While baseball fans appear split regarding the split season schedule incorporated into minor league baseball for the 2023 season, the International League East shows why baseball put the schedule quirk into place.

Let’s say that this season was last season, when teams simply played out their schedule not worrying about first and second halves. Norfolk (69-44) would hold a six-game lead over Worcester (63-50), with Durham (63-51) 6 ½ games out and the IronPigs (60-51) in fourth, eight games out of first.

But when commissioner Rob Manfred and his friends at Major League Baseball twirled their capes and uttered the magical words “split season,” things changed. With over 40 games to play in the season, Norfolk has clinched a playoff spot thanks to their 48-26 record in the first half that had them 11 ½ games ahead of Lehigh Valley (36-37). The closest competition for the Flying Squirrels were Durham (43-40) and Worcester (39-36). A year ago, it would have looked like Norfolk was on cruise control even though at this point, their lead would have shrunk to six games over second place Worcester.

Suddenly, the fourth place IronPigs are the first place IronPigs - tied with Worcester atop the division with a 24-14 record.

So, what was the theory behind the change and is it working? Minor League Baseball is an interesting thing. Yes, they want to win, but managers and coaches also stress development of their players. In other words, a team can have a “successful” season even if they finish dead last as long as their players showed the type of development they were hoping to see. In some ways, the parts (in this case, the players) are more valuable than the team. Teams also have changing rosters as teams lose players to the majors or gain players from lower levels of the minors.

Fans want to win. Not as insanely as they do in the majors, because the excitement of a championship is not as intense. Fans may be able to rattle off World Series winners for any number of years but ask them who won the Triple-A championship last season and then cue the crickets. For the record, Durham beat the Reno Aces in the championship game in Las Vegas.

With the IronPigs being out of contention in the first half and leading the division in the second half, it will be interesting to see the attendance numbers at the end of the year. Weather and other factors notwithstanding, there should be a big spike in attendance over the second half of the year.

The first test comes this week. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are in town for the first time in their history and it’s a pretty big series. While a lot can happen between now and a month from now, the Pigs travel to Worcester for the final series of the season with the potential for the division championship on the line. That would be great to see and will help to prove the theory set forth by MLB.

QUITE A DEBUT … In his first major league at-bat, Weston Wilson homered for his first major league hit. One first thing he did not collect that night was his first out as a major leaguer as he went 1-for-1 with two walks in the game. Oh, by the way, you might have heard that Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter for the Phillies and Nick Castellanos hit home runs number 199 and 200 in the same game.

THREE FOR KODY … A night after Wilson’s heroics, Kody Clemens hit three home runs, drove in five runs and scored four going 4-for-6 in a 17-6 win in Rochester. Lehigh Valley had 23 hits and drew nine walks in the win.