By his own account, Chase’s association with minor league mogul Miles Wolff has subsequently led to him to work on various baseball projects over the years. One of those projects would come to fruition as Baseball America, to which Chase was named publisher of in 1992, a position he held until 1999.

But that is far from the last chapter in Dave Chase’s career. In addition to his duties with the team, he is also currently serving as President/Executive Director of The National Pastime: A Celebration of Baseball in American Life. Focusing on the history of minor leagues, the museum will be located adjacent to AutoZone Park, the home of the Redbirds, in downtown Memphis and is officially sanctioned by Minor League Baseball.

Still a work in progress, the museum is a labor of love for Chase. A SABR member for over twenty years, Chase has already worked with many SABRites, to research and create the player database that when finished will feature the career records of an estimated 250,000 individuals from the major leagues, minor leagues, negro leagues and women’s professional league . As an ambassador for all things baseball, we’re happy to feature the incomparable Dave Chase in this edition of the SABR Nine.

Several people played significant roles in my decision to pursue a career in baseball, but the most influential person once I launched my career is Miles Wolff. Many people know I worked for him in Durham, but I actually met him when I was a rookie in the front office of the Savannah Braves (1978). Miles was living in Savannah Beach working on his novel, Season of the Owl. Miles also helped out around the ballpark as our PA announcer. In 1981 I went to work for Miles in Durham - he owned several minor league clubs and I helped oversee the business operations of each club and, a few months later, he purchased Baseball America (then The All-American Baseball News) and it slowly consumed more and more of my time. Miles has incredible passion for minor league baseball as a business and as history. He’s a walking encyclopedia and his enthusiasm is contagious. Through many late night conversations about the game, I knew minor league baseball is where I wanted to spend my professional life. Miles gave me so much freedom and opportunity to serve the game; I will be forever in his debt. Dean Jernigan, Dave Fendrick and Art Clarkson have also played major roles in my career development. I’ve been blessed by so many others - all willing to share their passion for baseball - for minor league baseball in particular.

We are the nation’s only not-for-profit charitable organization to own and operate a franchise and ballpark. There are no disadvantages, and many advantages. Cities from all over the nation have come to Memphis to see how we have put together this unique organization and to learn from how we have helped revitalized our downtown. While most visitors do not want to go fully not-for-profit, many have decided to add a not-for-profit component to their business plans. We encourage others to create a foundation to give meaningful dollars back to their communities. For decades many minor league clubs thought giving back meant letting Little Leaguers into the park free when in uniform. Today dozens of clubs and a few leagues are giving back in significant ways. And the Redbirds take a great deal of pride in knowing we’ve helped educate clubs on how to give back.

In Savannah, the front office staff was 4 people; here in Memphis we have 40 full-timers plus 15 interns. The hours were the same - long days; the ballparks are very different; the fans are very similar; the game is pretty much the same. The biggest daily challenge in Memphis is managing the staff and all of the normal employee/management issues; Savannah didn’t have any management issues - the managers were the staff.

I’m not sure I ever left the front office. Miles Wolff, who owned Baseball America, always had several baseball team/league projects going and I had plenty of opportunity to work on them even when I was at BA. Baseball America made me look at the game through a different pair of glasses - many team operators cannot see beyond their outfield walls and at BA we had to look at the game with a national and international perspective. If more club executives took a broader view of events and made decisions in a global way, Minor League Baseball would be more widely respected nationally.

As your career develops you become a better manager of your time, and your staff. Baseball America was a 20-person operation; the Redbirds are a bit larger. BA also taught me that baseball - minor league baseball in particular- is important beyond your home town. I’ve also learned the importance of building a strong network of professionals - people I can call to help with solve a problem or to avoid mistakes others may have made.

Baseball is a game that bridges generations. My maternal Grandmother was the baseball fan in our family and she was my connection to the game. I’ve seen it time after time in ballparks across America, 2-3-4 generations sitting in the stands of a minor league park talking baseball between innings. It is awesome to witness. Plus the game connects so well to America’s history - I believe every other sport would love to have a relationship with its fans as baseball has. Baseball goes to the very root of America. I can’t get enough of it.

Minor League Baseball has always been local as a result its history is so scattered. Attics and garages all over America hold so many of the important documents and treasures. It is time consuming and expensive to pull it all together. Also, there is no natural city to call home. Now we have a vision and a plan to create a place for all of baseball to celebrate minor league baseball not only as baseball but also as American history. I look forward to the day we will have a facility open and thousands of former players and families coming in to share the glory of playing professional baseball.
8. Do you ever have a desire to work in the major leagues?

I have very little desire to work in the Majors. In the Minor Leagues, you are so involved in the total operation - it makes each day different. I don’t complete my "To Do" list very often - you just can’t be sure what will come up next. In the Majors, you work in the same dept. each day and probably have very little knowledge of what everyone else is doing. My job is to know what everyone is working on - not necessarily the details, but the overall mission.

Families coming together at the ballpark to enjoy a day outside, talking baseball, remember yesterdays and looking forward to tomorrow’s major league stars. Minor League Baseball rewards us daily.