NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



 American Association

The OSC Interview: Can-Am and AA Commissioner Miles Wolff

by Andrew LaMastra
July 10, 2013 - American Association (AA)


OurSports Central's Andrew LaMastra recently had the chance to speak with Miles Wolff, the commissioner of the Can-Am League and the American Association. Wolff has had a very successful and varied career in professional sports, as he owned the famed Durham Bulls throughout the 1980's, started hockey's Raleigh IceCaps, founded the Quebec Capitales and served as president and publisher of Baseball America, among many other professional roles. A graduate of John Hopkins University and the University of Virginia, Wolff served active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1967-70 before embarking on a career in sports administration.

Andrew LaMastra - How did you get started working in professional sports? What sparked your desire?

Miles Wolff - I grew up in a minor league area in North Carolina. I got cut from a lot of little league teams when I was younger, so I knew I had no shot at making the majors. Through my years though, I got to witness people running minor league teams, and I just decided that I wanted to run minor league teams as well.

A.L. - Early in your career you were a general manager for teams, how did you transition from being a front office executive to owning a franchise?

M.W. - It was a pretty natural transition. I worked for the Atlanta Braves for a while, who were the owners of the minor league teams, as well as working for some other groups. I guess anyone who works for someone thinks they're smarter and they could do things better if they were in charge. Back when I bought the Bulls, minor league teams were worth very little. I offered $2,500 to buy the team.

A.L. - You mentioned one of the franchises you owned during your career was the Durham Bulls, could you tell me about how you and your staff were able to revive baseball in Durham and eventually create such a popular and successful franchise?

M.W. - I think Durham was ready for something like the Bulls. It's the third city in the triangle (Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham, NC), a blue collar town without a great self-image. They lost the Bulls in 1971, and when I brought them back in 1980, the city was just ready for them, and it was the only big team in the market. Little things made it successful. For example, we were one of the first teams to get a beer license in the "Bible Belt," so that was helpful. The Duke students also took to the team, and came out to the games in good numbers. Everything just clicked from the onset. And I had the years in the business and the know-how to run the business successfully. I think people might not understand the difficulties involved with running a team sometimes.

A.L. - In your career you've worn many hats, being a front office executive, owner, broadcaster, publisher, and author. How did you manage to juggle all of those different positions, some of which were overlapping?

M.W. - They were all big parts of (my career). The Bulls clicked when we started it in 1980, and then Baseball America was started in 1981 by Allan Simpson, and it was struggling. We saw that Simpson had a good idea and needed some help, so we brought him to Durham. Everything just evolved from there. Overall, minor league baseball was making a turnaround in the 80's. We rode the wave, and everything was good.

A.L. - Out of those positions I mentioned, is there one of them that you are most proud of, or have the greatest memories of?

M.W. - Three or four things stick out; the Bulls were significant, starting a publication that thirty years later is still going strong, bringing hockey to the triangle with the IceCaps was great, and I'm also very proud of the Quebec Capitales, as they've become a big part of the community. That's not to take anything away from any other accomplishment I've had, but those are the ones that stick out to me.

A.L. - You've been a big proponent of independent baseball in your career, helping to found the Northern League in 1993 and being the commissioner of two leagues now. How do you see independent baseball fitting into the North American sports landscape, and what growth potential do you see for independent professional baseball?

M.W. - It's tough because there's no major league help and you still have to pay players. I don't think there will be too much growth outside of the cities it's already in right now. The four or five leagues around are strong, I hope they can consolidate at some point in the future. The product is really good; I really like it, and I think its how baseball should be played. With independent clubs, the emphasis is on winning instead of just development, so it makes for great baseball.

A.L. - What are your current and future goals in terms of your career and the leagues you are leading presently?

M.W. - My goals are just to strengthen and solidify the league and the teams. With Can-Am, we just want to make sure we have a strong baseball product that's as good as it can be.

A.L. - If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone interested in professional sports administration, what would it be?

M.W. - I have a few: work hard, learn the business, love the sport you're in, and just make sure you do it right.


• Discuss this story on the American Association message board...

American Association Stories from July 10, 2013


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central