The North Carolina Baseball League (NCBL)

[VARoadstter]

In the year 2000, excitement was at an all-time high as state and local leaders began a grand experiment in conjunction with area businesses to create a league whose purpose was to develop a baseball league for the enjoyment of the state's residents. With unprecedented buy-in from cities across the state, the NCBL was born. The league was founded with 16 major league franchises located in the state's largest population centers. A full minor league system was developed from AAA down through Rookie League following the same pattern - the larger the population of a given city, the higher the level of play for the affiliate.

As the league was born specifically to cater to the enjoyment of North Carolinians, strict limits were put in place to ensure that the league remained true to that mission. All franchises were limited to no more than 10% out of state players. To assist in finding the necessary talent needed to draw from, exclusive arrangements were made with the state's 12 largest universities to serve as a feeder to the league. In addition, the 20 most successful state AAAA high school baseball programs were also approved to provide players for the new league.



Fast forward 100 years, and the league is flourishing. Remaining true to the original charter, the league has maintained all the franchises in their original locations. Indeed, the only real change in the 100 years of the league's existence is the occasional renaming of a major league affiliate. The league has developed an enduring legacy over the years. There have been dynasty franchises, all time great players, and record performances all along the way.

Next, we will take a quick look at the league and its structure.

[VARoadstter]

Major League Franchises:

The NCBL is divided into 2 leagues containing 8 teams each. Each league contains 2 divisions. At the end of the regular season, the four division winners advance to the division playoffs (best of 5). The division winners meet for the State Championship (best of 7). Here is a breakdown of the teams:

Piedmont League

Gold Division

Chapel Hill Saints
Charlotte Royals
High Point Renegades
Wilmington Warriors

Silver Division

Durham Dragons
Gastonia Kings
Jacksonville Jesters
Winston-Salem Twins


Appalachian League

Platinum Division

Asheville Riflemen
Concord Cannons
Fayetteville Patriots
Greensboro Gladiators

Copper Division

Cary Aces
Greenville Mallards
Raleigh Cardinals
Rocky Mount Rough Riders

[VARoadstter]

Here is how the teams have fared over the last 100 years:

[Celtic Forever]

Awesome. I live in Winston-Salem, and my wife is from High Point, so the only demand I have is that the Twins never lose to the Renegades. We both went to Wake Forest (as did my dad), so if you could arrange for Deacons to be your best players, that'd be great.

Look forward to seeing my demands met!

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by Celtic Forever

Awesome. I live in Winston-Salem, and my wife is from High Point, so the only demand I have is that the Twins never lose to the Renegades. We both went to Wake Forest (as did my dad), so if you could arrange for Deacons to be your best players, that'd be great.

Look forward to seeing my demands met!

Well, then you'll be happy to see that Wake Forest has been the most dominant team in the NCBL College Feeder league:

[VARoadstter]

And here's how the AAAA High School Baseball teams have fared over the last 100 years:

[Celtic Forever]

Originally Posted by VARoadstter

Well, then you'll be happy to see that Wake Forest has been the most dominant team in the NCBL College Feeder league:

AND to see that the Tar Holes are the worst!

[VARoadstter]

Next we will take a look at the franchises making up the NCBL. We'll start with the Asheville Riflemen.



Historical Statistics

Overall Record: 8140-8061 (.502)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 28
Number of State Championships: 7 (2004, 2007, 2010, 2019-20, 2076, 2078)
Best Season: 2078 (103-59, .636) Won State Championship
Worst Season: tie - 2015, 2016, 2075 (63-99, .389)

Best Players

Best Pitcher: Eric Cover, Asheville closer from 2000-2013, 509 saves (516 career)

Eric was a founding member of the NCBL. From his first time on the mound everyone knew that Eric was bound for greatness. Being a paleontology major in college, his teammates branded him the nickname "Bones" during spring training his first season and over the years people completely forgot his given name. Over the next 20 years he set the standard for closers for the entire league. Even now in 2100, he is still the all-time leader in saves.

Bones was a master on the mound. He pitched in 1286 games for 1348 innings in relief. In addition to his league record 516 career saves, Bones had a win/loss record of 109-75. He struck out 1427 batters while walking only 441. His forte was keeping the ball down. With his sinker/slider repetoire, he consistently made batters pound the ball into the ground or get eaten up with the fantastic late break on his slider.

Cover was an integral part of the Asheville teams that captured the state championship in 2004, 2007, and 2010. He won the Most Valuable Pitcher award in back to back seasons in 2004 and 2005. His greatest season is hard to choose but statistically it would be hard to argue against his 2001 season where he pitched 70 innings, struck out 90 with only 22 walks, and had 38 saves. His ERA was 1.16 after allowing only 9 earned runs all season. His season high in saves was 42 which he managed to do twice (2006, 2010).

Cover left the Riflemen after the 2013 season and pitched for Fayetteville for several seasons before finishing his career with Winston-Salem. His time as a closer had passed by that point but he continued to be effective in the bullpen until he finally wore down in 2019, retiring in the offseason. Cover was a first-ballot enshrinee in the Hall of Fame.


Best Position Player: Bob Crowder, Asheville catcher from 2060-2075. Career BA .289, 482 HR, 1340 RBI. Spent entire career in Asheville.

Bob Crowder is considered the dominant catcher in the history of the NCBL. Born in Raleigh, NC, in 2039, he was drafted by Asheville in 2058 and quickly advanced through the minors before making his debut in the major leagues in 2060. Unfortunately for Crowder, he was not with the Riflemen during any of their championship seasons (he retired just prior to the championship season in 2076). He did win many awards, however, including the Rookie of the Year in 2060 and Most Valuable Hitter 3 times (2061, 2062, and 2064). The switch-hitting catcher also won 2 gold gloves and appeared in 11 All-Star games.

Crowder managed consistently to be among the league leaders his entire career but his finest season was undoubtedly his MVP season in 2062. For the year he hit .319 with 46 home runs and 117 RBI. He currently holds the league career record among catchers for OPS at .996, home runs at 496, and walks with 1482. He holds the single season record among catchers for OBP at .484 (2066), and assists with 106 (2062).

Crowder was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2080 on his first ballot.


Current Roster

Asheville is coming off a poor season in 2099 with a record of 74-88 (last in division). Offensively, they are led by 3rd baseman Bob Becker (.267, 24, 84) and LF Doug Thomson (.275, 22, 62). Starting pitching is a problem going into 2100, with team leaders Tom Clark (10-14, 4.79 ERA, 183 K) and closer Chad Meier (4-7, 36 saves, 3.67 ERA) the best they have to offer. Asheville has some talent in their minor leagues with top 100 prospects CF Paul Gunn (#10), P Jason Cameron (#26), and P Steve Taylor (#47) all potentially making their ML debut some time in 2100.


Minor League Affiliates

AAA: Salisbury Bulls (68-62)
AA: Garner Miners (87-33)
A: Cornelius Yukon (70-50)
Short Season A: Mount Airy Griffins (28-26)
Rookie League: Knightdale Paladins (21-41)


2100 Projected Finish

70-92, 4th in Appalachian Platinum Division

[VARoadstter]

Next on our preseason preview list are the Cary Aces:




Historical Statistics

Overall Record: 8131-8170 (.502)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 25
Number of State Championships: 11 (2001, 2013-18, 2021, 2041, 2059, 2070)
Best Season: 2017 (110-52 .679) Won State Championship
Worst Season: 2007 (60-102 .383)

Best Players

Best Pitcher: Troy Wood, Cary starter from 2012-2027, 244 wins (spent entire career with Cary Aces)

Troy anchored the Cary pitching staff throughout their dynasty years in 2013 through 2018 where they set the league record for the most consecutive championships with 6. He was not done yet, however, as he led the team to another championship in 2021. He completely dominated opposing hitters with his tremendous fastball/curveball/cutter arsenal. During the 16 years he spent as the staff ace for the Aces, he struck out an incredible 4047 batters while surrendering only 1022 walks. His career record included 244 wins against 149 losses with an ERA of 4.25.

Wood earned plenty of individual honors. He was selected the Pitcher of the Year twice (2014, 2017) and appeared in 10 All-Star games. His magical 2017 season was arguably his best. He posted an 18-3 record with a 3.48 ERA. He struck out 265 batters while walking 61. Wood's Achilles heel was his tendency to surrender home runs - he is the career leader in home runs allowed with 637 bombs marring his otherwise pristine career numbers.

Wood has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Best Position Player: Josh Vincent, Cary catcher from 2008-2020

Josh Vincent had a hall of fame career while in the NCBL, spending the majority of his time playing for Cary. Career BA .340, 386 HR and 1416 RBI. 299 of his home runs and 1074 of his RBI were with Cary. Josh batted third for Cary during the dynasty years (2013-2018) and was a member of 6 State Championship teams oveall. His career started as the 5th overall pick in the amateur draft in 2000. He reached the majors in 2004 and played in Rocky Mount through 2007 before being traded to Cary in the offseason. In 2020, he signed as a free agent with Fayetteville. He retired soon after the 2022 season.

Individually, Vincent was selected the Most Valuable Hitter in 2011 and 2012. He won a gold glove in 2017 and was named an All-Star 11 times. He currently holds the league record for Career Batting Average (.340). He holds the career catching record for VORP at 927.5, runs with 1621, hits with 2672, and singles with 1891. He holds the single season catching record for Batting Average at .384 (2011).

Current Roster

Cary is coming off a down year, having finished 3rd in the Appalachian Copper division with a 73-89 record. Their pitching staff finished with an ERA just under 5 for the season, having been led by Chad Forbis (13-8 4.90 ERA, 162 K). Offensively, they have a solid nucleus of players led by 3B Ken Raymond (.316, 27, 81), SS Joshua Palmer (.242, 26, 97), and 1B Michael Hawkins (.258, 22, 90). Last year, the offense finished in the middle of the pack (7th in runs scored). Help should be coming from the minors this year as LF Josh Glover (#15 rated prospect) and P Joe Wittier (#20) should be called up at some point in the season. 21 year old phenom RF Earl Brown (#29) had a late call up in 2099 and will start the season with the major league club.


Minor League Affiliates

AAA: Statesville Gentlemen (54-76)
AA: Lumberton Lumberjacks (62-58)
A: Mint Hill Green Sox (44-76)
Short Season A: Mount Holly Conquistadores (26-28)
Rookie League: Weddington Coyotes (18-44)


2100 Projected Finish

82-80, 3rd in Appalachian Copper Division

[Whitesox]

Go Cannons!

[AZTarHeel]

VERY Cool -- I'm a NC guy and will be following along ...

Man, my Tar Heels need some help!

Go Twins and Cardinals!

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by AZTarHeel

VERY Cool -- I'm a NC guy and will be following along ...

Man, my Tar Heels need some help!

Go Twins and Cardinals!

Glad to have you aboard. Did you like the high school teams in the feeder? Any names you recognize? All teams mascots are historically correct.

[TribeFanInNC]

I did notice the Apex Cougars was right since I live there and knew Scotland was right, so I assumed the others were real as well (I didn't go to HS here). Good work.

I guess I should be a Cary fan since I live right next door, though that seems a little bandwagon.

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by TribeFanInNC

I did notice the Apex Cougars was right since I live there and knew Scotland was right, so I assumed the others were real as well (I didn't go to HS here). Good work.

I guess I should be a Cary fan since I live right next door, though that seems a little bandwagon.

I'm not a native, either. In fact my family and I only moved here 3 years ago from Virginia. I have a dream that after a while a large expansion will happen and a peer league will form in Virginia. That would be fun. Part of the reason I decided to do a state-themed league was to learn something about the cities/communities in the state. So far, so good!

Oh, and as for bandwagon, I am unabashedly pro-Raleigh Cardinals personally. When you see the writeup on the Cardinals, you will get to hear about the greatest OOTP pitcher I've ever had - the amazing "Turf" Johnson. He's a lefty knuckleballer who finished up with a league record 303 wins and well over 4000 Ks. I only wish the Cardinals had avoided their run of ugliness in the middle part of the century.

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by VARoadstter

Glad to have you aboard. Did you like the high school teams in the feeder? Any names you recognize? All teams mascots are historically correct.

I've been a prep sports writer in NC for a long time, so I recognize all of these names (and have covered several of those schools - Apex, for example, has won state titles in baseball) ... You just need Sanderson High (mighty Spartans) in there, and you've got my alma mater ... The Bunn High Wildcats are the alma mater of one of my dynasty creations (see Andrew Zarzour thread in my signature). Of course they are a small school (I think 2A these days).

I'm a big fan of state league dynasties -- it is a lot of fun to learn about places and history...

[NYY #23]

I'm enjoying this so far, I really like the team previews. I'll be following along.

[Afino]

I have family both in the Raleigh and Jacksonville/New Bern areas, so this is of interest to me as well

Pretty cool!

[VARoadstter]

The third team in our preseason preview is the Chapel Hill Saints:




Historical Statistics

Overall Record: 8177-8025 (.505)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 36
Number of State Championships: 8 (2005, 2047, 2049, 2072, 2084-85, 2087, 2090)
Best Season: 2090 (108-54 .667) Won State Championship
Worst Season: 2072 (60-102 .370)

Best Players

Best Pitcher: P Brett Horn, starter for Chapel Hill from 2049-2066, 2069 - 187 Wins (243 Career)

For whatever reason, the Saints have not had too many dominating starters in their 100 year history. Brett Horn managed a solid career overall
with a 243-218 win/loss record. His career ERA was 4.52, striking out 3291 while walking a hefty 1516 batters. In his year career, Horn pitched for 7 different teams but had his best success with Chapel Hill for whom he pitched all or part of 19 seasons. In 2056, Horn had his best overall season with a 17-7 mark. His ERA that year was 3.83 including 151 strikeouts and 50 walks. Chapel Hill won the State Championship once while Horn was on the staff (2049). Horn had a long career, finally retiring after 26 seasons.

Individually, Horn had a minimal impact on the history of the league. He holds no league career or single season records. He won one gold glove and appeared in 9 all-star games.

Best Position Player: Chris Cox, Chapel Hill infielder from 2043-2057

Cox, originally a 14th round draft pick by Concord in 2037, began his professional career slowly. After failing to impress the Cannons in his first season, he was released in the middle of the 2038 season. Chapel Hill kept tabs on the young infielder, perhaps seeing something that others had missed and brought him into the fold at the beginning of the 2039 season. Cox worked hard in the minors, helping the Roxboro Blasters win the 2041 Short Season A championship. Now having gained some experience and much needed confidence, he began a steady rise through the minor leagues until finally getting a cup of coffee in Chapel Hill at he end of the 2043 season.

Once the 2044 season began, Cox demonstrated to the world just how far he'd come. Playing 2B, SS, and 3B as needed, he put together an impressive season with a .353 average, 19 HR, and 84 RBI in only 110 games. Fans and fellow players recognized that he had turned the corner and Cox found himself playing in his first NCBL all-star game. From that point on, Cox continued to split time all over the infield but this time around he was an everyday player. So impressive was his play, he took home both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Hitter Award for the 2044 season.

Cox was at his prime during the Championship seasons of 2047 and 2049 and played an integral role in helping the Saints remain at or near the top of the league standings through the 2050's. As evidence of his versatility and unbelievable fielding skill, Cox was awarded 3 gold gloves at 2nd base (2047, 2048, 2050), one at shortstop (2052), and one at 3rd (2057). In all, Cox collected 5 Batter of the Year awards, 6 gold gloves, and 10 all-star selections. His best season came in 2052, a year in which he hit .335 with 42 HR and 138 RBI. He won the last of his Hitter of the Year awards that year.

Steve Cox holds no league records.

Current Roster

Going into 2100, Chapel Hill is undergoing a complete rebuilding of the franchise. It may even be accurate to say that their 2099 record of 70-92 (3rd in the Piedmont Gold division) was a huge success considering that they return no pitcher who won more than 6 games and their defacto offensive leader is so-so catcher Harry Moore (.302 17 61). Fortunately for the Saints, talented LF Artie Ross is returning from post-concussion syndrome and should provide a big bat in the lineup if he can remain healthy. With incoming CF Dale Sanders (#6 overall rated prospect) and RF Murray Bell (#8), Chapel Hill could be looking at a dominating outfield for years to come. If they can piece together a reasonable pitching staff, they could be ready to challenge for a pennant in 2 or 3 years.


Minor League Affiliates

AAA: New Bern Reds (61-69)
AA: Elizabeth City Lords (47-73)
A: Hendersonville Pilots (56-64)
Short Season A: Roxboro Blasters (28-26)
Rookie League: Forest City Appalachians (38-24)


2100 Projected Finish

58-104, 4th in Piedmont Gold Division

[VARoadstter]

Next we will profile the Charlotte Royals:



Historical Statistics

Overall Record: 8185-8018 (.505)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 29
Number of State Championships: 8 (2000, 2027, 2030, 2060-61, 2073, 2077, 2079)
Best Season: 2004 (107-55, .660) Made Playoffs
Worst Season: 2036 (62-100, .383)

Best Players

Best Pitcher: SP Francisco Lopez, starter for Charlotte from 2015-2027 - 147 wins (played entire career with Charlotte)

Lopez was discovered by Charlotte's scout in Florida when a hot tip from the scout's grandfather who was retired and living in Palm Springs who saw Francisco playing in a local beer league. When the scout came to see Lopez throw he could not believe the movement he saw on his pitches. He was signed immediately and brought right to the big leagues to fill a hole in the rotation with the big club. Lopez had told the team when they signed him that he was only 22 but after he was with the team a while investigations led to his true age which was 5 years older, making him 27 when signed.

Lopez had raw talent but needed a few years to really find himself as a major leaguer. His breakthrough season came in 2018 when he finished with a 17-11 season and a 3.53 ERA. He struck out a respectable 143 batters but had control issues leading to his issuing 112 walks. For the next several years, though, Lopez was among the best in the league. He recorded his finest season in 2022 when he went 21-7 with a 3.04 ERA while striking out 166 and walking 95. Lopez was never named the best in the league but did appear in 4 all-star games. His career ended after the championship season in 2027. He holds no league records.

Best Position Player: Javier Perez, outfielder for Charlotte from 2000-2014 (played entire career in Charlotte)

When the NCBL was founded they held an inaugural draft to determine the initial teams. Javier Perez, from Elwood, NY, was the first player taken in the inaugural draft with good reason. He almost single-handedly won the State Championship for the Royals in the inaugural season with an outstanding year (.352 47 117). In subsequent years it was Lopez whose name filled the desireable places in the record books. Even after all these years, Lopez is still the all-time leader in career OBP (.477) and career OPS (1.058). He also holds the single season record for OBP (.599 in 2002), OPS (1.275 in 2002), VORP (175.5 in 2002), and walks (186 in 2002). Obviously his 2002 campaign was his finest and is one of the best offensive seasons ever recorded in NCBL history (.394 44 117). The 2000 club was the only championship team that Perez would play on.

In his 15 year career, Perez finished with an impressive .322 BA, 422 HR, and 1225 RBI. He was the unanimous selection for RoY in 2000. He won the Most Valuable Hitter award 6 times, won two gold gloves, and appeared in 9 all-star games.

Current Roster

Charlotte finished in the cellar in 2099 with a 69-93 record (4th in the Piedmont Gold division). They finished with the worst pitching numbers in the league and the best offense. If Charlotte picks up enough in free agency to form even an average rotation, they will be a juggernaut. They already have these offensive pieces in place:

3B Mike Carson, .337 34 91
C Joseph Ferguson, .268 33 104
CF Kenny Miller, .277 31 104
2B Mark Richardson, .329 21 70
SS Richard Bryant, .244 20 54
1B Nick Wilson, .310 19 76

Looking to the farm system, no immediate help appears to be ready, particularly for the pitching staff. Their top arm in the minors is 23 year-old pitcher (#50 rated prospect) Leonard Abbott (in AAA Monroe). He could use more time as he just came off a 10-11 5.18 season.


Minor League Affiliates

AAA: Monroe Riders (67-63)
AA: Apex Mountaineers (56-64)
A: Newton Gulls (61-59)
Short Season A: Archdale Eagles (27-27)
Rookie League: Trinity Raiders (33-29)


2100 Projected Finish

78-84 3rd in Piedmont Gold Division

[VARoadstter]

As we continue our previews, the Concord Cannons are next:



Historical Statistics

Overall Record: 7799-8405 (.481)
Number of Playoff Appearances: 18
Number of State Championships: 6 (2023-24, 2045-46, 2088, 2091)
Best Season: 2089 (112-50, .691) Made Playoffs
Worst Season: 2049 (54-108, .333)

Best Players

Best Pitcher: Doug Taylor, starting pitcher for Concord from 2073-2087, 173 Wins, all with Concord

Doug Taylor was the 4th overall pick by Concord in the 2072 amateur draft. Born and raised in Raleigh, Doug had dreamed of being a high pick in the NCBL his entire life. Although he had good size (6', 220 lbs) he was not considered a power pitcher. Taylor mixed his cutter and changeup in with his fastball to keep hitters off balance. Even so, he enjoyed many years of solid performance after his debut in 2073 as a 23 year old. Best of all his seasons was his 2081 season where he compiled an 18-9 record and a 2.70 ERA. He struck out 241 while walking only 53 batters.

Taylor failed to win a championship during his career or any postseason awards but he did appear in 8 all-star games.

Best Position Player: Jesus Duran, 1st baseman for Concord from 2066-2077

In baseball there are records that generate tons of excitement as a player pursues them during their career. One of those records is the single season home runs record. Entering the 2070 season, the record was held by Theodore Myers with 59, which he set in 2028. Duran eliminated any doubts about his greatness with his Triple Crown winning season that year by blowing past the home run mark on his way to 63. He combined that with a .354 average and 170 RBI (he also stole 15 bases). Here in 2100, Duran is the all-time single season leader in total bases with 466 (2070) and home runs. For his career, Duran hit .337 with 397 HR and 1446 RBI.

Current Roster

Concord won the Appalachian League pennant in 2099 but lost as a sever underdog to the State Champion High Point Renegades 4 games to 2. Their season record was 86-76, which was good enough to win the platinum division by one game over Fayeteville. They played well at home, going 50-31, which made the difference in the end. In the first round of the playoffs, they upset the favored Greenville Mallards in the deciding 5th game of the 5 game series.

They are returning catcher Andres Rodriguez (.295 37 147), LF Michael Scott (.278 24 96), and SS Jack George (.257 22 75). The Platinum Division looks fairly weak overall so they probably have enough offense to get the team to the postseason again with only Fayetteville as a real competitor. Looking at their prospects, they have several offensive pieces that they could package together to pick up some front line starters. If needed, catcher Tom Edwards (#11 overall prospect), 1B Eric Smith (#13) and RF Victor Sutton (#25) all look ready to join the big club sometime this season.


Minor League Affiliates

AAA: Wilson Presidents (68-62)
AA: Morganton Devils (61-59)
A: Hope Mills Priests (70-50)
Short Season A: Pinehurst Loggers (26-28)
Rookie League: Hamlet Villagers (30-32)


2100 Projected Finish
90-72 1st in Appalachian Platinum division