However, the concept had taken hold and with a few strong franchises to bolster it, the Frontier League would prosper like few other independent leagues before it. By the late 1990s, cities like O'Fallon, IL, a suburb of St. Louis, were building new parks to house their teams and drawing huge crowds. The Rascals own the league attendance record, having seen a one-year total of 151,000 fans pour through the turnstiles for cheap tickets, cold and reasonably priced beverages and the chance to be close to the action. The teams travel by bus, as is customary in the lower minors. But the dream lives on and the league's success has attracted scouts from pro teams looking to find that missed diamond in the rough.
Success stories do exist.
J.J. Trujillo, who played with Johnstown in the late 90s, was signed by the San Diego Padres organization and is now one of the best pitchers in all of minor league baseball with the Ft. Here's a look at this successful Midwestern independent league. Inc. Pagewise makes no representations about the content published on this site. Pagewise hereby disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to this information, and user agrees that all such use is at its own risk.