Official

League Directory

Commissioner

Joshua Schaub

Josh Schaub

Joshua Schaub was appointed Commissioner of the American Association of Professional Baseball on March 1, 2019. He succeeds league founder Miles Wolff, who retired at the end of 2018 after 13 seasons as Commissioner. Schaub is the chief executive for the American Association and oversees the American Association’s operations, media, expansion, revenue opportunities, technology enhancements and emergence, public relations, and relationships in professional baseball.

Schaub’s baseball background is extensive. He is the former CEO and co-owner of the Joliet Slammers baseball club of the Frontier League, a board member of the Frontier League and Prospect Leagues, and has previously worked in the Milwaukee Brewers scouting department as an intern and associate scout. Schaub also previously clerked for the Northern League. Additionally, Schaub has served as a consultant and legal counsel to numerous professional baseball teams for both business, legal, and baseball matters.

Schaub is formerly an attorney with Gutwein Law based in Minneapolis, where he led the Sports and Entertainment Law practice of the firm. While in practice, Schaub represented numerous professional and amateur leagues as outside general counsel. He also formerly served as the Commissioner and General Counsel of the Major Arena Soccer League and is a co-founder of Da Beauty League, a summer hockey league for NHL, AHL, ECHL, and college players based in the Twin Cities, which has donated over $250,000 to charity in its first 5 years of existence. He serves as an adjunct law school professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School teaching Sports Law and regularly lectures for “Baseball and the Law” at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Schaub is currently a mentor for TechStars Sports Tech accelerator, is a former Twin Cities (Minnesota) board member for the American Cancer Society, and is formerly the Vice-Chair of the Sport, Art, and Entertainment section of the Minnesota Bar. Schaub has further served as a guest on numerous podcasts focused on sports business.

After acquiring an undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in Exercise and Sports Science with an emphasis in Sports Management, Schaub earned his Juris Doctor from the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota (now Mitchell Hamline). While at William Mitchell, he was the chair of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Schaub has been named top 40 business leaders under 40 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and Baseball Executive of the Year by the Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago.

Deputy Commissioner

Josh Buchholz

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Josh Buchholz was named Deputy Commissioner of the American Association on January 18, 2018. 

Prior to taking the role with the American Association, Buchholz had been the Vice President & General Manager of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks since October 2005. While with the RedHawks, Buchholz was a part of five league championships (1998, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010), earned league Executive of the Year honors three times (2008, 2010, 2012) and in 2013 was named to Prairie Business Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” business leaders in North Dakota, South Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

Buchholz served as the club’s Director of Media Relations and Director of Baseball Operations before being named the fourth General Manager in franchise history. He joined the RedHawks organization in 1996 as Clubhouse Manager and was promoted to the front office following the 1997 season.

Buchholz graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Director of Umpires

Ron Teague

Ron Teague

Ron Teague was named the Director of Umpires on October 1, 2018.

Prior to being named the Director of Umpires, Teague was a professional baseball umpire from 2006-2018. From 2006-2010 he was an umpire in the American Association, being selected to four postseason assignments, including three championships. After his four years in the American Association, in 2010 he attended Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring where he was an honor graduate, and eventually earned a contract in the Arizona Rookie League.

From 2010-2018, Teague worked in the Arizona League, Arizona Extended Spring, Appalachian League, Midwest League, Florida Instructional League, California League, Texas League, Arizona Instructional League, Dominican Winter League, Pacific Coast League, 2017 MLB Spring Training. Teague was invited back to MLB Spring Training in 2018 before he resigned from affiliated baseball and re-joined the American Association for a final season on the field. In 2018, he was an American Association crew chief for the regular season and the entire postseason.

Teague’s accolades while in affiliated baseball include the Appalachian League Championship Series, Midwest League All Star Game, California League Umpire of the Year along with an All Star Game and postseason assignment. He also was chosen to work the Texas League All Star Game, MLB Futures Game and MLB Home Run Derby in 2015 in Cincinnati, OH, Dominican Winter League post season and Championship, and the Pacific Coast League Championship.

Teague was also the Chief Instructor at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Academy in Vero Beach, Florida in 2016 and 2017 and was an instructor from 2013-2015. In addition to his professional experience Teague is also an NCAA Division 1 umpire in several conferences, including the SEC.

Director of Digital Media

Jake Kranz

Jake Kranz

Jake Kranz was named the Director of Digital Media for the American Association on November 2, 2020.

A native of North St. Paul, Minnesota, he graduated from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota with a degree in Entrepreneurial Management.

He is the Co-Founder of Uncle Charlie Marketing Co., a full-service marketing agency he founded while in college at the University of Minnesota.

League Historian

Hoffman Wolff

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Hoffman Wolff has been with the American Association since its inception. On an ongoing basis he provides assistance to the team in media, PR, league history, statistics, and several other areas.

Hoffman is known for making the American Association’s original logo and continues to be the heart and soul of the league. 

Hoffman received is B.A. in French Language and Literature from Roanoke College and is MBA from Université Laval. 

Director of Social Media

Tyler Webb

Tyler Webb

Tyler Webb is a digital marketer based out of Minneapolis. He largely works with organizations and individuals across all levels of sports to tell their brand’s story, create compelling digital content and drive meaningful, measurable results for their businesses. 

League Videographer and Content Strategist

Jordan Lundell

Jordan Lundell

Jordan is a full-time freelancer specializing in real estate, product, and sport filmmaking.  He handles the graphic design, video editing, and content creation for the American Association.

Graphic Designer

William Stone

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Will is one of the best graphic designers in the industry. He’s held several roles across the entire creative spectrum and is exceptional at visual storytelling. Will has brought art to our science here in the American Association.

League Contact Information

Year Founded

2005

Directors

  • Shawn Hunter (Chicago)
  • Tom Vander Veen (Cleburne)
  • Brad Thom (Fargo-Moorhead)
  • Joseph Eng (Gary SouthShore)
  • Dr. Bob Froehlich (Kane County)
  • Mark Brandmeyer  (Kansas City)
  • Tom Kelenic (Lake Country)
  • Jim Abel (Lincoln)
  • Mike Zimmerman (Milwaukee)
  • John Roost (Sioux City)
  • Brian Slipka (Sioux Falls)
  • Sam Katz (Winnipeg)

2024 Regular Season

May 9 – September 2,  100 Games

Division Structure

West Division – Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Kansas City Monarchs, Lincoln Saltdogs, Sioux City Explorers, Sioux Falls Canaries, Winnipeg Goldeyes

East Division –  Chicago Dogs, Cleburne Railroaders, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kane County Cougars, Lake Country DockHounds, Milwaukee Milkmen

2024 Playoff Format

In 2024, the top four teams in each division will advance to the playoffs.

In a nod to innovation and to reward the clubs with the best regular seasons, the club that wins the division will choose their first-round opponent of the playoff teams within their division. The eight playoff clubs will then play best-of-three Division Series.

The winners of the Division Playoff Series will face off in a pair of best-of-three Division Championship Series. The winners of the Division Championship Series will meet in the Wolff Cup Finals to determine the American Association champion in a best-of-five series.

Roster Limit

25

Brand of Baseball

Rawlings

Statistician

Pointstreak.com