varsho and Darrin Jackson. The hometown team had quite the stacked roster. The fan-favorite was left fielder Jeff Jones, back for his third season after getting injured at Double-A Waterbury the year before. Jeff was a Minor League monster and ended that season [with a .301 batting average, 42 home runs and 101 RBIs]. He was the Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day left fielder the next season, was back in the Minors after 13 games and never again made it back to the Majors. On the mound for the Reds that day was Freddie Toliver! Rob Murphy was the catcher, Scott Terry the shortstop, Kurt Kepshire pitched in relief and the outfield was rounded out by Eric Davis in center and Paul O'Neill in right.  Ten players in all went to the Majors; not a bad way to start. -- David Hallstrom  Speaking of the Kernels: They [won the 2023 Midwest League championship](. This is their first title since 1994, when they were still playing at “old” Veterans Memorial Stadium. “New” Veterans Memorial Stadium, built at the same location, opened in 2001.   FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, A SHORT FILM THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING [OKC Ghostbusters]( Last season [I wrote a story]( on Oklahoma City Dodgers director of video and game presentation Anthony Navarro, regarding his career path from the Navy to Minor League Baseball. Anthony got in touch with me last month regarding a creative collaboration that was put together over the course of three years. This patient timeline, combined with Anthony’s filmmaking skills, resulted in a striking finished product. He writes:  For our final 89ers [throwback] night of the season, we hosted the Oklahoma City Ghostbusters for the third consecutive year. They are a local nonprofit group that does a lot of charity work in the community. We do a toy drive each time they are here to help support them and their partnership with Citizens Caring for Children. Each time they've come out we have shot a portion of our short film that plays as their intro video during pregame. With [2023’s] third installment we concluded our first short film. Watch the OKC Dodgers/Ghostbusters collaboration [HERE](.   That’ll be it for me. Stay tuned next week for a full report of my evening at Louisville Slugger Field. And, as always, get in touch for any (or no) reason at all: benjamin.hill@mlb.com.   [IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER, TELL THEM TO SUBSCRIBE HERE](   Contact [Benjamin Hill](mailto:benjamin.hill@mlb.com) [Twitter]( Online]( © 2023 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. [Visit MLB.com](. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. Subscription required. Blackout and other restrictions may apply. Please review our [Privacy Policy](. You ({EMAIL}) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from [MiLB.com](. Please add info@mail.milblists.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from [MiLB.com]( please [unsubscribe]( or log in and [manage your email subscriptions](. 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