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The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the western United States, Canada and Mexico. The GBL is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the organized Minor League Baseball system, but has featured players with MLB experience (Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Alex Arias, Bud Smith, Desi Wilson, Jose Lima, Hideki Irabu, Junior Spivey) as well as many young players that hope to one day reach the majors. It was formed in 2004 and began play on May 26, 2005. The GBL has a drug-testing policy that has the same standards as the Olympics, becoming the first baseball league to do so in North America.[1] As an independent baseball league, the GBL exists to give professional baseball players who are not currently under contract with a Major or Minor League organization another chance at playing at the professional level. Officials in the baseball industry have stated the GBL level of play to be above the Double-A level.[2] Over 100 players have been sold to MLB organizations since it began play, with four players already making it to a major league uniform -- Chris Jakubauskas, Adam Pettyjohn, Scott Richmond, and Sergio Romo. Except for the veteran-laden Atlantic League, the GBL consistently sells more player contracts to MLB teams than any other independent minor league. The GBL's presenting partner is Safeway Inc. Other investors in the GBL previously included Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, former National Football League players Mike Sherrard and Christian Okoye, and executives from Cisco Systems, Taleo and Draper Fisher Jurvetson[3].
[edit] HistoryThe league was founded in 2004 by Stanford University graduates David Kaval and Amit Patel and became a reality when Cisco Systems Vice-President and experienced sports investor Kevin Outcalt joined the league to provide administrative and marketing skills and the initial capital to launch the league. Kaval is the president and chief executive officer (Patel departed after the 2008 season to run his family business conglomerate in Laurel, Mississippi). Curt Jacey is the league's vice-president of operations. Kevin Outcalt serves as the league's commissioner and chief marketing officer. Jim Peters is the chief operating officer, Stephen Bedford is the director of business operations, and Bill Weiss is the league's secretary and historian.[4] Many former MLB coaches and players have coached or managed in the GBL, including Les Lancaster, Mike Marshall, Ozzie Virgil, Jr. Darrell Evans, Garry Templeton, Cory Snyder, Jeffrey Leonard, Gary Carter, Mike Busch, Steve Yeager, Phil Nevin, Charlie Hough, Mark Parent, Tim Johnson, Terry Kennedy and Warren Cromartie.[5] [edit] The beginningThe league launched in an innovative single-entity model where the league created and owned all the teams. This incubation period gave the league needed stability to grow and adjust to attractive markets and to avoid launch-pad explosions caused by poorly capitalized or inept private owners that doomed many independent leagues in the last 15 years. The GBL is the only truly new independent league since the Atlantic League's debut in 1998 to succeed (not counting "name-change" leagues of existing teams such as the Can-Am and American Association). Avoiding the pitfalls of individual ownership until the league was large enough and established enough to attract high quality owners was a product of the single-entity incubation model developed at Stanford and has been copied and used since as the new professional league start-up model by baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and hockey leagues worldwide. In its inaugural season, the league was composed of eight charter teams: the Chico Outlaws, Fullerton Flyers, Long Beach Armada and San Diego Surf Dawgs in California; Mesa Miners, Surprise Fightin' Falcons and Yuma Scorpions in Arizona and the Japan Samurai Bears. All teams played their home games in city- and university-owned stadiums, with the exception of the Samurai Bears, a traveling team of Japanese players that played all of its games on the road. Three of the GBL's teams, the Outlaws, Armada, and Scorpions, operated in cities that once hosted Western Baseball League teams. The WBL folded in 2002 and those teams ceased operations shortly afterward leading to the formation of the GBL. They, along with the Flyers, are the remaining charter teams still in operation with Yuma being the lone Arizona charter franchise. On May 9, 2005, Major League Baseball's all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, signed a contract to play the 2005 season with the Surf Dawgs, the first GBL Champions. The 2005 season ended with a four team championship tournament on Labor Day Weekend. The tournament ended with San Diego winning two games on the final day, knocking off Mesa in the second game to wrap up their championship season. José Canseco, another retired star, signed with the Surf Dawgs in 2006 as part of his attempt to return to baseball and promote his book Juiced, along with its upcoming movie adaptation. Canseco was traded to the Armada after only one game. He said that the move was to be closer to his daughter.[6] [edit] Three teams fold as league expands to NevadaBefore the 2006 season, the Miners and Fightin' Falcons suspended operations and a new team, the Reno Silver Sox, was created, becoming the first GBL club in Nevada. Reno was another former Western League city (Reno Chukars/Blackjacks) to be granted a GBL team, which this franchise relocated from Mesa. The league chose to move to a 6-team format and did not have the travelling Samurai Bears return. [edit] League expands to Utah and CanadaThe GBL added the St. George RoadRunners for the 2007 season, while the San Diego SurfDawgs suspended play due to unreasonable demands from San Diego State that resulted in the GBL prevailing in a lawsuit against the university but no longer having a place for the Surf Dawgs to play. The Utah city hosted yet another Western League team with the 2000 Champion Zion Pioneerzz and became the fourth former WBL city to join the GBL. In 2008, two Northern League teams the Calgary Vipers and Edmonton Cracker-Cats left that league and joined the GBL, becoming the first two Canadian teams to join the league. The league further expanded with the addition of the expansion Tucson Toros and Victoria Seals for 2009 and is looking to add additional teams in California, Arizona, Oregon and Canada. The Silver Sox brand was shelved in the GBL for a new future expansion team to adopt it and its history as the former Reno franchise was sold to the Tucson ownership. In 2008, the Cracker-Cats were sold to Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz and renamed the Edmonton Capitals for the 2009 season. [edit] Tijuana joins league in 2009 and will play in 2010On December 15, 2008, the league signed a letter of intent to place an another expansion franchise in Tijuana, Mexico. After the addition of the expansion Tijuana Potros on January 13, the Armada were moved to the North Division. The Potros themselves would postpone the season due to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico.[7] This made all their scheduled games days off for the other nine teams and left their GBL future in serious doubt. They were announced to have joined United League Baseball of Texas on June 19, 2009.[8][9] However, GBL president and C.E.O. David Kaval quickly denied these rumors and said the story posted at the ULB site was false. "They have to make sure they get their stadium back and all the ducks are in a row," Kaval said. "Everything is tracking the right way, but they hit a setback last year. (Joining ULB) was just a rumor. They played some exhibition games, but they didn't join the league - to my knowledge at least." [10] The ULB website has since taken their story down as has the Potros website. Tijuana is still officially a member of the GBL. [edit] Yuma becomes a Colombian affiliation in 2009On May 20, 2009, the Yuma Sun reported that the team had signed an affiliation agreement with the Colombian Professional Baseball League (CPBL).[11] Under the terms of the affiliation, the CPBL will handle all on-field personnel and player issues while the team will retain control of promotions, concessions, and other front-office business. The team will act as a farm team for all four CPBL teams.[12] It is reportedly first time an independent American club has formed an affiliation with a foreign team or league. This partnership will be a feature story on ESPN.[13] This move is the first time that an independent team, or any minor league team in the U.S. has successfully affiliated with a foreign pro team or league and further demonstrates the trademark innovativeness of the GBL. [edit] Maui Announced for 2010On September 30, 2009 the GBL announced that sports and entertainment company, XnE Inc., had purchased the territory rights to place teams in the State of Hawaii and that their inaugural team would play at the War Memorial Complex in Maui in 2010 as a member of the Golden Baseball League. [edit] The PlayersSince its inception, the GBL has had notable success at selling player contracts to major league organizations. In five seasons, over 102 players have been acquired by big league ballclubs with Adam Pettyjohn, Chris Jakubauskas, Scott Richmond, and Sergio Romo already appearing in the majors. Another 20-plus GBL players have reached the AAA level and are knocking on the door to become the next GBL alums to make it to the show. The GBL trails only the veteran-laden Atlantic League in players moved to MLB teams over the last five seasons. [edit] Drug TestingThe league is the only independent baseball association to have drug testing. The league CEO Dave Kaval explains: "I feel that there is no place for illegal drugs in our business. We run a family-friendly operation off the field, and illegal drug usage by our players would undermine the trust we have established with our fans. That is exactly what has happened at the MLB level. As a steward of the great game of baseball, I am proud to say that we have the most stringent drug policy in all of professional baseball." [14] [edit] Current franchises
[edit] Teams set to play in 2010
[edit] Defunct/Inactive Teams
[edit] Teams that never played
[edit] Possible Future Expansions(More cities are rumored, but need to be verified before posting)
[edit] Season-by-season results[edit] 2005 Season
x-Division Champion y-Wild Card (Division champions and top two wild card teams go to Championship.)
Gold Glove winners:[2] Pitcher: Adam Pettyjohn, Long Beach Catcher: Cody Clark, San Diego First base: Yuji Nerei, Samurai Bears Second base: Kenichi Miura, Samurai Bears Third base: Sean Walsh, Fullerton Shortstop: Jeremy Hernandez, Long Beach Outfielders Marcus Knight, Mesa; Billy Brown, Surprise; Travis McAndrews, Long Beach [edit] 2006 Season
z-First-half champion and best overall record, x-second-half champion (Champions of each half face in 5-game series for championship. If one team wins both halves, the team with next best overall record receives championship bid.)
All-League Team: Catcher: Marcus Jensen, Reno First base: Desi Wilson, Chico Second base: Adam Mandel, San Diego Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Bret LeVier, Fullerton Utility: Craig Kuzmic, Chico Outfielders: Seth Pietsch, San Diego; Jason Van Meetren, Chico; Jeff LaRue, Long Beach; Scott Goodman, San Diego Designated hitter: Peanut Williams, Fullerton Starting Pitchers: Chris Jakubauskas, Fullerton; Andre Simpson, Long Beach; Ben Thurmond, Reno; Phil Springman, Chico; Brian Kroll, Chico; Nate Sevier, Reno Relief Pitchers: Josh Rummonds, San Diego; Scott Schneider, Reno; E.J. Shanks, San Diego; Mike Peck, Long Beach; Wes Faust, Fullerton Gold Glove Winners:[3] Pitcher: James Johnson, Reno Catcher: Marcus Jensen, Reno First base: Desi Wilson, Chico Second base: Rob Gandolfo, Chico Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Hector Tena, Yuma Outfielders Chris Klemm, Long Beach; Lino Garcia, Chico; Ryan Webb, Long Beach [edit] 2007 Season
x-1st half champion, z-2nd half champion and best overall record
All-League Team: Catcher: Buddy Morales, Orange County First base: Jaime Martinez, Long Beach Second base: David Bacani, Orange County Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Jesse Kovacs, Chico Utility: Ryan Stevenson, St. George Outfielders: Daniel Nava, Chico; Kane Simmons, Reno; Johnny Kaplan, Long Beach Yosvanny Almario, Yuma Designated hitter: Peanut Williams, Orange County Starting Pitchers: Ben Fox, Orange County; Derek Loop, Chico; Ryan Claypool, Long Beach; Roger Luque, Yuma; Dusty Bergman, Reno Relief Pitchers: Todd Gelatka, Chico; Dane De La Rosa, Long Beach; Anthony Pluta, St. George; Neil Hayes, Yuma [edit] 2008 Season
x-1st half division champion, y-2nd half division champion
All-League Team: Catcher: TBA First base: TBA Second base: TBA Third base: TBA Shortstop: TBA Utility: TBA Outfielders: TBA Designated hitter: TBA Starting Pitchers: TBA Relief Pitchers: TBA [edit] 2009 Season
x-1st half division champion, y-2nd half division champion, z-wild card
[edit] All-Star Games[edit] 2006 GBL All-Star GameThe GBL played their very first All-Star Game on July 18, 2006 at Chico's Nettleton Stadium pitting the North All-Stars against the South All-Stars.[35] [edit] 2008 United League vs. Golden League All-Star GameThe GBL reached a two-year agreement with the United League to face off in All-Star Games. The 2008 game was hosted by the ULB's San Angelo Colts, while the 2009 game will see the Orange County Flyers play host.[4] [edit] 2009 GBL All-Star GameFor the first time in three years, the GBL will be holding its own All-Star Game, North vs. South. This year's game will be held at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George, Utah, home of the RoadRunners on Tuesday, July 14 and will be carried at the Roadrunners' website via Network1Sports.com with the team's radio voice John Potter on the call. [edit] GBL Instructional/Developmental Leagues[edit] Arizona Winter LeagueMain article: Arizona Winter League On November 15, 2006, the Golden Baseball League announced the Arizona Winter League, which would be a short-season instructional league for its summer league. The league began play on January 19, 2007. The Arizona Winter League has just completed its third season. In the first three years, over 130 Arizona Winter League players have been signed to professional contracts. Two of those players, Scott Richmond and Sergio Romo, are now pitching in the major leagues. The 2009 Arizona Winter League began play on January 31, 2009 and has expanded to 8 teams and almost 200 players. [edit] Arizona Summer LeagueMain article: Arizona Summer League On April 3, 2009, the Golden Baseball League announced its second instructional league known as the Arizona Summer League, which is patterned after the AWL. This league consists of three teams, the Canada Miners, El Centro Imperials and San Luis Atleticos and began play in late June 2009. The ASL had 12 players signed to pro contracts during the 2009 season. [edit] TelevisionThe Yuma Scorpions became the first franchise in the league to broadcast select games on Adelphia Cable, which were produced by Arizona Western College Television Services.[5] The Edmonton Cracker-Cats televised selected games by reaching an agreement with Shaw TV.[6] The Golden Baseball League announced they had reached a deal with iBN Sports to broadcast 40 games on the internet showing various teams. [7] The Chico Outlaws agreed to a deal with Comcast SportsNet to carry selected games in 2009. [edit] Notes & References
[edit] External links
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