[Sdpm100]

First off, for anyone that was reading my historical timeline, I apologise for letting you down - but as I said at the start, it can come back as it is all completed. That I feel may have been the problem for me, making up stories over such a long period of time can become repetitive.

Anyway, we have thanks to blackrussian New Zealand baseball, so if the Kiwis can have pro baseball, why not Europe, yeah?

So in late 2004, twelve ownership groups set up a European based league, drawing on both independent players from North America, and locally qualified national team players.

Events leading to opening day
Nov. 24, 2004 – The EuroLeague of baseball is formed at a meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. The franchises will be based in seven countries (Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden), in cities to be announced at the league’s first general meeting in London on January 26th.

Jan. 20 – The planned general meeting in London on the 26th is cancelled, leading to speculation that the league may not play a single game.

Feb. 5 – German sports network DSF and pay TV platform Premiere Deutschland announce a $105 million television deal for the first three years of the new baseball EuroLeague, although as of yet, no announcement as to where the teams will be based has been made, nor where the players will come from.

Feb. 24 – The UK’s leading sports channel Sky Sports announce a $185 million package for the first four years to the EuroLeague for broadcasting rights, and in a press statement announce the postponed general meeting will now be held on March 3rd in London. The deal also includes broadcasting to Italy, where Sky also runs a satellite television platform.

Mar. 1 – A report in German newspaper Rheinische Post says that Dusseldorf along with Cologne and Berlin will be home for three teams in the new baseball EuroLeague, to be announced officially on March 3rd.

Mar. 3 – The meeting of team owners finally takes place, and at the end of it the following announcements were made:
There will be twelve franchises based in seven countries. Those cities are Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, London, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam, and Stockholm.
The twelve teams will play in two leagues, the Atlantic League – Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Manchester, Paris, and Rotterdam, and the Continental League – Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Milan, Rome, and Stockholm.
The league will play a 92-game regular season – 68-games within their league, and 24-games across the two leagues. The season finale will be a best-of-five game playoff between the Atlantic League and Continental League champions.
And although many players will be drawn from North America, each team will be able to add to their roster ‘nationals’, players eligible to play for the national team where the team is based.

Mar. 22 – Following poor ticket sales, and failure to secure a site for the construction of a stadium, the Madrid franchise is transferred to the bigger baseball city of Barcelona. The EuroLeague announces that the city of Madrid will still be considered in any future expansion.

Apr. 9 – The first day of the inaugural draft gets underway in Manchester, with the results as follows:
Round 1
Rotterdam pick: P Hubert Maroney (dnp)
Berlin pick: P Thomas Cabot
Amsterdam pick: P Pedro Frisina (dnp)
Cologne pick: P Oliver Begaye
Paris pick: SS Alan Flory (dnp)
Rome pick: LF James McElroy
Stockholm pick: P William Cruz
Milan pick: P Stanley Miltenberger
Manchester pick: 2B Frank Silvia (dnp)
London pick: SS Burl Poulson
Barcelona pick: P Brian Stratton
Dusseldorf pick: LF Marion Huhn (dnp)

Round 2
Rotterdam pick: LF Clarence Mann (dnp)
Berlin pick: 2B Harrison Lane
Amsterdam pick: RF Adan Torres
Cologne pick: RF Mohamed Hayes (dnp)
Paris pick: P Linwood Dupuy
Rome pick: P Jordon Teeple
Stockholm pick: CF Robert Usry
Milan pick: RF Wilfredo Losoya (dnp)
Manchester pick: P Roy Rodger (dnp)
London pick: P Asbel Ramos
Barcelona pick: LF Alfonso Fernandes
Dusseldorf pick: P James Guzman

Round 3
Rotterdam pick: 3B Bill Bunch (dnp)
Berlin pick: 3B Christopher Enochs (dnp)
Amsterdam pick: LF James Tompson
Cologne pick: C Robert Dudek
Paris pick: RF Luis Melo
Rome pick: CF Brian Bryant
Stockholm pick: C Rodger Ledbetter
Milan pick: 1B Derrick Mosca
Manchester pick: CF David Steadham
London pick: 1B Curt Hopkins
Barcelona pick: SS Ryan Beaulieu
Dusseldorf pick: SS Israel Baca

Apr. 10 – The second day of the draft concludes.

Apr. 11 – At the final day of the spring session, the EuroLeague announces that pan-European broadcaster Eurosport will show ‘Friday Night Baseball’. Fifteen games will be shown during the season on the channel, plus the All-Star Game and EuroLeague Championship, in a deal worth $48 million a year.
On the same day, the 2005 schedule is revealed, with opening day on May 1st, with Amsterdam at Manchester, and Rotterdam at Paris.

Apr. 14 – After the great highs of the past few days, comes a big low, with many highly drafted players deciding to stay in the USA and fight their way through the minor leagues, fearing either that the EuroLeague will not be competitive enough to get them to the majors, or that the ‘nationals’ would be picked ahead of them regardless of ability. Rotterdam is hardest hit, losing their first three draft picks.

Apr. 22 – EuroLeague announces that the 2005 All-Star Game will be held in Milan, and also announces the six cities that are being analysed for possible expansion – Birmingham, Copenhagen, Kyiv, Madrid, Moscow, and Prague.

Apr. 29 – Eurosport announce their ‘Friday Night Baseball’ schedule, with all 12 teams shown at least once:
EUROSPORT (Paris) – Europe’s leading sports channel Eurosport, are delighted to announce the 2005 EuroLeague baseball schedule of games to be shown on the channel. Like many baseball fans in Europe, Eurosport is excited in anticipation of the first professional baseball league in European history, and are pleased to be chosen as the main broadcaster of live games and highlight shows throughout Europe.

May 6 – Manchester at London
May 13 – Milan at Rome
May 20 – Paris at Manchester
May 27 – Cologne at Milan
June 3 – Berlin at Barcelona
June 10 – Amsterdam at Cologne
June 17 – Amsterdam at Rotterdam
June 21 – All-Star Game in Milan
June 24 – Stockholm at Paris
July 1 – Dusseldorf at London
July 8 – Dusseldorf at Berlin
July 15 – Berlin at Stockholm
July 22 – Paris at Rotterdam
July 29 – Barcelona at Paris
August 5 – game TBA
August 12 – game TBA
All game times Friday at 1940 CET (1840 UK) – except All-Star Game on Tuesday June 21st at 1915 CET (1815 UK). Note: Late season games are subject to alteration due to their relevance to the league title race.

Team previews up next.