Posted by Geoff Young on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 9:07 am

I attended my first minor-league game in 1987. Opening Day at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The Maine Guides hosted the Columbus Clippers. Veteran Al Holland started for Columbus. Prospects Jay Buhner and Orestes Destrade were the big names behind him.

Ron Jones, who eventually enjoyed a brief but productive (.272/.330/.485) big-league career, knocked two homers for the home team. The balls landed among trees beyond the outfield fence.

I was hooked on the minors.

I typically make it to 5-10 games a year, mostly at Lake Elsinore, 70 miles north of where I live. If there were a minor-league team here in San Diego (yeah, yeah; enough with the wisecracks), I’d be out at the ballpark every night.

For the price of a movie, I can sit among scouts and pitchers right behind home plate at The Diamond. The quality of play isn’t quite the same as in the big leagues, but it’s entertaining enough.

Plus you get to see players before they become household names. In recent years, I’ve watched the likes of Jake Peavy, Oliver Perez, Xavier Nady, Khalil Greene, Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Felix Hernandez, Mike Napoli, and Edinson Volquez back when only a select few knew who they were. It’s cool to see them on TV later and say, “I remember when…”

Support your local minor-league team. You’ll be glad you did.