Note: This was originally posted in 2006

Okay, so the world of dating prospects is very much similar to baseball’s minor league system. I’m going to explain it for you guys, and then show you how I’m the Yankees on the dating scene.

There are four levels of prospects… A (pronounced Single A, or A-ball), AA (Double A), AAA and the Majors.

People in A ball are basically people you have just met, but you want to see if you can cultivate any interest in you, et cetera. There could be roughly 10-15 people in A ball at any time… Like baseball, many teams (in this case, other people) share a common A team, so your chances of the A leaguer making it up to the majors is slim, but it exists.

The next level is AA. Like baseball, this is the area where you have the most hope in your prospects. AAers are people who have expressed interest in you, but you guys don’t hang out, and if you did, it would be awkward, as neither of you know whether or not you’re friends or more than friends. A lot of the times, you’ll call up AAers to the Majors. Especially late in the season (when you’re desperate for a left handed long reliever, perhaps).

Above that, of course is AAA. AAA is an interesting combination of characters. There are the AA guys who are not quite ready to jump into the pros, so they’re brought to AAA, to benefit from the wisdom of the other group… The old major leaguers who still think they have it, but they don’t. So the old major leaguers share their experiences with the young guys (girls in this case..) and hopefully impart some choice words. So these ex-major leaguers, in this analogy would be anyone from ex-girlfriends who you remain friends with, to people you tried to date but things didn’t work out when you were “together”, and so you retain your friendship…

The major league is reached once you start seeing the person… Girls can have a short stint in the majors before they’re sent back down to AA or AAA, or they can have a career in the majors… hopefully for the same team. Sometimes they make the hall of fame, and you don’t forget them… Sometimes they go off to Japan to be a star there, and you never see them again… Sometimes they just disappear off the face of the earth, and you never hear of them again. Sometimes, they decide to be the GM and trade herself to another team, without your notice. And once you find out, you have no option but to cut the contract.

Of course, there are also options. You can option a girl to the minors, just like in baseball. However, much like baseball, you only get three options before the girl has to clear waivers. So make sure you don’t waste your options.