Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[Aerosol]

Are you considering providing this universe as a quick start? Would love to play it (especially since you've done all the work getting it up and running).

If not, would it be possible to post the rules you are using in OOTP18, particularly for finances?

Also, as your idea was ahead of its time and OOTP appears to be catching up with you in terms of features, have you given thought to the natural evolution of leagues to include second divisions and take advantage of pro/rel? My thought is perhaps instead of expanding one team at a time, a league may wait until it makes sense for 4 or so new teams to join and establish a second division organically. Would have the added benefit of allowing new teams some time to build up a roster and get some cohesion in a little friendlier environment before facing the premier league conditions.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: June 22, 2014



Key Updates of the Week

- The United States Baseball League opened their 2014 season in full swing during this first week of the season, with perennial regular season powerhouse Dallas off to a 7-1 start. No huge surprises thus far, other than possibly Boston sitting in 2nd place with a 5-3 record.

- Chicago RP Jesus Hidalgo (MEX) learned from doctors that he will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn back muscle. The 23 year old appeared in 3 games during the first week of the season and went 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA.

- The big news of the week centers around Los Angeles and their star 21-year old CF Jose Guzman (PUR), who will miss 6 weeks to a fractured finger he suffered in a recent game against San Francisco. Guzman was off to a flying start, hitting .353 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, and 7 runs in just 17 ABs. His progression has been a sight to behold, and many expected him to be a serious contender for league MVP. Without him, Los Angeles will turn to Joe Moran (USA), formerly a mainstay in the Montreal lineup, in his rookie year in the USABL.

- 1B Vic Hodge (CAN) of Dallas was named the first Player of the Week for the year, compiling a .545 AVG (12-for-22) with 5 HR, 9 RBI, and 7 runs scored in the first week of the season. Hodge last appeared in the USABL in 2012 for Boston, and made his debut with Dallas as a 19 year old in 2008. Now 25, he's taken over in the starting lineup for the club he debuted with.

BNN Stats: Starting Pitcher Rookie Leaders - Strikeouts

1. Jason Aitken (CAN) - Chicago - 2
2. Herb Rebbin (CAN) - San Francisco - 2
3. Dave Alonso (MEX) - Chicago - 1
4. Mike Doherty (USA) - Chicago - 1

EDIT: Argh, Week 1 is June not July.
--

Originally Posted by Aerosol

Are you considering providing this universe as a quick start? Would love to play it (especially since you've done all the work getting it up and running).

If not, would it be possible to post the rules you are using in OOTP18, particularly for finances?

Also, as your idea was ahead of its time and OOTP appears to be catching up with you in terms of features, have you given thought to the natural evolution of leagues to include second divisions and take advantage of pro/rel? My thought is perhaps instead of expanding one team at a time, a league may wait until it makes sense for 4 or so new teams to join and establish a second division organically. Would have the added benefit of allowing new teams some time to build up a roster and get some cohesion in a little friendlier environment before facing the premier league conditions.

Sure, I can absolutely work on getting a quick start together for this. Since the universe is ever evolving, I will put out a template update at the start of each game year so account for the updates. I really appreciate that you'd be interested in playing this type of game!

I haven't thought of exactly what you suggest, but that's certainly a more interesting idea than I have come up with. Going to give this some thought... probably will continue status quo in the interim, but this is absolutely something to consider as part of how this story develops.

Thanks for reading!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: June 29, 2014



Key Updates of the Week

- Future Hall of Famer SP Nolan Griffin (USA) of New York will miss 2 months with a torn triceps, likely keeping him out for the remainder of the regular season. The Toms River native started 3 games for his hometown team, going 0-1 with an 8.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 9.2 innings. The 42 year old was placed on the 60-Day DL as the struggling New York club looks to replace him.

- Houston team officials speculated whether star 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) would be scratched in recent games after suffering a sprained ankle in a game last week against Chicago. The reigning MVP is off to another solid start with a .300 AVG and 1 HR in 14 games. Guichardo told the local media that he would not risk further injury by playing hurt, but denied he would miss much time.

- New York 2B Joe Sisco (USA) was named the Player of the Week for Week 2, after socking opposing pitching to a .360 AVG (9-for-25) with 3 HR and 6 RBI for the week. The 23-year old

BNN Stats: Career USABL XBH



1. Brad Lange (USA) - 279
2. John Lee (USA) - 261
3. Danny Ratzlaff (USA) - 254
4. Dan Gibson (USA) - 251
5. Jose Gonzalez (USA) - 247

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 6, 2014



Good stuff with Boston and Washington taking their first tangible steps forward. Not sure what is going on with Chicago, but they look like they could be in trouble this year. New York seemed like a one year flash in the pan last year.

Key Updates of the Week

- Los Angeles placed veteran RF Paul Parker (USA) on the 60-Day DL with a torn meniscus in his knee. This 4-5 month injury will assuredly keep Parker out for the remainder of the year, and could end his tenure in the City of Angels, as he is a free agent after the season. Parker's short 2014 will end with just 17 games played, 1 HR, 6 RBI, and a .219 AVG.

- LF Tim Strong (USA) of Miami will miss another week with a torn thumb ligament. The star LF signed a 4 year deal with Miami, as the club looks to make a push up the standings, but has only appeared in in 5 games on the year, collecting a .312 AVG with 2 RBI and just 2 runs. Tough start for the 31 year old in his new home.

- In a bit of a surprise, 1B Vic Hodge (CAN) ultimately did take home the Player of the Month Award for June. The 25-year old Dallas 1B hit .426 with 5 HR and 11 RBI with 10 runs scored in June.

- Here's more evidence the landscape of the USABL is changing. SP Daniel Santana (VEN) won the June Pitcher of the Month Award. The 26-year old Venezuelan is in process of securing a rotation spot with Boston for years to come and racked up an impressive 3-0 record in 3 starts with a 2.25 ERA during June.

- Chicago 1B Frank Torres (MEX) has taken home this month's Rookie Award, after hitting .250 with 2 doubles and 2 HR with 7 RBI. Chicago traded star Bob Wolfe to make room for Torres, so this early return must be making the team brass happy.

- The uneven season in Los Angeles took a turn for the worse as RP Mike Brindley (USA) was suspended for a game after arriving 30 minutes late to a recent game. Brindley is in his 3rd year with the club, and is seen as a potential long-term starter for the club. He's appeared in 8 games this season already, and is 1-0 with 1 SV and a 6.35 ERA.

- Reigning MVP 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) has taken home this week's Player of the Week award, going 14-for-28 with 5 HR and 11 RBI in 7 games. Guichardo is absolutely raking right now as Houston continues their push towards the top of the standings.

BNN Stats: Single Season IP Record



1. Buddy Humphrey (USA) - 116 - Los Angeles, 2013
2. Mike Garrett (USA) - 109 - Chicago, 2013
T-3. Nolan Griffin (USA) - 106 - Dallas, 2006
T-3. George Gregg (USA) - 106 - San Francisco, 2010
T-3. Mike Garrett (USA) - 106 - Chicago, 2010

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 13, 2014



San Francisco looks really strong this season - they should make a run for their first regular season championship.

Key Updates of the Week

- This week's Player of the Week goes to 2B Tony Gomez (MEX) of Dallas, who hit .556 (10-for-18) with 1 HR and 6 RBI. The 22 year old is hitting .349 with 3 HR and 23 RBI in 86 ABs so far this year, continuing the performance we have seen from him over the last few seasons.

- Miami activated big-time free agent acquisition LF Tim Strong (USA) off the DL. He has retained his starting spot in the outfield for the 9-19 club, and is now hitting .310 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in 10 games. Scouts were concerned that his performance in Chicago was a function of the lineup he played with, but Strong is proving them wrong so far.

- Starting 3B J.D. Brown (USA) of Chicago was placed on the 15-Day DL with a strained hamstring, which will keep him out for at least 3 weeks. Brown started in 18 of the first 20 Chicago games, and hit .288 with 0 HR and 7 RBI during that time. Alex Munoz (USA) - .222 1 HR 1 RBI - will take over while Brown is out.

- Perennial national team player SP Kirk Langlais (CAN) of Philadelphia was placed on the DL with an undisclosed injury. In a weird situation, Langlais is expected to be out 1-2 weeks, but it could be longer. He's struggled so far this season, going just 1-3 with a 6.57 ERA and just 19 strikeouts in 24.2 IP. Philadelphia, once again in the basement, simply just cannot afford these types of performance dips. Ugh.

- Washington OF Juan Valdez (VEN) will miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring strain. It's a wonder that Valdez is still considered a starting player for the now-playoff-contending DC club, and some are already saying the team will be better off without him. Valdez is hitting just .152 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in 11 games. While he's out, the first South Korean player in USABL history will take a spot in the lineup: Yong-U Che (KOR) of Seoul.

USABL Players of the Month: June

SP Jon Moss (USA) - Dallas

C Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago

1B Vic Hodge (CAN) - Dallas

2B Joe Sisco (USA) - New York

3B Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston

SS Bob Hudson (USA) - Dallas

LF Dan Aylward (CAN) - Boston

CF Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston

RF Arturo Calderon (CRC) - Miami

Hit a bit of a delay on the 2014 Club Rankings, but those will be out later this week with the July Newsletter. Next up: CAN and MEX League Previews, as the leagues open up on July 15!

[CivicEvo]

Let's start with Canada - first the 2014 Composite Rankings:



Team Breakdowns:

1. Montreal



Key New Additions
- Acquired C Brent Hanson (USA) from Washington for SP Christian Dos Santos (CAN), SS Pat Hess (CAN), C Bill Benjamin (CAN), RP Noah Shearing (CAN), and RP Steve Underhill (CAN).
- Signed LF Larry Arnold (USA) to a 1-year, $900 contract.
- Acquired RF Greg Martin (USA) from Washington for RP Scott Ollis (CAN).

2. Ottawa



Key New Additions
- Signed C Bob Peyton (CAN) to a 2-year, $1,720 contract from Vancouver

3. Toronto



Key New Additions
- None

4. Vancouver



Key New Additions
- Acquired SS Kyoji Rin (JPN) from Philadelphia for 3B Terrence Foster (CAN)

5. Calgary



Key New Additions
- Signed SS Tarek Caron (CAN) to a 1-year, $720 contract from Vancouver
- Signed CF Delvyn McBean (CAN) to a 2-year, $1,490 contract from Montreal
- Signed RF Phil Horwood (CAN) to a 1-year, $840 contract from Montreal
- Signed C Stan Neily (CAN) to a 3-year, $3,290 contract from Ottawa
- Signed CF George Bonin (CAN) to a 1-year, $1,360 contract from Montreal
- Signed SS Cory McIntyre (CAN) to a 1-year, $640 contract from Ottawa



Composite Rankings



Team Breakdowns

1. Mexico City



Key New Additions
- Signed SP Jesus Gonzalez (MEX) to a 2-year, $5,420 contract from Chicago

2. Monterrey



Key New Additions
- None

3. Puebla



Key New Additions
- Signed 1B Billy Kaufman (USA) to a 2-year, $2,520 contract from Monterrey

4. Guadalajara



Key New Additions
- Signed 1B Emmanuel Lozada (MEX) to a 2-year, $2,940 contract from Puebla
- Signed LF Esteban Bello (MEX) to a 3-year, $10,940 contract from Mexico City
- Signed CF Mario Ramos (MEX) to a 1-year, $870 contract from Puebla
- Signed C Greg Tamez (MEX) to a 1-year, $710 contract from Monterrey

5. Toluca



Key New Additions
- Signed SS Armando Juarez (MEX) to a 3-year, $4,740 contract from Mexico City
- Signed 1B Chris Wagers (USA) to a 3-year, $8,580 contract from Monterrey
- Signed RF Juan Munoz (MEX) to a 2-year, $2,900 contract from Guadalajara
- Signed 2B Victor Veeck (USA) to a 1-year, $910 contract from Puebla
- Signed 3B Frank Krauss (USA) to a 2-year, $1,780 contract from Guadalajara
- Signed CF Roberto Gonzalez (MEX) to a 1-year, $990 contract from Guadalajara
- Signed C Paul Robert (CAN) to a 1-year, $1,320 contract from Monterrey
- Signed SP Alex Larriva (MEX) to a 3-year, $4,058 contract from Miami
- Signed SP Pedro Hernandez (MEX) to a 1-year, $620 contract from Guadalajara

The two new seasons start next!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 20, 2014



- Houston SP Antonio Lopez (MEX) threw the third perfect game, and first since 2009, this week in a game against Los Angeles. Lopez struck out 13 hitters in the affair, and improved to 5-1 on the season with a 1.80 ERA, making him a very clear favorite in this year's Pitcher of the Year Award.

- Staying in Houston, veteran RF Brad Lange (USA) was named this week's Player of the Week, after hitting .364 (8-for-22) with 4 HR and 8 RBI with 7 runs scored. The 39 year old missed some time early in the year, but has settled in and now actually has more walks (16) than strikeouts (15).

- Houston SP Jon Whitley (USA) will miss the remainder of the season with an ulnar nerve entrapment. The 25 year old will finish his first year with the club starting 7 games, going 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA and striking out 41 hitters in 38.1 IP. This is undoubtedly a huge blow for the Houston club, who is once again looking like they could be championship contenders. Old stalwart Rod Wallace (USA) will re-enter the rotation in Whitley's place, highlighting the depth that Houston has.

- Finally, in some disappointing news, Chicago placed 1B Frank Torres (MEX) on the DL with chronic back soreness. He's expected to miss at least a month. The 22 year old rookie was ingratiating himself well in the league, hitting .297 with 4 HR and 14 RBI in 32 games for the struggling Chicago club. Veteran Calvin Miller (USA), back with his original club, will start in his place.



Standings: July 20, 2014



- It was a good first week in the Canadian Baseball League, led by Player of the Week 3B Ed Mathews (CAN) of Vancouver. Mathews hit .450 (9-for-20) on the week, with 2 HR and 9 RBI with 6 runs scored. The 23 year old is expected to make big strides this year, and this was a big first step.

- Only one additional piece of news thus far from Canada; SS Kyoji Rin (JPN) was placed on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle. Vancouver's key addition this off-season, Rin was 6-for-21 in 6 games to start the year with 0 HR and 2 RBI but a .756 OPS. Rookie SS Rich Barber (CAN) will enter the starting lineup in his place.



Standings: July 20, 2014



- Mexico City is once again off to a ridiculous start, going 6-0 to start the year. Toluca has already matched their 2013 win total! I honestly just really wanted to call that out.

- Mexico City's SP Santiago Garduno (MEX) was named the Player of the Week, going 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 16.2 innings. Garduno is just 22 years old, but is already in his 4th season in the MEXBL and has a career record of 17-4 with a 2.13 ERA. He's, to put it mildly, an absolute stud.

- Terrible news out of Guadalajara, as 2-time 3B All-Star Juan Garcia (MEX) will miss the season with a torn meniscus in his knee. Garcia will appear in just 3 games this season, hitting .250 with 0 HR and 2 RBI. GUA will turn to young veteran Chris Sanchez (MEX) to step in, but this is a gigantic loss for a team trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Next Up: Week 6!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 27, 2014



- Teams are starting to separate from the pack in the USABL, as we move past the halfway mark of the season. Washington looks like they could make their first postseason; Boston as well. Dallas and Houston could be the lone holdovers from last year. Looks like the league plan to keep 10 teams this year is working! ...Except for Philadelphia, again.

- This week's Player of the Week is reigning MVP 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) of Houston, who went 12-for-25 on the week with 3 HR and 8 RBI in 6 games. He's hitting .349 with 11 HR and 31 RBI in 40 games on the season, and is once again a front-runner for the league's highest honor.

- Philadelphia made a pair of trades this week: one intra-league and one inter-league. Let's start with SP Manuel Hernandez (MEX) moving to Chicago for prospect SPs Justin Caster (USA) and Dustin Schroth (USA). The 28 year old Mexican National Team stalwart has been good again this year, going 1-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 40 strikeouts. Hernandez played 7+ years in Philly, and ends his career there with a 19-40 record and a 3.76 ERA. Clearly the record is not indicative of the results... as expected, Hernandez is said to be thrilled to move to Chicago as they try to claw back into the race.

- Philadelphia also moved veteran C Jim Fisher (CAN) to Ottawa for C Frank Rolfe (CAN). Fisher is expected to back-up Bob Peyton in the interim, whereas Rolfe is expected to start immediately for Philly, as they want to see what they have in the 23-year old, considered to be a non-prospect. This was all about clearing money for Philly, as they are in the midst of another disappointing season.

- Lastly with Philadelphia, they activated SP Kirk Langlais (CAN) off the DL. The generally steady pitcher is 1-4 with a 6.10 ERA this year with just 21 Ks in 31 innings. They are hoping the time off helps the pitcher's performance.

- Finally, Boston placed SP Pedro Gallegos (USA) on the DL with a sore achilles that he injured while roughhousing with teammates. The team is extremely unhappy that Gallegos would be so irresponsible in the middle of a legitimate playoff push, especially after a disappointing 2013. This season, Gallegos is 1-2 with a 4.41 ERA and 41 Ks in 49 innings.



Standings: July 27, 2014



- There's a new hit king in the CANBL, as star 3B Julien Blanc (CAN) of Toronto passed Joe Moran with his 226th hit. Moran, now with Los Angeles, sent Blanc a congratulatory text, noting how the two are connected as Blanc actually started his career in LA!

- This week's Player of the Week is 1B Gerald Durieux (CAN) of Montreal, after a 5-for-10 week with 2 HR and 5 RBI. The good feelings did not last, however, as Durieux was placed on the DL with a concussion after a collision on the field and will be out for an undetermined amount of time.

- As noted, Ottawa acquired C Jim Fisher (CAN) from Philadelphia. He's currently backing up Bob Peyton, but sources out of Ottawa don't necessarily expect that to last. Fisher also will become one of a select few players to appear in games for all three IBF Leagues once he plays a game for Ottawa. His native Canada was the missing piece there.

- Rookie 2B Bill Burry (CAN) of Vancouver was also placed on the DL with a pinched nerve in his neck. The 22 year old had started 9 games before his injury, hitting .179 with 1 HR and 5 RBI but has a .303 OBP. He's expected to miss 2 weeks. Rookie Jon Rodriguez (CUB) of Cuba is expected to take Burry's spot.



Standings: July 27, 2014



- Look at Toluca go! What a start for the upstart organization, led by 1B Chris Wagers (USA), who was named this week's Player of the Week after a .467 AVG with 2 HR and 3 RBI. Wagers spent the last few years in Monterrey, and the young American seems to be carving himself a nice career in the Mexican league so far.

- Other than that, a nice and quiet week according to sources in Mexico. Not bad!

Playoff Chases should start in the next post, which will be the end of July and Week 7. Then, July Newsletter as we head into the heart of trade season.

[CivicEvo]

July 28, 2014
New York, NY --

The International Baseball Federation has released their club rankings for the upcoming IBF North American Club Championship, to take place this November in Los Angeles, CA. Pools will be released in the August newsletter.

Similar to last year, this tournament will take place with two divisions.
- Division I will consist of the Top 16 Ranked Teams
- Division II will consist of teams Ranked 17-20

The format of these pools will be as followed:

- Division II: One group of 4 teams.
- Six Round Robin Games, standings tiebreakers defined by run differential
- Top two teams meet in single-elimination Championship Game

- Division I: Four groups of 4 teams.
- Six Round Robin Games, standings tiebreakers defined by run differential
- Top two teams from each pool meet in an 8-team single-elimination bracket, reseeded by standings order for the first round ONLY

The rankings are as follows, based on 2013 Club Championship Results only:

1. Los Angeles (USA) - 1207
2. Houston (USA) - 1112
3. Miami (USA) - 1093
4. San Francisco (USA) - 1049
5. Dallas (USA) - 1045
6. Vancouver (CAN) - 1018
7. New York (USA) - 1015
8. Chicago (USA) - 1011
9. Monterrey (MEX) - 1002
10. Calgary (CAN) - 1001
11. Mexico City (MEX) - 983
12. Philadelphia (USA) - 978
13. Boston (USA) - 972
14. Guadalajara (MEX) - 961
15. Ottawa (CAN) - 953
16. Washington (USA) - 951
17. Toluca (MEX) - 945
18. Montreal (CAN) - 908
19. Puebla (MEX) - 908
20. Toronto (CAN) - 888

Rankings are a little wonky due to running two divisions last year as well, but this will absolutely correct itself over time. Happy to have the ELO Rankings set up for the Club Championship!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 3, 2014



Playoff Odds

San Francisco - 100.0%
Houston - 96.2%
Dallas - 96.0%
Washington - 83.9%
Boston - 60.2%
--
New York - 34.5%
Los Angeles - 28.4%
Chicago - 0.9%
Miami - 0.1%
Philadelphia - 0.0001%

- Writers from across the league voted on the July Monthly Awards. The winners are as follows. The full July All-Star team will be released in the next newsletter.
- 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) of Houston won the Best Hitter Award hitting .354 with 11 HR and 29 RBI
- SP Kyle Morehouse (USA) of Washington won the Best Pitcher Award, going 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA and 47 strikeouts
- 1B Frank Torres (MEX) of Chicago won the Best Rookie Award, despite being injured, hitting .345 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. He's expected to return in Mid-August.

- The Player of the Week was awarded to 2B Joe Sisco (USA) of New York, who hit .500 on the week with 1 HR and 6 RBI. On the season, he's repeating similar results to his breakout 2013 with a .273 AVG, 6 HR, and 22 RBI.

- One of the big reasons that we see Los Angeles making a big playoff push is the return of absolute stud CF Jose Guzman (PUR). The 21-year old Puerto Rican is hitting .295 on the season with 6 HR and 18 RBI in just 12 games. Watch for them to make a big run of he can stay healthy here in the second half.

- Washington was also pleased to see the return of 24 year old RF Juan Valdez (VEN), who returns to their starting lineup. Valdez is hitting just .198 with 0 HR and 5 RBI, but the team loves his defense, making him an asset as the team looks to clinch their first playoff berth.

- New York's playoff hopes took a bit of a blow as RF Bobby Wicker (USA) will miss 3 weeks with a fractured foot. The Las Vegas native is hitting .242 on the season with 2 HR and 13 RBI. Luckily, the team has some depth and has moved utility man Francisco Garcia (USA) to his RF, and Aaron Numbers (USA) into the lineup at 1B. Not a bad outcome given the circumstances.

- The first of two trades occurred when Chicago traded their veteran C Kevin Horton (USA), who has yet to appear in a game this year, to Los Angeles for 2B Jose Espinosa (DOM) and 1B Leo Garcia (MEX). Espinosa had been on the trading block for years, and the 2009 2B All-Star was finally moved to a team where he could see regular playing time. Horton joins LA to be their backup catcher, behind Bob Roseberry (USA).

- Staying in Chicago, 2009 CF All-Star Rafael Fernandez (PUR) was placed on the 60-Day DL with concussion symptoms that are apparently extremely bad. Fernandez had a down season, hitting just .193 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. Rookie CF Danny Cortez (MEX) will take his place in the lineup, to make his USABL debut.

- The second trade of the week was also minor, with New York sending veteran 1B George O'Bryan (USA) and prospect RP Brian Malesky (USA) to Miami for utility man 2B Lane Bennett (CAN). Bennett has played for the Canadian national team multiple times, and rejoined the USABL after a stint in the Canadian league with Toronto. He'll join New York's bench. Both players heading to Miami will head to their reserve roster.

- Finally, some brutal news out of Boston as star LF Dan Aylward (CAN) will be out for the remainder of the season, playoffs, and champions league play with a torn labrum. Aylward finishes year 2 of his mega deal with 0 HR and 22 RBI with a .323 AVG for the upstart Boston club. Will Harkness (CAN), in his 3rd year as a reserve with Boston, will take his place in the lineup.



Standings: August 3, 2014



- Similar to as in the USA League, the writers have announced the Players of the Month for July:
- 3B Ed Mathews (CAN) of Vancouver wins the Best Hitter Award, hitting .451 with 3 HR and 20 RBI and 11 runs scored.
- SP Bob Winsor (CAN) of Toronto wins the Best Pitcher Award, going 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.
- LF Joe Jenkins (USA) of Montreal wins Best Rookie, hitting .211 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. It... could be a weak rookie class in the Canadian league this season.

- This week's Player of the Week is awarded to SP Rudy Sweet (CAN) of the improved Calgary, going 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. He's having a real solid 2014 so far, compiling a 1.46 ERA in 4 starts so far.



Standings: August 3, 2014



- Finally, here are the monthly awards that the writers have voted for in the Mexican League:
- RF Steve Coblentz (USA) of Mexico City has continued his dominance over the MEXBL and was awarded the Best Hitter, hitting .294 with 5 HR and 14 RBI with 12 runs scored.
- SP Santiago Garduno (MEX) of Mexico City took home the Best Pitcher award, going 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA and striking out 19 hitters in 25.2 innings. No surprises on that one.
- C Emilio Frias (MEX) of Mexico City takes home the Best Rookie award, as MC completes the sweep of awards, as he hit .250 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in his first month as a professional.

- This week's Player of the Week was awarded to RF Hector Flores (MEX) of Puebla, after he hit .500 on the week with 3 HR and 4 RBI. Though Puebla is off to a slow start, it's not because of their star player, who is hitting .377 on the season with 4 HR and 11 RBI. The 25-year old is establishing himself as a star of this league.

- It was a busy week of injuries in the MEXBL after an extremely slow Week 6. First, in Monterrey, 2013 All-Star Catcher RJ Natal (MEX) will be out for an extended period with a fractured tibia. Natal only appeared in 11 games this season, and hit .243 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Veteran Henry Swerdlow (CAN), still with the club, will take his spot in the lineup.

- MVP Favorite CF Lazaro Hernandez (MEX) of Mexico City will miss at least a month with a herniated disc in his back, which is a huge blow as MC tries to win their fourth straight championship. Hernandez was off to a flying start in his 11 games, hitting .444 with 0 HR and 3 RBI and 6 SB. Veteran CF German Gonzales (MEX) has taken his place in the lineup, but has not provided much average despite having more power. Interesting tradeoff for the club.

- Monterrey was dealt a second huge blow as their 2013 All-Star CF Jorge Hernandez (MEX) will be out for 3 weeks with a fractured thumb. Hernandez was off to a slow start, hitting just .116 in 45 ABs, but the club anticipated him turning his season around soon. Instead, they will proceed with 2012 MEXBL Rookie of the Year Tony Fuentes (PUR), who has shown promise in the past but has not sustained it thus far. MTY is 8-7 on the year and are expected to challenge for the #2 seed this season.

July Newsletter is next, followed by Week 8: Both potentially coming tonight!

[CivicEvo]

League Modifiers

As per the previous three seasons, the IBF WAR Modifiers will be the same in 2014. That is as follows:

USABL - 1.000
CANBL - .667
MEXBL - .333

Postseason Schedule

The tournament schedule for this year is as follows:

League Playoffs
USABL Playoffs (5 teams - single elimination)
CANBL Playoffs (2 teams - single elimination)
MEXBL Playoffs (2 teams - single elimination)

Champions League
North American Club Championship

Similar to last year, this tournament will take place with two divisions.
- Division I will consist of the Top 16 Ranked Teams
- Division II will consist of teams Ranked 17-20

International Tournament
2015 Division I Tournament

- Six teams will be represented
- Top two nations (Mexico & United States) will be automatically placed in Group B, to have a similar round robin format (6 games)
- The bottom 4 nations will have a 3-game round robin - the two teams with the best records will move on to Group B
- The top two teams from Group B will advance to a one-game single elimination championship

The sixth nation will announce their participation in the next newsletter, when international rankings are released.

2014 New IBF Nations

Only one country has applied and has been accepted into the IBF for amateur registration in 2014:



England, birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles, is a country in the British Isles bordering Scotland and Wales. The capital, London, on the River Thames, is home of Parliament, Big Ben and the 11th-century Tower of London. It's also a multicultural, modern hub for the arts and business. Other large cities are Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and the university centres of Oxford and Cambridge.

Players of the Month



SP Jacob Dempsey (USA) - San Francisco
C Carlos Aguilaz (MEX) - San Francisco
1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston
2B Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas
3B Jose Gonzalez (USA) - Los Angeles
SS Wayne Stoppard (USA) - San Francisco
LF Ricky Garrison (USA) - Chicago
CF Cecil Hammond (USA) - Washington
RF John Bartlatt (CAN) - San Francisco



SP Charlie Feist (CAN) - Ottawa
C Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto
1B Tom Downey (CAN) - Ottawa
2B Tarek Caron (CAN) - Calgary
3B Ed Mathews (CAN) - Vancouver
SS Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Toronto
LF Mitchell Jamet (CAN) - Toronto
CF Delvyn McBean (CAN) - Calgary
RF Broderick Paul (CAN) - Ottawa



SP Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City
C Paul Robert (CAN) - Toluca
1B Jack Collins (USA) - Mexico City
2B Javy Cantu (MEX) - Puebla
3B Jesus Rosales (MEX) - Monterrey
SS Armando Juarez (MEX) - Toluca
LF Wilson Tinajero (MEX) - Puebla
CF Mario Ramos (MEX) - Guadalajara
RF Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 10, 2014



Playoff Odds

San Francisco - 100.0%
Houston - 99.9%
Dallas - 99.7%
Washington - 87.7%
New York - 71.2%
--
Boston - 21.7%
Los Angeles - 14.7%
Chicago - 5.1%
Miami - 0.1%
Philadelphia - 0.0001%

- This week's Player of the Week went to Dallas LF Gordon Henry (CAN), who hit .583 in the lead off spot with 1 HR and 7 RBI. Henry, in his second stint with Dallas, re-joined the club after a few years as a disappointing 2B in Boston. The 23 year old is still young, and Dallas officials are said to be really happy he's back in the fold. Henry is hitting .340 on the season with 2 HR and 13 RBI.

- Things continue to go awry in Philadelphia, as they have placed 22 year old RF Jack Kennedy (CAN) on the DL with a torn labrum, that will keep him out for 5 weeks. He is eligible to return for the North American Club Championship. Kennedy finishes his second season in Philly with a .190 AVG, 5 HR, and 10 RBI in 45 games and 147 ABs. Veteran Jim Murray (USA) will take his spot in the lineup, and interesting choice by the club not to go with a younger guy.

- Trade season is upon us! In a one-for-one deal, Philadelphia and Ottawa have struck their second deal of the season. This time, it's 3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) moving to his home province for C Bob Peyton (CAN), who returns to the USABL for the first time since 2010. We'll touch on Kerry in the CANBL section. Peyton joins Philly and will start in their lineup, hitting 8th, for his first real chance in the USABL to stick. Kerry moves to Ottawa after 8 seasons with Philadelphia, as their all time leader in games played.

- Chicago finally got some good news, as they activated 3B J.D. Brown (USA) off the disabled list. Brown has appeared in 23 games this season and is hitting a respectable .268 with 0 HR and 8 RBI. However, Brown is expected to split time with the emergence of Alex Munoz (USA) while he was out.

- In the second deal of the week, Philadelphia traded Lee Burkett (USA) to Los Angeles for the second time in his career (2009 was the other time) for two prospects: C Francisco Echeverria (USA) and RF Rob Conway (USA). Conway played for PHI during the 2013 season. Burkett was having a great season in Philly, going 1-2 with 8 saves and a 1.37 ERA in 19 games.



Standings: August 10, 2014



- The Player of the Week was awarded to CF Jonathan Bonsignore (USA), who hit .385 this week with 0 HR and 6 RBI for the struggling Vancouver club. The 23 year old is having another nice season in VAN, hitting .303 with 1 HR and 10 RBI with a .382 OBP, hitting leadoff.

- As mentioned above, Ottawa has acquired 3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) from Philadelphia for C Bob Peyton (CAN). Kerry has joined the club and is playing 3B, hitting leadoff, ahead of former Philly teammate C Jim Fisher in the 2-hole. Kerry has played just one game so far, going 1-for-5 for his new club.

- Montreal was dealt a gigantic blow as CF Tyler Hickmott (BRB), a three-time All-Star in CF, tore his labrum and will be out for ten months. This will keep him out of the regular season, any playoff games, and the Club Championship. He's even a risk to miss the beginning of the 2015 season. The Barbadian CF hit .260 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 18 games on the season, capping a disappointing season. Montreal will turn to rookie Joe Jenkins (USA) to take over in his place, a sizable downgrade.

- Vancouver has activated 2B Bill Burry (CAN) off the disabled list, and he has retained his spot in the lineup, hitting 8th for the struggling club. Burry has appeared in 10 games this season and is hitting .188 with 1 HR and 5 RBI - but he is mostly renowned for his defense. The club also activated veteran Japanese SS Kyoji Rin (JPN), but has him coming off the bench as Jon Rodriguez (CUB) performed extremely admirably during Rin's injury.



Standings: August 10, 2014



- Everyone thought Monterrey would be screwed without Jorge Hernandez patrolling centerfield, but Tony Fuentes (PUR) has had other thoughts. He won the Player of the Week, hitting .389 with 2 HR and 9 RBI in just 18 ABs for the upstart Monterrey club. On the season, he's hitting .303 with a 1.028 OPS in 9 games. This was his first full week in the lineup, and he did not disappoint.

- No other transactions occurred in the MEXBL this week.

Next Up: Week 9. Additionally, regarding the Quick-Start - I will be making a template available after the season to give anyone that wants to use it a clean start for the 2015 season to do what they want with it. The template is *just* for the club regular seasons at this time. But it will be out for the first day of the off-season, and I will release one on the same game-day each game-year.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 17, 2014



Playoff Odds

San Francisco - 100.0%
Dallas - 100.0%
Houston - 100.0%
Washington - 99.7%
New York - 97.0%
--
Boston - 2.9%
Chicago - 0.3%
Los Angeles - 0.1%
Miami - 0.01%
--
Philadelphia - Eliminated

- Not much to speak of in the race for the playoffs in the USABL this season. Looks like the five teams are all but decided, with seeding just left to be determined. As of now, Washington will debut against New York in the best 2-of-3 wild-card series, with the winner facing San Francisco, who is looking for their first title. In fact, only New York and Houston have any championships at all of currently qualifying teams!

- This was not a very busy news week in the USABL, but some quick things to go through: Boston actived SP Pedro Gallegos (USA) off the DL and placed him back in the rotation after missing approximately 3 weeks. He's 1-4 on the season with a 4.43 ERA, so probably not going to push the needle that much for a team that practically needs to win their final 10 games to get in.

- Dallas did get some horrifying news as star pitcher George Gregg (USA) has a torn flexor tendon in his elbow and will miss the remainder of this season and postseason, and possibly some of the 2015 season. Gregg, who is a free agent after the year, will finish 1-6 with a 5.01 ERA in a lost season where he was clearly hurt. Not what the 29 year old wants to see heading into what he felt would be a big pay day. Yikes. Veteran SP Paul Combs (USA) will move from the bullpen into the rotation.

- Finally, SP Angelo Lorenzo (MEX) of Miami will miss the rest of the season with bone chips in his elbow. The former reliever for Dallas was recently placed in the Miami rotation, and he has not disappointed. On the season he is 2-4 with a 1.85 ERA in 26 total appearances. Losing him is a big blow as the team looks to determine what direction they want to move in for 2015.



Standings: August 17, 2014



Playoff Odds

Toronto - 100.0%
Ottawa - 66.2%
--
Montreal - 17.8%
Calgary - 16.1%
Vancouver - 0.1%

- Unfortunately, this race is not overly close either, but both MON and CGY (!) are still in striking distance for the time being. Should things remain the same, it will be the first time in CANBL history that Montreal misses the playoffs and Finals series.

- However, what's not going to help Montreal is losing their starting SS Jules Morand (CAN) to a severe hip strain that will keep him out for a month. Morand has appeared in 18 games so far this season and is hitting .194 with 0 HR and 3 RBI. Still, he's been really productive in the past, so don't take this as a good thing! The depleted Montreal will start SS Ed Triska (CAN) while Morand is out.

- The hits keep coming for Vancouver, literally, as SP Jean-Paul Diot (CAN) was placed on the 60-Day DL with post-concussion syndrome. The 23 year old finally started to regain his form in 2014, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 6 starts, and 26 strikeouts in 24 innings. Vancouver isn't going to push things given where they are in the standings, but this is still a blow for the team.

- Montreal has gotten some help despite Morand's injury, as they have activated both 3B Mark Winters (CAN) and more importantly, star 1B Gerald Durieux (CAN) from the disabled list. Two starters back in the lineup for the club can only help their chances.

- Lastly, it looks like SS Kyoji Rin (JPN) is back on the DL in Vancouver, as he separated his shoulder just one week after his return from his first stint on the DL. The 30-year old SS will be out for a month, and will finish his first year in Vancouver playing just 8 games for the club, hitting .304 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in that time. He should recover for the Club Championship.



Standings: August 17, 2014



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 99.9%
Monterrey - 78.0%
--
Guadalajara - 21.8%
Puebla - 0.2%
Toluca - 0.1%

- Once again, not much to speak to in this race this season. Looks very likely we will see a rematch of the 2013 MEXBL Championship between Mexico City and Monterrey. Nice to see Toluca with 7 wins, though!

- Speaking of Toluca, the club placed 25-year old CF Roberto Gonzalez (MEX) on the DL with a shoulder injury, that is considered minor and should only keep him out for a week. Gonzalez has played 16 games this season and is hitting .236 with 2 HR and 5 RBI with one steal. CF Pedro Suarez (MEX) will enter the lineup in his place.

- Additionally, Guadalajara also placed their CF on the DL as Ricky Loaiza (MEX) was placed on the 15-Day DL with a herniated disc in his back, which is also considered minor. The 21 year has started just 5 games this year, but is 9-for-27 with 0 HR and 2 RBI. Mario Ramos (MEX) will shift over to CF while Loaiza is out.

- Finally, #1 overall world prospect SS Daisuke Yamashiro (JPN) was placed on the 60-Day DL with a strained hamstring that is expected to keep him out months. The 18-year old Japanese prodigy will finish his rookie IBF season playing in just 23 games, hitting .211 with 0 HR and 5 RBI. Not great for his first year, but he showed some flashes and why he is so highly touted during his time for Puebla this season.

Next: Week 10 - including the trade deadline! Last full week of the USABL season, as well.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: August 24, 2014



- All of the teams are set for the 2014 playoffs in the USABL. This year's field will include Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Washington, and New York. The only thing left up for grabs is seeding, and with four games left in the regular season, that should all be decided very shortly.

- This week's Player of the Week went to LF Dan Gibson (USA) of Los Angeles, who was stellar with a .435 AVG, 3 HR, and 12 RBI. Gibson is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in his age 32 season, hitting .243 on the year but with 19 HR and 46 RBI playing in over 60 games for the first time since the 2011 season.

- Things went down in Philadelphia this week as the team is once again going through massive management changes. They fired both GM Victor Lara and Manager Randy Rice, after yet another last place season, and hired former player Ralph Bellew to take over as GM and Dan Barton to take over as manager. Barton's claim to fame was being the bench coach on the 2003-2004 Chicago championship clubs, but has been out of the league for a while. Suffice to say, these are typical Philly hires.

- Despite clinching a playoff spot, the New York club had a slew of transaction activity. First, they activated starting RF Bobby Wicker (USA) off the DL. Unfortunately, SS Nick Muglia (USA) suffered a broken hamate bone that will keep him out for 2-3 months, so he was placed on the 60-Day DL, moving Kyle Lewellen (USA) to shortstop. Finally, SP Jon Winters (USA) was placed on the DL with a calf strain, but will only be out for a couple of weeks. The club called up Aubrey Thurman (USA) to take his spot in the rotation.

- Although Chicago will not be repeating their championship for the third straight year, they were able to activate 1B Frank Torres (MEX) off the DL. Torres is widely considered to be the favorite for the Rookie of the Year Award, and is hitting .300 on the season with 4 HR and 15 RBI.



Standings: August 24, 2014



Playoff Odds

Toronto - 99.3%
Ottawa - 91.8%
--
Montreal - 8.5%
Calgary - 0.5%
Vancouver - 0.01%

- This week, 1B Tom Downey (CAN) of Ottawa was named the Player of the Week, after hitting .529 (9-for-17) with 3 HR and 6 RBI. The 23 year old Canadian is having a rebound season after an injury-plagued 2013 year, hitting .330 with 12 HR and 28 RBI. He's a huge reason that Ottawa is extremely likely to head back to the playoffs as they look to win their second straight championship, and he's expected to be a contender for the league's MVP.

- The only other key piece of news this week is that Calgary placed RF A.J. Britten (CAN) on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle. Britten is expected to miss 6 weeks, thus ending his season. The 23 year old has started 27 games on the season, hitting 4 HR and driving in 7 runs with .257 AVG. Former Montreal stalwart Phil Horwood (CAN) is expected to take over his spot as a key piece going forward.



Standings: August 24, 2014



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 100.0%
Monterrey - 83.2%
--
Guadalajara - 16.4%
Puebla - 0.3%
Toluca - 0.01%

- Reigning MVP Steve Coblentz (USA) of Mexico City had himself a hell of a week. The 25-year old RF hit .360 on the week, but with 6 HR and 15 RBI, which got him named the Player of the Week. Coblentz is continuing the momentum he put forth last year, hitting .282 on the season with 13 HR and 33 RBI. He's once again an MVP candidate as Mexico City looks to win Title #4 in a row.

- It was a good news/bad news week in Monterrey. Let's start with the good news! CF Jorge Hernandez (MEX) was activated off the DL for the team's playoff push. The bad news? The team lost two starters this week. First, 3B Jesus Rosales (MEX) will be out 6 weeks with a herniated disc in his back, knocking him out for the season. Rod Fraga (MEX) is expected to move off the bench into his role. Additionally, superstar RF Eddie Lopez (MEX) will be out for 8 months with a Torn ACL - just a brutal blow for the team, as Lopez was hitting .355 with 6 HR and 28 RBI in just 29 games. Alex Muniz (MEX) will move to right field as the team hopes to make up for any bit of production.

- Finally, Toluca activated CF Roberto Gonzalez (MEX) off the DL and placed him back in the starting lineup, hitting 8th, playing his natural position of CF. Toluca has made some nice gains this year, so it's good to see them get healthy even though they are unlikely to make the playoffs this season.

Next: Short week as we end the USABL Season - week will run from Monday through Friday as we get set for the playoffs!

[CivicEvo]

Final Standings



Playoff Tree



Final League Leaders

Batting Average: C Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas - .338
Home Runs: 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston / RF Jose Rojas (MEX) - Chicago - 22
Runs Batted In: 1B Vic Hodge (CAN) - Dallas - 59
Earned Run Average: SP Jacob Dempsey (USA) - San Francisco - 1.93
Pitcher Wins: SP Kyle Morehouse (USA) - Washington / SP Ernesto Rios (MEX) - Dallas - 9
Strikeouts: SP Ernesto Rios (MEX) - Dallas - 137

Updates

- The 2014 regular season has now ended, and we'll kick off the start of the 2014 USABL Playoffs with the best 2-of-3 series between San Francisco and New York. New York returns to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year, looking for their first title since 2006. San Francisco has never won a championship, but has clinched a spot in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

- The only additional piece of news from this week's wire was 2B Tonito Caguioa (USA) of San Francisco being placed on the Disabled List with a torn quadriceps that will keep him out a month, which could mean both the playoffs and the Club Championship. Caguioa started 64 of the team's 70 games this year, hitting .257 with 9 HR and 31 RBI in 214 ABs.



Standings: August 29, 2014



Playoff Odds

Toronto - 91.6%
Montreal - 65.8%
--
Ottawa - 42.0%
Vancouver - 0.5%
Calgary - 0.1%


Standings: August 29, 2014



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 100.0%
Monterrey - 97.9%
--
Guadalajara - 2.1%
Toluca - 0.01%
Puebla - 0.01%

Updates

- Puebla placed 3B Ernesto Amaro (CUB) on the DL with a strained back. Amaro is hitting .265 on the season with 2 HR and 6 RBI in 29 games and 83 ABs. The 20 year old is expecting to miss 2 weeks due to the injury. As a result, Javy Cantu (MEX) will slide over to 3B and Elias Menjivar (MEX) will move into the lineup at shortstop.

- In a bit of great news, Mexico City was able to activate star CF Lazaro Hernandez (MEX) off the DL, as the team makes their final playoff push. Hernandez, quite possibly the stacked teams best player, will hit second in the lineup upon his return. He currently has 0 HR and 3 RBI with a .444 average in 11 games.

Next Up: The rest of Week 11 and all of Week 12, or in other words, the first two rounds of the USABL Playoffs.

[CivicEvo]

Wild Card Round: Best 2-of-3

(4) San Francisco vs. (5) New York

Game 1: New York - 4; San Francisco - 1
Game 2: San Francisco - 8; New York - 7
Game 3: San Francisco - 7; New York - 2

San Francisco wins the series 2-1, and moves on to face #1 seed Dallas.

Series MVP: RF Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) of San Francisco

Updated Playoff Tree



Players of the Month

Hitter: LF Gordon Henry (CAN) - Dallas
Pitcher: SP Ernesto Rios (MEX) - Dallas
Rookie: 1B Frank Torres (MEX) - Chicago

- One other piece of news to report as Los Angeles has signed their star Puerto Rican centerfielder, Juan Guzman (PUR), to a monster 7-year deal with $37,100. Guzman will earn the following payout structure through 2021: $2,180, $3,260, $4,260, $5,400, $6,600, $7,700, $7,700.



Standings: September 4, 2014



Playoff Odds

Toronto - 96.5%
Ottawa - 60.2%
Montreal - 43.4%
--
Vancouver - Eliminated
Calgary - Eliminated

Players of the Month

Hitter: 1B Tom Downey (CAN) - Ottawa
Pitcher: RP Phil Weaver (CAN) - Ottawa
Rookie: SS David Salomon (GUA) - Calgary



Standings: September 4, 2014



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - Clinched
Monterrey - 99.4%
--
Guadalajara - 0.7%
Toluca - Eliminated
Puebla - Eliminated

Players of the Month

Hitter: RF Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City
Pitcher: SP Esteban Romero (MEX) - Monterrey
Rookie: SS Dave Gomez (MEX) - Guadalajara

Short week this week, but that's life once the playoffs start. More to come in the next post.

[CivicEvo]

USABL Semi-Finals: Best 3-of-5

Matchup 1: (1) Dallas vs. (4) San Francisco

Game 1: San Francisco - 4; Dallas - 0
Game 2: San Francisco - 10; Dallas - 1
Game 3: Dallas - 3; San Francisco - 0
Game 4: Dallas - 6; San Francisco - 3
Game 5: San Francisco - 5; Dallas - 3

San Francisco advances to their first ever USABL Finals!

Series MVP: CCarlos Aguilaz (MEX)

Matchup 2: (2) Houston vs. (3) Washington

Game 1: Houston - 2; Washington - 1
Game 2: Houston - 5; Washington - 4
Game 3: Washington - 2; Houston - 1
Game 4: Washington - 3; Houston - 2
Game 5: Houston - 3; Washington - 0

Houston advances to their 2nd ever USABL Finals, and first since 2011!

Series MVP: CChang-ho Park (USA)

The 2014 Finals: (2) Houston vs. (4) San Francisco





2014 Final Standings



- As seen above, the 2014 CANBL Finals will take place between Ottawa and Toronto, as Ottawa looks to win their second consecutive championship. Toronto has not yet won a title, so should they reign victorious, it would be their first.

2014 League Leaders

AVG: Ed Mathews (CAN) - .362 - Vancouver
HR: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - 20 - Montreal
RBI: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - 44 - Montreal
ERA: Adrian Nelson (USA) - 1.60 - Ottawa
Wins: Bob Mullins (CAN) - Calgary; Bob Winsor (CAN) - Toronto - 6
Strikeouts: Adrian Nelson (USA) - 80 - Ottawa



Final 2014 Standings



- We officially have a rematch of last year's finals as Mexico City looks for championship #4 against Monterrey, who is finally getting healthy. MC will once again be a heavy favorite, but they are not quite as dominant as they were in 2013, leaving the door slightly cracked for an upset.

2014 League Leaders

AVG: Hector Flores (MEX) - .382 - Puebla
HR: Steve Coblentz (USA) - 16 - Mexico City
RBI: Steve Coblentz (USA)/Jack Collins (USA) - 42 - Mexico City
ERA: Jesus Gonzalez (MEX) - 1.45 - Mexico City
Wins: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - 8 - Mexico City
Strikeouts: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - 82 - Mexico City

- In terms of news of teams that are still playing, just one thing to report this week as C R.J. Natal (MEX) of Monterrey has returned from a long injury. He played about 4 games upon his return, and for the season just 14, hitting .220 with 2 HR and 9 RBI after a dominant 2013 when he led the league in RBIs.

--

Schedule This Week:

Tomorrow Night: Championship Week!

Wednesday Afternoon: Groups Revealed for International Play + 2014 Rankings; August Players of the Month by League; 2015 League Structures

Wednesday Night: North American Club Championship Division II

[CivicEvo]

Championship Series: Best 4-of-7

Matchup: (2) Houston vs. (4) San Francisco

Game 1: Houston - 5; San Francisco - 2
Game 2: San Francisco - 1; Houston - 0
Game 3: Houston - 10; San Francisco - 4
Game 4: San Francisco - 9; Houston - 4
Game 5: Houston - 3; San Francisco - 2
Game 6: San Francisco - 3; Houston - 2
Game 7: Houston - 5; San Francisco - 4

Houston wins their 2nd USABL Championship, and first since 2011!

Series MVP: SP Antonio Lopez (MEX)- Houston

Final Playoff Tree





Championship Series: Best 4-of-7

Matchup: (1) Ottawa vs. (2) Toronto

Game 1: Ottawa - 16; Toronto - 5
Game 2: Ottawa - 4; Toronto - 1
Game 3: Toronto - 7; Ottawa - 5
Game 4: Ottawa - 11; Toronto - 1
Game 5: Ottawa - 3; Toronto - 2

Ottawa wins their 2nd CANBL Championship, and second in a row!

Series MVP: SS Max Colle (CAN) - Ottawa

Final Playoff Tree







Championship Series: Best 4-of-7

Matchup: (1) Mexico City vs. (2) Monterrey

Game 1: Mexico City - 2; Monterrey - 1
Game 2: Monterrey - 3; Mexico City - 0
Game 3: Mexico City - 4; Monterrey - 2
Game 4: Monterrey - 4; Mexico City - 2
Game 5: Monterrey - 10; Mexico City - 7
Game 6: Mexico City - 3; Monterrey - 2
Game 7: Monterrey - 6; Mexico City - 4

Monterrey wins their 1st MEXBL Championship, and is the first team other than Mexico City to win the MEXBL!

Series MVP: RF Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City

Final Playoff Tree



--

Upcoming Schedule

Tomorrow Afternoon: Groups Revealed for International Play + 2014 Rankings; August Players of the Month by League; 2015 League Structures

Tomorrow Night: North American Club Championship Division II

After: North American Club Championship Division I Pool Play

[CivicEvo]

Disclaimer: I've decided to just focus on the club leagues today. Tomorrow, a more full scale National Team Update will come in the afternoon.

North American Club Champions League Groups Revealed


Championship week has concluded among club national leagues, which brings us right to the start of Champions League season. As announced previously, the format of the tournament will be as follows:

North American Club Championship - Los Angeles, CA
Similar to last year, this tournament will take place with two divisions.
- Division I will consist of the Top 16 Ranked Teams - 6 game Round Robin + 8 Team Single-Elimination Tournament with Top 2 teams of each group making bracket.
- Division II will consist of teams Ranked 17-20 - 6 game Round Robin + Top 2 Championship Game
- Tie-breakers will be determined by run differential, followed by H2H matchups

The following are the groups for this year’s tournament:

Division I
Group A: Chicago (USA), Los Angeles (USA), Monterrey (MEX), Washington (USA)
Group B: Calgary (CAN), Houston (USA), New York (USA), Ottawa (CAN)
Group C: Guadalajara (MEX), Mexico City (MEX), Miami (USA), Vancouver (CAN)
Group D: Boston (USA), Dallas (USA), Philadelphia (USA), San Francisco (USA)

Division II
Group A: Montreal (CAN), Puebla (MEX), Toluca (MEX), Toronto (CAN)

2015 League Structures Announced

With the success of the Mexican baseball program over the last five years, the Mexican Baseball Administration has taken their next proactive step in creating a sustainable club league that can compete with the United States league for the best talent, while cultivating the next great set of talent to come out of the country.



As a result, the league is announcing today that the Tijuana Baseball Club will be the sixth MEXBL franchise, and will join the league for the 2015 season. A geographical map of the 6 teams can be found below:



Additionally, as a result of this next step of MEXBL evolution, a third team will now make the playoffs to compete in a best 3-of-5 series against the second place team. The winner of that series will face the #1 seed in a best-of-7 championship, with the top seed getting a bye through to the final round. This structure mimics the evolution of the USABL and is expected to be streamlined across all IBF Leagues.

Finally, Tijuana becomes the 21st franchise in the International Baseball Federation, and joins the current 10 USA-based franchises and 5 Canada-based franchises. This is the league’s first expansion since 2013, when Toluca and Calgary joined the fold.

Tonight: The North American Club Championship - Division II

[CivicEvo]

October 1 - October 8, 2014
Los Angeles, CA



Participating Teams + IBF Club Ranking Points

17. Toluca (MEX) - 945
18. Montreal (CAN) - 908
19. Puebla (MEX) - 908
20. Toronto (CAN) - 888

Pool Play
Six game round robin - all teams enter single-elimination bracket

October 1
Puebla - 5; Toluca - 3
Montreal - 15; Toronto - 11

October 2
Toronto - 7; Toluca - 5
Puebla - 2; Montreal - 1

October 3
Toronto - 11; Puebla - 6
Toluca - 6; Montreal - 1

October 4
Toluca - 8; Puebla - 4
Toronto - 8; Montreal - 1

October 5
Toronto - 2; Toluca - 1
Montreal - 4; Puebla - 3

October 6
Toluca - 10; Montreal - 5
Toronto - 8; Puebla - 2

Pool Play Standings



Championship Game


(1) Toronto vs. (2) Toluca



Toronto wins 12-7 and wins the 2014 Division II Championship!

Awards

Best Hitter: SS Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Toronto
Best Pitcher: SP Jorge Contreras (COL) - Puebla

All Stars

P: Jorge Contreras (COL) - Puebla
C: Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto
1B: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal
2B: Gustavo Marin (MEX) - Toluca
3B: Julien Blanc (CAN) - Toronto
SS: Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Toronto
LF: Manny Pantoja (MEX) - Toluca
CF: Martin Starrett (CAN) - Toronto
RF: Greg Martin (USA) - Montreal

Division I play is next!