No, the official league site is http://www.northernleague.com/.
nlfan.com is an independent fan site (done by a major fan as a labor of love).
The official league site added tryout information and submission form. Start here for all the information and details.
[In general...] Tryouts are held each spring in Florida, typically after the end of spring training. Contact the league office for more details.
It is also possible to contact teams directly for tryouts in some cases. This is where local talent gets added to the league (like Fargo's Chris Coste).
nlfan.com has full contact information for the league and all teams.
As it is for players, contact the league office.
None.
The Northern League is an independent baseball league with no direct affiliations with Major League Baseball.
Roughly "equivalent" to AA.
Since the Northern League is independent, it does not fall into the standard classifications of "organized" minor leagues. Teams include major and minor league veterans, as well as "true rookies" so the level of play is often considered as being in the "A" to "AA" range by scouts and others who evaluate talent.
For a start each team is run "locally." With no major league "parent," managers and owners are free to run their teams as they want. Teams can sign old players players, such as Minnie Minoso or "Double Duty" Radcliffe, to play and set records (playing in 6 decades or oldest player to play in a professional game respectively) without first getting MLB approval. Managers usually call "all the shots" on the field playing to win, not putting players into a game for "X pitches," "Y innings" or "Z at bats" to prepare them for the next level.
Roster rules ensure that each team has players of different levels: rookies to seasoned veterans. This leads to an unusual mix of talent on each team and an experience different from organized ball where nearly all players are judged to be at the same level. This is why it's difficult to accurately describe the level of play.
Northern League players are here to play the game, not get a paycheck. Many are chasing their dream to make it to the show after being cut from their previous teams and organizations. Some rookies were never scouted. Some players had injuries and dropped. Others may have been cut because the franchise has too many prospects at a position or "not liked" by someone in the organization. Independent ball like the Northern League is usually their last and only chance.
Northern League players are paid monthly from $800 (for rookies) to $3000 (for veterans) --these are approximations and can change based upon the manager's discretion. They receive no long term benefits (such as disability or retirement benefits) and, if cut, go straight to unemployment (or their "day jobs"). The are only paid during the season (May - September).
The league also has a salary cap of $105,000 for the entire season or roughly $25-$30,000 dollars per month.
Yes, there have been several incarnations since the early 1900's. Miles Wolff formed the current Northern League in 1993 as an independent league with six teams.
Check the Northern League Chronicles for more information.
This site has standings & awards information for all years of the modern ('93-) Northern League. There are also box scores for the All Star games. Day by day game scores are also available for the Saint Paul Saints starting in 1996.
During the season many online newspapers cover the Northern League. This are listed (by team) on the links page
The best source of Northern League stats (past and present) is Paul DuBois' Northern League Chronicles. He has information from all years and is the best single source for Northern League stats.
Over 8 years and and as many full seasons.
nlfan.com, The Northern League Fan's Guide, was first launched in February 1996 the first expansion year of Northern League (adding Fargo-Moorhead and Madison) using a different URL with ballpark guides. nlfan.com became the official domain and URL in July of 1997. Soon after that collectibles were added to the site.
It's the private, "one man production" of Bill Tyler. All content, except league and team logos, was created and copyrighted by me.
It is not directly supported by the Northern League or any team. Over the years nearly everyone from Miles Wolff (league creator and commissioner) through most team management have seen and approved of the site. This is a non-profit site with no banner ads, referrals, or other "kickback / micropayment" links.
I live in Minnesota so it would have been very difficult to visit the eastern teams. Especially since I attend as many Saints games as possible. I do collect eastern items and those can be found on this site.
See the "About this site" pages for more nlfan.com details and history.
In most cases you need to contact the team directly. I have some sets to trade -- and trade ONLY for Northern League items I do not have.
Official Rawlings Northern League (ROM-NOR) baseballs are available from some of the teams. The price is usually around $7-$9.
The collectibles pages reflect the things I collect:
I have other collectible stuff, but I'm not collecting them (magnetic schedules, logo balls, etc.) as I do the items above. I've put pictures of my collection online to share with others and to help fill in the missing items. I've thanked many people for completing my pocket schedules (in '98).
In this FAQ I want to make clear:
I may still have a '97 & some '98 (standard and promo) set, but WILL NOT SELL THEM at any "reasonable price." If you'll willing to pay $500.00+ I'll be happy to "fleece" you.
I will consider TRADING them for other Northern League collectibles NOT in my collection. I am not interested in trading for other J. D. cards or memorabilia. I already have an autographed Northern League ball from his first game in '97 (that is NOT for sale either) and that's about all the "Drew stuff" I want.
The Saints are SOLD OUT of '97 & 1998 Card Sets!
Try eBay.com. Several '97 and '98 Saints card sets have been sold on that site.