Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[CivicEvo]

This series of updates will continue with two more updates from countries with just one player in the universe: Aruba and Grenada

Aruba




Continent: North America
Population: 102,911
Players in IBF: 1

Aruba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela, has dry, sunny weather, blond beaches and gentle surf. Constant trade winds bring cool breezes and cause the divi-divi trees to slope southwesterly. European influence shows in architecture that features Dutch gables painted in tropical pastels. It’s also evident in language, with English, Dutch and Spanish spoken alongside the local tongue, Papiamento.

Player Spotlight



New to the federation this year is Gavin Horridge, a centerfielder who hails from the Aruba capital of Oranjestad. Horridge is considered a strong prospect, but very underdeveloped. The 17-year old signed with Los Angeles (USA) during the 2009 off-season, and remains at their international complex, as he hones his skills. Still, he is the first and only player to come out of Aruba, generally a stronger baseball nation, but one that's generated a small amount of players. Horridge is being counted on to be the face of Aruban baseball in the IBF, similar to how his hero Sidney Ponson put the country on the map in the MLB.

Grenada



Continent: North America
Population: 105,897
Players in IBF: 1

Grenada is a Caribbean country comprising a main island, also called Grenada, and smaller surrounding islands. Dubbed the “Spice Isle,” the hilly main island is home to numerous nutmeg plantations. It’s also the site of the capital, St. George’s, whose colourful homes, Georgian buildings and early-18th-century Fort George overlook narrow Carenage Harbour. To the south is Grand Anse Beach, with resorts and bars.

Player Spotlight



The lone player from the tiny island of Grenada is 3B Alastair Couch, a 19 year old from St. Georges, who entered the federation in 2007 when he signed a contract with Houston (USA). Couch is still in Houston's international complex, but will be eligible to make the jump to the main roster next season. He will be stuck behind Kent Marsh at 3B, so he's a candidate to be released or traded after the season. That said, many in Grenada are hoping that Couch is a success story in the IBF, as he'll be the first player ever to hail from Grenada to play professional baseball. The country is feeling athletic momentum after appearing in the 2009 FIFA Gold Cup, so there's hope that baseball can become popular to give their youth other options.

[dynaboyj]

Really liking the country updates! Still frustrating that all these kids from these Caribbean islands are white, but I get that that's an OOTP limitation.

[CivicEvo]

Originally Posted by dynaboyj

Really liking the country updates! Still frustrating that all these kids from these Caribbean islands are white, but I get that that's an OOTP limitation.

Thanks! That is a fantastic point. Gonna work on that in the future from a realism perspective. Thanks for that call out!

[CivicEvo]

July 8, 2010
LOS ANGELES, CA

The International Baseball Federation announced a format for the inaugural IBF Club Championship, to take place after all league championships have been decided. With agreement from the country federations of the United States and Canada, all thirteen clubs will compete in three different divisions to determine a club ranking system to be used for years to come.

Each of the three divisions will have four teams, except for the lowest division, which will have five teams. During round robin play, teams from Division I and Division II will play their opponents twice - similar to the format of the Gold Cup. In the case of Division III, teams will only play each other one time in round robin format. The top two teams will compete in a best 2-of-3 Finals to determine the division champions. In the event of a tie, run differential in the round robin will determine who advances.

The pools themselves have not been announced, but the IBF has released general guidelines for how the leagues will be structured - at least to start.

Division I (6 Round Robin Games)
USA Regular Season 1st Place
USA Regular Season 2nd Place
USA Regular Season 3rd Place
CAN Regular Season 1st Place

Division II (6 Round Robin Games)
USA Regular Season 4th Place
USA Regular Season 5th Place
USA Regular Season 6th Place
CAN Regular Season 2nd Place

Division III (4 Round Robin Games)
USA Regular Season 7th Place
USA Regular Season 8th Place
USA Regular Season 9th Place
CAN Regular Season 3rd Place
CAN Regular Season 4th Place

Promotion and relegation for the 2011 Club Championship will be in effect. The winners of Division II and Division III will move up. The teams that finish last in round robin play in Division I and Division II will move down divisions. This will be the only season where results are determined by regular season league results.

This year's tournament will take place in Los Angeles. The winner of the Club Championship will host the next year's championship in years to come.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 12, 2010



Philly is really not a well run organization....

League Leaders



News & Updates



After missing most of the 2009 season, Reid Landry (USA) is back with a vengeance. Although New York is struggling, Landry was named the Player of the Week in the USABL after a 13-for-19 (!) week, where he hit 2 home runs and drove in 3. The 34 year old All-Star left fielder is hitting .500 on the season with 3 HR and 4 RBI for 1.1 WAR. He's due for some regression, but given his history that might be fairly relative.



Brutal news out of Washington as their first round pick, and #4 rated prospect in the USABL, Andy Newsome (USA) was ruled out for the season with irritation in his ulnar nerve. That's scary for any pitcher, but especially one where a team like Washington has a ton invested in him. Newsome will finish his "rookie" year appearing in 5 games with a 4.05 ERA in 6.2 innings and -0.1 WAR.



Chicago is looking real strong so far to start the year, as they look to break a 5 year playoff drought. However, they'll have to live without their starting shortstop Hugh Blue (USA) for two weeks, as Blue has been diagnosed with a foot contusion. Blue is hitting .429 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 14 at-bats so far this season in 5 games.

In the interim, Antonio Santos (MEX) will slide over to shortstop with Art Glancy (USA) taking over 3B, as he started most games for Chi-Town in 2009.



Veteran Michael Sullivan (USA) has torn ligaments in his ankle and will be out for about a month. Sullivan is in the midst of a bit of a resurgence after being a depth player for Dallas last season. So far in 9 games, he is hitting .269 with 2 HR and 7 RBI for 0.1 WAR. The three time defending champions will turn to jack-of-all-trades outfielder Francisco Garcia (USA), once again, to pick up the slack while a starting outfielder hits the disabled list.



With Opening Day just 3 days away, action is starting to pick up in Canada. The next update will include updated depth charts, as the IBF puts out for the United States before each season.



Steve Muldoon (USA) is the latest import to sign in the new Canadian league, as the third baseman from New York has signed a 3-year deal with Montreal. Muldoon, originally drafted by Houston as a pitcher, was moved to third base by the club before being released over the off-season as a causality of roster turnover. He'll have a chance to prove his worth in Montreal for years to come.

[CivicEvo]

About to get underway for the Inaugural 2010 Season for the Canada Baseball League (CANBL)!

Below in succession are the preseason predictions and the depth charts for each team. Players in bold are players that have previously appeared in a game in the United States league, and have signed over to a Canadian team during the off-season.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 16, 2010



League Leaders



News & Updates



We have another trade to announce! San Francisco continues to try and make a push on the fly, as they have now traded from a surplus sending C Jim Fisher (CAN) to Philadelphia for 2B Christian Wells (USA) and #229 Prospect Tony Montgomery (USA).

Fisher will move to Philadelphia and compete with star prospect Shafgat Alavi (USA) for playing time, or could possibly move to become a first basemen. Wells solves a need for San Francisco as they did not have a proven starting second baseman on their roster. With the acquisitions of Wells and Carlos Aguilaz in the early parts of the year, their offense seems improved as they look to make a playoff push with a young starting rotation. Very interesting deal, especially from the San Francisco perspective.



All-Star pitcher Steven Watson (USA) has signed a long-term extension to stay in Los Angeles. The 28-year old Watson, who was the 2008 Pitcher of the Year, has signed a 5-year contract for $31,080 to keep him in SoCal through the 2015 season. Watson will earn $3,480 in 2011 and then $6,900 from 2012-2014 before a player option for the same amount heading into 2015. This is a huge move for Los Angeles as they have locked up one of the big reasons they have won three championships in a row.



Boston has received some very tough news as 8th ranked overall prospect SP Matt Laird (USA) has suffered a torn UCL and will be out for the remainder of the year. Laird is going to attempt to rehab without Tommy John, and the prognosis is strong enough where it appears he could be back for the 2011 season, but it's still too early to tell.

20-year old Dave Allen (USA), a 4th round pick of Los Angeles in 2007, will step into Laird's spot in the rotation. He has not appeared in any IBF game to date.



Standings: July 16, 2010



League Leaders



News & Updates

Nothing notable yet, but it's only been two games of season play. More to come from the Canadian league soon.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 20, 2010



League Leaders



News & Updates



Dan Gibson (USA) was named the Player of the Week in the USABL, after a monster performance of 10-for-15 with 1 HR and 2 RBI in just 4 games. Gibson has been outstanding once again so far this season, hitting .389 with 1 HR and 6 RBI with 10 runs scored an a .529 OBP in 17 games for a 1.7 WAR, which ranks 2nd in the league.



Larry Arnold (USA) will be out two weeks with an oblique strain. The Philadelphia left fielder was hitting .306 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 13 games for 0.1 WAR. In what has become another tough season for Philly, they will turn to Montreal native Devlyn McBean (CAN), a 22 year old rookie who is currently 2-for-9 on the season for 0.1 WAR in 3 games.



Standings: July 20, 2010



League Leaders



Big starts for former USABL players Jon Gilbert (USA) and Mitchell Williams (USA)

News & Updates



Ottawa will be missing their starting third baseman for the remainder of the season. Bruce George (CAN) has suffered an abdominal injury that will keep him out for 6 weeks, likely for the full season. George was hitting .130 in 6 games with 0 HR and 0 RBI for -0.4 WAR, a tough start for the 19 year old. Ottawa will now turn to 18-year old Yannick Crespin (CAN), a New Brunswick native to take over for the season. Crespin is 1-for-5 so far on the campaign.

[CivicEvo]

This next update focuses on two more Caribbean countries: the US Virgin Islands and Barbados.

US Virgin Islands




Continent: North America
Population: 104,737
Players in IBF: 1

The U.S. Virgin Islands are a group of Caribbean islands and islets. A U.S. territory, it's known for white-sand beaches, reefs and verdant hills. St. Thomas island is home to the capital, Charlotte Amalie. To the east is the island of St. John, most of which comprises Virgin Islands National Park. St. Croix island and its historic towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, are to the south.

Player Spotlight



The lone player to hail from the US Virgin Islands is shortstop Joshua Colley, a 22 year old who hails from the historic town of Christiansted. Colley entered the IBF in 2004, when he signed a contract with Los Angeles. He was in their organization for five years before being moved to Philadelphia (USA) in 2009, in a trade centered around relief pitcher Lee Burkett. Colley is still on the Philly reserve roster and has yet to appear in any official IBF game.

Barbados



Continent: North America
Population: 284,644
Players in IBF: 1

Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island and an independent British Commonwealth nation. Bridgetown, the capital, is a cruise-ship port with colonial buildings and Nidhe Israel, a synagogue founded in 1654. Around the island are beaches, botanical gardens, the Harrison’s Cave formation, and 17th-century plantation houses like St. Nicholas Abbey. Local traditions include afternoon tea and cricket, the national sport.

Player Spotlight



Hailing from the Barbados capital of Bridgetown is centerfielder Tyler Hickmott. The 21 year old was one of the USABL players to sign with a Canadian team upon the introduction of the CANBL. Now with Montreal (CAN), Hickmott is currently hitting .269 with 0 HR and 3 RBI after appearing in 15 total games with Philadelphia (USA) in 2008 and 2009. He has 0.2 career USABL WAR and 0.1 career CANBL WAR to date, and remains a high potential player.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 24, 2010



League Leaders





Standings: July 24, 2010



League Leaders



Some early notes from the Canadian league: Montreal is far and away the best team in the league. They have the highest payroll ($28K) and the most imported talent. I expect them to have a dominating season, where they set records that will be almost impossible to break from a percentage standpoint.

Similarly, you may notice some very inflated average stats in this league. That is simply due to age and refined talent. The majority of the league is 18 years old with zero experience. Guys like Mitchell Williams and Jon Gilbert are older and have USABL experience - a big reason for their success (also realistic, honestly, in that these players SHOULD be dominating a new league with lesser players).

Top 3 Stories

NOTE 2: As leagues get added, I realized it would be almost impossible for myself to keep track of every single player, let alone everyone else. So going forward, going to try and keep this at a higher level, but will still make sure to provide info on the star players and national team players from each league/country.



Buddy Humphrey (USA) is staying in Los Angeles for two more seasons. The veteran pitcher, who has pitched his entire career in LA, has signed an extension through 2012 where he will ear $4,320 per season, a raise of $260 per year. Humphrey is just 1-3 with a 5.81 ERA and 0.4 WAR this season, but the 32 year old has had a very prominent career with a 55-41 record, a 3.21 ERA, and 17.4 career WAR. This was an important signing for LA to lock up one of the best players in franchise history.



All-Star third baseman Jose Gonzalez (USA) of Washington will miss the rest of the season. Gonzalez suffered a bone bruise in a recent game and will be out two months. He finishes the 2010 season playing in just 19 games, but with 6 HR and 14 RBI with a .278 AVG and 1.3 WAR.

Washington, who is 3 games back of a playoff spot at 8-12, will now have to adjust. Jorge Calderon (MEX) will move to 3B, while rookie Fred Henrichs (USA) will make his debut at shortstop, as the team looks to try and make up for the gaping hole in the lineup that Gonzalez leaves.



Houston is off to a tremendous start at 14-7, but they will have to live without 2008 MVP Ricky Garrison (USA) for a month, as he suffered a sprained elbow in a recent game. Garrison was hitting .228 with 3 HR and 7 RBI with -0.2 WAR in 18 games in 2010.

Luckily for Houston, they have a major surplus of outfielders, and will turn to 4th OF Tony Ortiz (CUB) to hit leadoff in Garrison's place. The Cuban outfielder has started 9 games and is hitting .277 with 1 HR and 5 RBI with -0.1 WAR so far this season.

[CivicEvo]

The United States Baseball League has released their All-Decade team in honor of their 10 year anniversary. Players are depicted in their "best" caps.




Milo Hoover (United States)
Position: Catcher
From: Kearns, Utah, United States
Teams Played For: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston
Career Accomplishments: 5x MVP (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006); 5x All-Star at C (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006); Champion 4x (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007); Wild Card MVP 1x (2007)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 2x (2007, 2009)
Career Stats: .279 AVG, 126 HR, 324 RBI, 3 SB, .950 OPS, 25.8 WAR




Richard McLaughlin (United States)
Position: First Base
From: Bakersfield, California, United States
Teams Played For: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago
Career Accomplishments: 1x All-Star at 1B (2004); Champion 4x (2000, 2001, 2005, 2006)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 2x (2007, 2009)
Career Stats: .269 AVG, 45 HR, 231 RBI, 6 SB, .772 OPS, 12.2 WAR





Lonnie Mitchell (United States)
Position: Second Base
From: Modesto, California, United States
Teams Played For: Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington
Career Accomplishments: 2x All-Star at 2B (2000, 2005); Champion 2x (2007, 2009)
National Team Appearances: None
Career Stats: .256 AVG, 38 HR, 169 RBI, 2 SB, .739 OPS, 8.7 WAR




Danny Ratzlaff (United States)
Position: Third Base
From: Shelburne, Vermont, United States
Teams Played For: Dallas
Career Accomplishments: 3x All-Star at 3B (2005, 2006, 2008)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 1x (2009)
Career Stats: .293 AVG, 73 HR, 278 RBI, 2 SB, .875 OPS, 21.9 WAR




Tonito Caguioa (United States)
Position: Shortstop
From: Lompoc, California, United States
Teams Played For: Dallas, New York
Career Accomplishments: 3x All-Star at SS (2006, 2007, 2008); Champion 2x (2005, 2006); ROY 2003
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 2x (2007, 2009)
Career Stats: .267 AVG, 21 HR, 153 RBI, 39 SB, .706 OPS, 8.3 WAR





Reid Landry (United States)
Position: Left Field
From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Teams Played For: New York
Career Accomplishments: 1x MVP (2007); 6x All-Star at LF (2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008); Champion 5x (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006); Finals MVP 1x (2000)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 2x (2007, 2009)
Career Stats: .373 AVG, 66 HR, 297 RBI, 112 SB, .997 OPS, 27.1 WAR




Paul Parker (United States)
Position: Center Field
From: Highspire, Pennsylvania, United States
Teams Played For: New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia
Career Accomplishments: 1x All-Star at RF (2004), 1x All-Star at CF (2007); Champion 4x (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009); Finals MVP 1x (2002)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 1x (2007)
Career Stats: .313 AVG, 20 HR, 202 RBI, 91 SB, .773 OPS, 15.1 WAR




Brad Lange (United States)
Position: Right Field
From: Bristol, Tennessee, United States
Teams Played For: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago
Career Accomplishments: 1x MVP (2008); 3x All-Star at RF (2005, 2006, 2008); Champion 2x (2008, 2009)
National Team Appearances: Gold Cup 2x (2007, 2009)
Career Stats: .274 AVG, 93 HR, 275 RBI, 16 SB, .871 OPS, 20.3 WAR




Nolan Griffin (United States)
Position: Pitcher
From: Toms River, New Jersey, United States
Teams Played For: Los Angeles, Dallas
Career Accomplishments: Pitcher of the Year 1x (2006), 1x All-Star at P (2006), 1x Wild Card MVP (2009)
Career Stats: 51-39 Record, 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 855 K, 9.6 K/9, 20.0 WAR

[CivicEvo]

This series of updates will continue with two more updates from countries with just one player in the universe: Curaçao and Trinidad & Tobago.

Curaçao



Continent: North America
Population: 153,500
Players in IBF: 1

Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island, is known for its beaches tucked into coves and its expansive coral reefs rich with marine life. The capital, Willemstad, has pastel-colored colonial architecture, floating Queen Emma Bridge and the sand-floored, 17th-century Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. It’s also a gateway to western beaches like Blue Bay, a popular diving site.

Player Spotlight



Now 26 years old, third baseman Wilfried Koning has been part of the IBF since 2000, as one of the first international free agents to sign in the league. He hasn't developed much, however, as he has only appeared in 16 total games - all from 2006-2007. He debuted in San Francisco in 2006, before landing in Dallas (USA) for the '07 season. He remains a member of their organization today. Career wise, Koning is hitting .220 with 0 HR and 1 RBI for -0.1 WAR in 50 career at-bats.

Trinidad & Tobago



Continent: North America
Population: 1,349,667
Players in IBF: 1

Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation near Venezuela, with distinctive Creole traditions and cuisines. Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, hosts a boisterous carnival featuring calypso and soca music. Numerous bird species inhabit sanctuaries such as the Asa Wright Nature Centre. The smaller island of Tobago is known for its beaches and the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve, which shelters hummingbirds.

Player Spotlight



One of the real success stories from non-traditional baseball countries has been 24 year old starter, Elton Woodall, who hails from Princes Town. Woodall, who debuted with New York (USA) in 2007, remains a fixture in the New York rotation today, and has a career 1.8 WAR in 29 starts. His record is 12-7 with a 3.94 ERA and 8.7 K/9, and he's gotten better pretty much every year.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 28, 2010



League Leaders





Standings: July 28, 2010



Playoff Odds

Montreal: 100.0%
Vancouver: 70.5%
--
Toronto: 27.4%
Ottawa: 2.2%

League Leaders



Players of the Week

United States


Canada


Top 3 Stories



Reid Landry (USA) suffered a fractured hand on July 25 and will miss 6 weeks, which could require the star left fielder to miss the full rest of the season. Landry appeared in 22 games hitting .375 with 4 HR and 7 RBI for 1.5 WAR before his injury.



Julio Macias (DOM) needs elbow surgery to remove a bone spur, and that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. The 23-year old Dominican appeared in just 5 games this season, giving up one earned run for San Francisco. This was only his second season in the league after appearing in 17 games during the 2008 campaign.



In Canada, Danny Jimenez (PUR) will be out for the remainder of the season with a partially torn UCL, which does require surgery. Jimenez, a 19 year old Puerto Rican, finishes his first IBF season with Toronto going 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA with only 6 strikeouts in 18.1 innings, but with 0.3 WAR

[CivicEvo]

In the final update of countries with just one player in the universe, we look at Jamaica and Honduras.

Jamaica



Continent: North America
Population: 2,715,000
Players in IBF: 1

Jamaica, a Caribbean island nation, has a lush topography of mountains, rainforests and reef-lined beaches. Many of its all-inclusive resorts are clustered in Montego Bay, with its British-colonial architecture, and Negril, known for its diving and snorkeling sites. Jamaica is famed as the birthplace of reggae music, and its capital Kingston is home to the Bob Marley Museum, dedicated to the famous singer.

Player Spotlight



Newly signed LF Robert Welch is the lone player to come from Jamaica. A native of Portmore, Welch signed with Philadelphia (USA) after a heavy recruitment process from many teams. He has top notch potential and was named the #68 prospect in the entire world prior to the year, but isn't counted in the ML yearly list, due to the fact that he is still in the international complex. While he's just the first to come from Jamaica, he also is setting a standard for high quality prospects to follow.

Honduras



Continent: North America
Population: 8,090,000
Players in IBF: 1

Honduras is a Central American country with Caribbean Sea coastlines to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. In the tropical rainforest near Guatemala, the ancient Mayan ceremonial site Copán has stone-carved hieroglyphics and stelae, tall stone monuments. In the Caribbean Sea are the Bay Islands, a diving destination that's part of the 1,000km-long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Player Spotlight



This kid is going to be an all-timer. Ranked as the #1 prospect in the entire world to start the season, CF Antonio Torres is already becoming a staple in what is a stacked Houston (USA) lineup. Torres, who is just 20 years old, made the team out of camp and has performed well enough to get regular at-bats for the current 2nd place team in the USABL. He's now started in 9 games, and is hitting .200 with 0 HR and 3 RBI, but the potential is there for much more. A native of the capital of Tegucigalpa, he's the first Honduran to make it to a professional league, but more are sure to follow soon.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 1, 2010



League Leaders





Standings: August 1, 2010



Holy Montreal....

Playoff Odds
Montreal: 100.0%
Vancouver: 84.4%
--
Toronto: 10.0%
Ottawa: 5.7%

League Leaders



Players of the Month by league and position coming tomorrow!

[CivicEvo]

The IBF has released the Player of the Month by Position for July 2010 for each of their two leagues.

Catcher


Aaron Klink (USA) - Dallas (USA) - .359 AVG - 8 HR - 25 RBI - 1.128 OPS
Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto (CAN) - .328 AVG - 2 HR - 13 RBI - .952 OPS

First Base



Bob Wolfe (USA) - Chicago (USA) - .333 AVG - 5 HR - 16 RBI - .982 OPS
Mike McFarland (USA) - Vancouver (CAN) - .250 AVG - 1 HR - 8 RBI - .703 OPS

Second Base



Jose Espinosa (DOM) - Los Angeles (USA) - .283 AVG - 2 HR - 15 RBI - .722 OPS
Mitchell Williams (USA) - Montreal (CAN) - .431 AVG - 0 HR - 14 RBI - 1.091 OPS

Third Base



Danny Ratzlaff (USA) - Dallas (USA) - .327 AVG - 8 HR - 30 RBI - 1.072 OPS
Julien Blanc (CAN) - Toronto (CAN) - .333 AVG - 0 HR - 8 RBI - .861 OPS

Shortstop


Ethan Paddock (CAN) - Houston (USA) - .325 AVG - 1 HR - 13 RBI - .807 OPS
Dan Bayles (CAN) - Vancouver (USA) - .339 AVG - 0 HR - 7 RBI - .867 OPS

Left Field



Dan Gibson (USA) - Los Angeles (USA) - .373 AVG - 3 HR - 14 RBI - 1.078 OPS
Adam Howell (CAN) - Ottawa (CAN) - .316 AVG - 1 HR - 10 RBI - .853 OPS

Center Field



Tim Strong (USA) - Chicago (USA) - .298 AVG - 2 HR - 11 RBI - .759 OPS
Jon Gilbert (USA) - Ottawa (CAN) - .463 AVG - 2 HR - 8 RBI - 1.209 OPS

Right Field


John Lee (USA) - Houston (USA) - .382 AVG - 3 HR - 10 RBI - 1.062 OPS
Pascal Jourdain (CAN) - Toronto (CAN) - .314 AVG - 0 HR - 7 RBI - .749 AVG

Pitcher


Mike Garrett (USA) - Chicago (USA) - 2-2 Record - 2.61 ERA - 52 Strikeouts - 1.85 FIP
Cyril Robert (CAN) - Vancouver (CAN) - 2-2 Record - 1.52 ERA - 14 Strikeouts - 3.55 FIP

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 5, 2010



League Leaders





Standings: August 5, 2010



Playoff Odds

Montreal: 100.0%
Vancouver: 75.8%
--
Toronto: 20.9%
Ottawa: 3.2%

League Leaders

[CivicEvo]

NEW YORK, NY -- The International Baseball Federation has released the 2010 ranking report. This report contains only nations that have competed in an official IBF National Competition, which remains at three countries.


The rankings were run in a traditional ELO system, with average teams placing at a 1000 score. The below are how the teams stack up for the 2010 World Rankings.

As a note, starting in 2011, the North American Gold Cup will take place on a yearly basis during March. There could be adjustments to the cadence of the tournament over time, but for the time being the IBF has seen great success and wants to continue to hold the tournament on a yearly basis so fans can see their favorite players compete for their countries on a yearly basis.

2010 IBF RANKINGS

1. United States



2009 Record: 6-0
2008 Ranking Points: 1173
Differential: +84
Accomplishments: Gold Cup Champion 2x (2007, 2009)

SCORE: 1257

2. Canada



2009 Record: 1-5
2008 Ranking Points: 931
Differential: -48
Accomplishments: Gold Cup Finalist 2x (2007, 2009)

SCORE: 883

3. Mexico



2009 Record: 1-3
2008 Ranking Points: 897
Differential: -36
Accomplishments: None

SCORE: 861

SUMMARY:

1. United States: 1257
2. Canada: 883
3. Mexico: 861

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 9, 2010



Ah, there's New York surging once again... should be an interesting race for 4th this year.

League Leaders



Trade To Announce



This is a very interesting deal. Boston is trying to keep level despite them being 3-7 in their last 10, so acquiring some bullpen help could be useful for them. Wheeler (USA) has been very good this season, and is under control at least through the 2011 season.

San Francisco, again struggling to find their level, acquires two young prospects in Jeffery Mullen (USA) and Greg Allen (USA). Mullen has been Boston's every day shortstop, and it's unclear if he will get that role over incumbent Andre Jacquin (CAN) at this point. Since San Fran is all but out of it, they may opt to use younger players across the board.



Standings: August 9, 2010



Playoff Odds

Montreal: 100.0%
Vancouver: 72.5%
--
Toronto: 21.4%
Ottawa: 6.2%

League Leaders



IBF Players of the Week

[CivicEvo]

Moving now to the countries that have two players in the universe.

Haiti



Continent: North America
Population: 10,320,000
Players in IBF: 2

Haiti is a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to its east. Though it’s still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, many of Haiti's landmarks dating to the early 19th century remain intact. These include Citadelle la Ferrière, a mountaintop fortress, and the nearby ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, the baroque former royal home of King Henry I.

Player Spotlight



Relief pitcher Maxime Mercier made his IBF debut this season as a member of Boston (USA). The 1988 born native of Petionville has appeared in 5 games, giving up 4 runs in 7.1 innings. He has -0.4 WAR, mostly due to a poor home run rate that should self correct over time. Mercier was originally signed in 2006 by Houston before being released prior to the 2010 season, when he signed with the expansion Boston club.

Other Players

Gerard Martins - Shortstop - Chicago (USA) - 20 y/o


Japan



Continent: Asia
Population: 127,300,000
Players in IBF: 2

Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks and thousands of shrines and temples. Shinkansen bullet trains connect the main islands of Kyushu (with Okinawa's subtropical beaches), Honshu (home to Tokyo and Hiroshima’s atomic-bomb memorial) and Hokkaido (famous for skiing). Tokyo, the capital, is known for skyscrapers, shopping and pop culture.

Player Spotlight



Third baseman Kyoji Rin has played the most out of any Japanese player in the IBF so far. Now 26 years old, Rin is on his third team after stints in Dallas and Philadelphia before landing in Boston (USA) prior to the 2010 season. Now their starting 3B, Rin is hitting .258 this season with 0 HR and 13 RBI and has surpassed 100 at-bats in a season for the first time in his career.

Other Players

Koryusai Saito - Relief Pitcher - San Francisco (USA) - 23 y/o