With romance on the mind, it’s probably worth acknowledging that our first love is really baseball.  After all, most fans are more dedicated to their team than to their mate.  They probably fell in love with their team when they were little, and they are less likely to run off with the neighboring team than the neighbor.

With all that in mind, here’s something that fans of each team can fall in love with.

Arlington Bureaucrats – Rob Raines is a Royal Raker candidate again!

Aurora Borealis – The most overshadowed pitcher in the PEBA and The Bright Light.

Bakersfield Bears – The perennial contenders boast the top farm system in the league.

Canton Longshoremen – Peyton Bishop‘s speed and hit tool make him one of the most exciting young players in the game.

Charleston Statesmen – Winning at Black Jack for the next 7 years.

Connecticut Nutmeggers – The team’s top 4 starters are all 27 or younger and signed through 2021.

Crystal Lake Sandgnats – Cobra finally had the season we’ve been waiting for and Chad Collins busted out the beat stick.

Duluth Warriors – Bingo Suárez and Ángel Cortéz could both finish in the top 3 of SL Royal Raker voting.

Fargo Dinosaurs – Martin Auger and Albert Reyes make for some great OBP skills to build around as the team retools.

Florida Featherheads – This year and last, they’ve set new standards for team home runs hit.  Oh, and Moondog!

Gloucester Fishermen – Mayor Corona had another dominating season, striking out 257.

Kalamzoo Badgers – Big Cheese has emerged as the best catcher in the SL!  … who was healthy this year.

Kentucky Thoroughbreds – Parkinson in the postseason is positively perfect!

London Underground – PEBA’s 3rd pair of 40+ home run teammates, and highest total among those pairs.

Manchester Maulers – Will Keith‘s Wunderkind worthy rookie season.

New Jersey Hitmen – Ieyoshi Ishikawa and Javier Soto are Hitmen worthy of the moniker.

New Orleans Trendsetters – Dave Nash is all that and then some

Omaha Cyclones – The 2nd ranked farm system has plenty of high picks in the upcoming draft.

Palm Springs Codgers – A great season with the possibility that we’ll get a Royce Raines/Theron Boswell DP combo next year.

Reno Zephyrs – Whitey is back and healthy for the postseason.

San Antonio Calzones de Laredo – Pizza will be delivered for a long time coming.

Tempe Knights – Four regulars batting over .300 when only 15 did it league wide.

West Virginia Alleghenies – Future Royal Raker winner Don Mercer has friends in Kouno and Davis.

Yuma Bulldozers – Playoffs in Yuma!  Quick, alert the authorities!

By Samuel Platt – Connecticut Post