Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[CivicEvo]

October 10 - October 15, 2014
Los Angeles, CA

Group A



Round Robin Results

October 10
Chicago - 9; Monterrey - 0
Washington - 7; Los Angeles - 6

October 11
Monterrey - 5; Los Angeles - 4
Chicago - 5; Washington - 0

October 12
Washington - 7; Monterrey - 2
Los Angeles - 8; Chicago - 1

October 13
Washington - 2; Los Angeles - 1
Chicago - 7; Monterrey - 4

October 14
Los Angeles - 2; Monterrey - 0
Chicago - 9; Washington - 7

October 15
Washington - 1; Monterrey - 0
Los Angeles - 3; Chicago - 2

Group A Standings



Group B



Round Robin Results

October 10
New York - 5; Calgary - 0
Ottawa - 5; Houston - 3

October 11
Ottawa - 5; New York - 1
Houston - 1; Calgary - 0

October 12
Ottawa - 6; Calgary - 3
New York - 5; Houston - 2

October 13
New York - 7; Calgary - 1
Houston - 7; Ottawa - 1

October 14
Calgary - 8; Houston - 7
New York - 6; Ottawa - 3

October 15
New York - 3; Houston - 2
Ottawa - 18; Calgary - 1

Group B Standings



Group C



Round Robin Results

October 10
Miami - 7; Guadalajara - 1
Vancouver - 3; Mexico City - 2

October 11
Guadalajara - 7; Vancouver - 4
Mexico City - 8; Miami - 6

October 12
Miami - 9; Vancouver - 4
Mexico City - 6; Guadalajara -2

October 13
Mexico City - 5; Vancouver - 0
Miami - 1; Guadalajara - 0

October 14
Mexico City - 2; Miami - 1
Guadalajara - 9; Vancouver - 3

October 15
Guadalajara - 7; Mexico City - 5
Vancouver - 7; Miami - 2

Group C Standings



Group D



Round Robin Results

October 10
Dallas - 2; Philadelphia - 0
Boston - 8; San Francisco - 5

October 11
Boston - 6; Dallas - 5
Philadelphia - 4; San Francisco - 3

October 12
Boston - 2; Philadelphia - 1
San Francisco - 6; Dallas - 3

October 13
Boston - 7; San Francisco - 1
Philadelphia - 10; Dallas - 4

October 14
Boston - 6; Dallas - 5
Philadelphia - 7; San Francisco - 3

October 15
Boston - 5; Philadelphia - 3
Dallas - 3; San Francisco - 2

Group D Standings



Tournament Bracket
Top 2 from each group qualify



First Round Matchups
Teams Seeded on Group Record and Run Differential

(1) Boston (USA) vs. (8) Miami (USA)
(4) Chicago (USA) vs. (5) Mexico City (MEX)
(3) Ottawa (CAN) vs. (6) Washington (USA)
(2) New York (USA) vs. (7) Philadelphia (USA)

The tournament is next!

[CivicEvo]

October 17 - October 21, 2013
Los Angeles, CA



Quarterfinal Matchups

(1) Boston (USA) vs. (8) Miami (USA)
(4) Chicago (USA) vs. (5) Mexico City (MEX)
(3) Ottawa (CAN) vs. (6) Washington (USA)
(2) New York (USA) vs. (7) Philadelphia (USA)

Quarterfinal Results

Boston - 3; Miami - 1
Chicago - 5; Mexico City - 3
Washington - 11; Ottawa - 0
Philadelphia - 3; New York - 2

Semifinal Matchups



(1) Boston vs. (4) Chicago


(6) Washington vs. (7) Philadelphia

Semifinal Results

Boston - 6; Chicago - 5
Philadelphia - 4; Washington - 1

2014 North American Club Championship Finals


(1) Boston vs. (7) Philadelphia



Boston defeats Philadelphia 3-0 to win the 2014 North American Club Championship!

The Final Bracket



UPDATED CHAMPIONS LIST

2000 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2001 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2002 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2003 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2004 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2005 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2006 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2007 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2008 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2009 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2010 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club
2011 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2012 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2013 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2014 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club

2010 CANBL Champion: Vancouver Baseball Club
2011 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club
2012 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club
2013 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club
2014 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club

2011 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2012 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2013 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2014 MEXBL Champion: Monterrey Baseball Club

2007 Gold Cup Champion: United States
2009 Gold Cup Champion: United States
2011 Gold Cup Champion: Mexico
2012 Division I Champion: Mexico
2013 First Region Champion: Mexico
2014 Americas Cup Champion: Mexico

2010 North American Champions League D1: Dallas Baseball Club
2011 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2012 Division I Champions League D1: Houston Baseball Club
2013 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2014 North American Champions League D1: Boston Baseball Club

2010 North American Champions League D2: Chicago Baseball Club
2011 First Region Champions League D2: Washington Baseball Club
2013 First Region Champions League D2: Miami Baseball Club
2014 North American Champions League D2: Toronto Baseball Club

2010 North American Champions League D3: Boston Baseball Club

[CivicEvo]

October 1, 2014
NEW YORK, NY

2014 National Team Rankings

The following represents the new updated rankings after the 2014 Americas Cup. These rankings are representative of nation performance since 2013. All international competition results are tracked in ELO form, creating a more true indication of the best baseball nations over time.

1. Mexico - 1178
2. United States - 1137
3. Canada - 953
4. Puerto Rico - 879
5. Venezuela - 853

A more detailed summary of nation rankings over time can be found below:



2015 Division I Cup

The 2015 Division I Cup will be hosted in Monterrey, Mexico and will feature a similar format as the 2014 Americas Cup. As per last year, the top 4 teams will compete in a one group, 6-game round robin before being placed in a single elimination tournament format. However, only Mexico and the United States will be guaranteed a spot in that round robin. The other two teams will need to qualify in a 3-game round robin in a 4-team Group A, with the two best records (tie-breaker is run differential) moving on.

The groups are as follows:

GROUP A (Qualifier): Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Japan

GROUP B (Main Pool): United States, Mexico, Group A 1st Place, Group A 2nd Place

The below map shows the groups in pictorial form:



Schedule for the Week:

Tonight: Early Offseason: Awards, Draft, Upcoming Free Agents
Tuesday: 2015 Division I Cup - Group B
Wednesday: 2015 Division I Cup - Group A + Championship Game
Thursday: Full Off-Season Report
This Weekend: Update on Players by Country + 2015 USABL Preview

[CivicEvo]

United States Baseball League

2015 Teams: 10
Games in Season: 70
Playoff Teams: 5



Draft Pool Announced

This year's Top-10 Ranked Players

1. Corey Nuss (RF) - Bowie, Maryland
2. Kavita Surendranath (SS) - McLean, Virginia
3. Aaron Stellingwerf (SP) - Norcross, Georgia
4. Bobby Wiggins (SP) - Carol Stream, Illinois
5. Joe Ingman (SP) - Corning, Arkansas
6. Leo Bonilla (SP) - Chicago, Illinois
7. Andy Richardson (SP) - Castle Rock, Colorado
8. Ross Horton (SP) - Cabot, Arkansas
9. David Benson (RP) - Deerfield Beach, Florida
10. Larry Goforth (1B) - North Bethesda, Maryland

Top 10 Free Agents

This year's top 10 ranked Free Agents, ranked by OSA Scouting:

1. SP George Gregg (USA) - Dallas
2. 2B Hugh Blue (USA) - Los Angeles
3. SP Richard Woodard (USA) - Houston
4. RF Brad Lange (USA) - Houston
5. SP Steven Watson (USA) - Los Angeles
6. RP Paul Combs (USA) - Dallas
7. SS Wayne Stoppard (USA) - San Francisco
8. 1B Calvin Miller (USA) - Chicago
9. LF Ricky Garrison (USA) - Chicago
10. RF Paul Parker (USA) - Los Angeles

2014 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player
Kent Marsh (USA) - 3B - Houston (1st)

Pitcher of the Year
Antonio Palacios (MEX) - SP - Dallas (2nd)

Reliever of the Year
Billy McGee (USA) - RP - San Francisco (1st)

Rookie of the Year
Frank Torres (MEX) - 1B - Miami

All-Stars
Pitcher: Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas (2nd)
Catcher: Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas (2nd)
First Base: Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston (3rd)
Second Base: Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas (1st)
Third Base: Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston (1st)
Shortstop: Jorge Calderon (MEX) - Washington (2nd)
Left Field: Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington (1st)
Center Field: Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston (3rd)
Right Field: Brad Lange (USA) - Houston (5th)



Canada Baseball League

2015 Teams: 5
Games in Season: 44
Playoff Teams: 2



Draft Pool Announced

Here are the top 10:

1. Bill Farley (C) - Labrador City, Newfoundland
2. Lucas Corre (1B) - Kamloops, British Columbia
3. Jerome Fournier (SP) - Hearst, Ontario
4. Danny Hodgson (1B) - Sherwood Park, Alberta
5. Allen Ryder (SP) - Delta, British Columbia
6. Mike Cormack (SP) - Montreal, Quebec
7. Erwin Dupont (SP) - Ayr, Ontario
8. Bob Brocklebank (RP) - Attawapiskat, Ontario
9. Conner Cashmann (2B) - Toronto, Ontario
10. Jim Coffin (3B) - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Top 10 Free Agents

This year's top 10 ranked Free Agents, ranked by OSA Scouting:

1. C Brent Hanson (USA) - Montreal
2. LF Larry Arnold (USA) - Montreal
3. RF Greg Martin (USA) - Montreal
4. 3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) - Ottawa
5. SS Kyoji Rin (JPN) - Vancouver
6. C Jim Fisher (CAN) - Ottawa

2014 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player
Gerald Durieux (CAN) - 1B - Montreal (1st)

Pitcher of the Year
Adrian Nelson (USA) - SP - Ottawa (1st)

Reliever of the Year
Butch Beaver (USA) - RP - Toronto (1st)

Rookie of the Year
Dave Spinks (CAN) - CF - Vancouver

All-Stars
Pitcher: Adrian Nelson (USA) - Ottawa (1st)
Catcher: Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto (4th)
First Base: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal (1st)
Second Base: Tarek Caron (CAN) - Calgary (1st)
Third Base: Julien Blanc (CAN) - Toronto (5th)
Shortstop: Max Cole (CAN) - Ottawa (2nd)
Left Field: Mitchell Jamet (CAN) - Toronto (1st)
Center Field: Martin Starrett (CAN) - Toronto (2nd)
Right Field: Broderick Paul (CAN) - Ottawa (4th)



Mexico Baseball League

2015 Teams: 6
Games in Season: 44
Playoff Teams: 2



Draft Pool Announced

Here are the top 10:

1. Adrian Delgado (SP) - Cholula, Puebla
2. Roberto Juarez (CF) - Juarez, Chihuahua
3. Alex Tapia (SP) - Tobarito, Sonora
4. Mel Lora (SP) - Irapuato, Guanajuato
5. Pablo Alarcon (CF) - Zamora, Michoacan
6. Melvin Diaz (CF) - Atliaca, Guerrero
7. Cruz Villa (SP) - Toluca, Mexico
8. Oscar Solache (SP) - Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
9. Humberto Montoya (SP) - San Pedro Buenavista, Chihuahua
10. Antonio Contreras (C) - Tampico, Tamaulipas

Top 10 Free Agents

This year's top 10 ranked Free Agents, ranked by OSA Scouting:

1. 2B Victor Veeck (USA) - Toluca
2. CF Mario Ramos (MEX) - Guadalajara

2014 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player
Hector Flores (MEX) - RF - Puebla (1st)

Pitcher of the Year
Santiago Garduno (MEX) - SP - Mexico City (2nd)

Reliever of the Year
Myun-Gu Kim (KOR) - RP - Puebla (1st)

Rookie of the Year
Dave Gomez (MEX) - SS - Guadalajara

All-Stars
Pitcher: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City (3rd)
Catcher: T.J. Dugas (USA) - Puebla (1st)
First Base: Jack Collins (USA) - Mexico City (3rd)
Second Base: David Vogel (USA) - Mexico City (3rd)
Third Base: Eduardo Hernandez (MEX) - Mexico City (1st)
Shortstop: Dave Gomez (MEX) - Guadalajara (1st)
Left Field: German Gonzales (MEX) - Mexico City (2nd)
Center Field: Lazaro Hernandez (MEX) - Mexico City (2nd)
Right Field: Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla (1st)

[CivicEvo]

March 1 - March 3, 2015
Monterrey, Mexico

Participating Teams + IBF National Ranking Points

3. Canada - 953
4. Puerto Rico - 879
5. Venezuela - 853
6. Japan - New in 2015

Pool Play
Three game round robin - top 2 teams enter Group A Pool Play with United States and Mexico

March 1
Canada - 7; Japan - 1
Venezuela - 3; Puerto Rico - 0

March 2
Puerto Rico - 14; Japan - 1
Canada - 4; Venezuela - 3

March 3
Venezuela - 2; Japan - 1
Canada - 7; Puerto Rico - 1

Pool Play Results



Group A Participants




It will be the same four teams as last year competing for the 2015 Division I Cup!

The main draw and Championship Game will take place tomorrow!

[CivicEvo]

March 5 - March 12, 2015
Monterrey, Mexico

Participating Teams + IBF National Ranking Points

1. Mexico - 1178
2. United States - 1137
3. Canada - 953
5. Venezuela - 853

Pool Play
Six game round robin - top 2 teams enter single-elimination championship game

March 5
Mexico - 16; Venezuela - 0
Canada - 7; United States - 4

March 6
United States - 7; Venezuela - 0
Mexico - 4; Canada - 0

March 7
Canada - 6; Venezuela - 1
Mexico - 9; United States - 2

March 8
Canada - 5; United States - 3
Mexico - 6; Venezuela - 3

March 9
Venezuela - 1; United States - 0
Canada - 4; Mexico - 2

March 10
Canada - 6; Venezuela - 4
Mexico - 9; United States - 3

Pool Play Results



Major upset with Canada making it to the Championship Game over the USA!

Championship Match



March 12, 2015 - Monterrey, Mexico
(1) Mexico vs. (2) Canada



Mexico does it again! With an 8-2 win over Canada, they continue their international dominance for their 5th straight tournament championship.

Next up for International Play, a special IBF Announcement to come later in the calendar year for 2016! Rankings will be out a little earlier this year, likely during August 2015.

Tomorrow - 2015 Offseason Report!

[tquigley4]

Just finished reading this, I love it! Great job on growing the IBF so far an I can't wait for more. I am excited to try out the quickstart for this league, as well, if you decide to make one
Go Boston!

[CivicEvo]

As we did last year, let's go through each of the 10 teams and outline all of the key additions made during the off-season:

Boston (31-39, 7th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed CF Tyler Hickmott (BRB) to a 3 Year, $15,600 contract from Montreal (CAN)
- Acquired SP Mike Nelson (USA) from Philadelphia for SS Josh Kneller (USA) and SS Alex Martinez (COL)
- Signed SP Leonardo Reyes (USA) to a 1 Year, $2,560 contract from Houston

Chicago (33-37, 6th Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired LF Jonathan Arrington (USA) from Miami for 3B Alex Munoz (USA)
- Signed CF Billy Smith (USA) to a 1 Year, $2,600 contract from Miami
- Signed SP Mike Brindley (USA) to a 1 Year, $3,240 contract from Los Angeles

Dallas (46-24, 1st Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired SP Manuel Hernandez (MEX) from Chicago for RP Francisco Bolanos (MEX) and SS Joe Schrum (USA)

Houston (44-26, 2nd Place - Champions)



Key Additions
- Signed SP George Gregg (USA) to a 1 Year, $6,100 contract from Dallas

Los Angeles (30-40, 8th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed RF Francisco Garcia (USA) to a 1 Year, $2,740 contract from New York
- Signed 2B Tonito Caguioa (USA) to a 1 Year, $4,720 contract from San Francisco
- Acquired SP Luther Hahn (USA) from Philadelphia for CF Dustin Devanna (USA) and SP Andy Fryar (USA)
- Signed SP Paul Combs (USA) to a 1 Year, $2,560 contract from Dallas

Miami (27-43, 9th Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired 3B Alex Munoz (USA) from Chicago for LF Jonathan Arrington (USA)
- Signed SP Pedro Gallegos (USA) to a 1 Year, $3,600 contract from Boston

New York (38-32, 5th Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired SP Jeremy Mitchell (USA) from Chicago for SS Ramon Varela (NCA)

Philadelphia (19-51, 10th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed RF Paul Parker (USA) to a 1 Year, $3,160 contract from Los Angeles
- Signed 2B Ken Fitzsimmons (CAN) to a 1 Year, $4,060 contract from Miami
- Acquired 3B Billy Mire (USA) from San Francisco for SS Raul Galvan (MEX) and SP Justin Caster (USA)

San Francisco (40-30, 4th Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired 2B Jose Garcia (MEX) from Mexico City with CF Alex Salazar (MEX) for C Juan Pinto (MEX)
- Acquired SS Raul Galvan (MEX) with SP Justin Caster (USA) from Philadelphia for 3B Billy Mire (USA)
- Signed SP Richard Woodard (USA) to a 4 Year, $41,600 contract from Houston
- Signed SP Steven Watson (USA) to a 1 Year, $8,500 contract from Los Angeles

Washington (42-28, 3rd Place)



Key Additions
- Signed RF Brad Lange (USA) to a 1 Year, $10,000 Contract from Houston
- Signed C Brent Hanson (USA) to a 3 Year, $8,280 Contract from Montreal

Up Next: International Update + Final USABL Pre-Season Predictions

---

Originally Posted by tquigley4

Just finished reading this, I love it! Great job on growing the IBF so far an I can't wait for more. I am excited to try out the quickstart for this league, as well, if you decide to make one
Go Boston!

Thank you! Goal is to have quickstart up and live in the Mods forum to begin on Opening Day 2015: 6/15/15. Will include formats for all 3 club leagues with all 21 teams, but tournaments will *not* be for the time being. Hope to include everything as OOTP continues to evolve.

Other goal is to realize a quickstart each year... as I expect some pretty heavy expansion for the 2016 season, but no spoilers yet!

[CivicEvo]

Standings: June 21, 2015



- The first Player of the Week was awarded for Week 1, and it goes to Washington LF Robert Delattre (CAN). The 25-year old Canadian wen 16-for-32 on the week with 2 HR and 9 RBI with 10 runs scored in just 7 games. He's been a key reason for why Washington has started 6-1 on the season, as the club continues to emerge as one of the world's best club teams.

- San Francisco has been average out of the gate, going 4-3, and that's partially due to LF Mario Moreno (MEX) being out for 2-3 weeks with an oblique strain. Moreno appeared in just 2 games to start the season, going 2-for-7 with 2 runs scored. 1B/OF Ernie Larkin (USA), who played a big role last season, will enter into the lineup in his left field spot.

- Staying in San Francisco, the club signed famed Mexico City reliever Salvatore Mercado (MEX) to a 3-year, $6,160 deal this past week. Mercado made his USABL debut pitching 4.2 innings and giving up 6 runs. The 24-year old played the last three years for Mexico City and is considered to be one of Mexico's top relievers in the world.

- Houston placed SP Jon Whitley (USA) on the DL with recurring back spasms that will keep him sidelined for almost 2 months. Whitley was able to throw just one-third of an inning in his season debut, after starting only 7 games in 2014 due to injuries. Newly acquired P Kevin Powers (USA) will enter into the rotation after coming over from rival San Francisco in the offseason.

-

Next Up: An international registry update and top new international prospects for 2014-15

Also - wanted to make note... some users asked for a Quick Start for this universe. I posted it on Friday in the Mods forum here and just wanted to make mention of it in the main thread. As expansion will again start to pick up pretty much every year going forward, my plan is to put a new QS out each Opening Day for whichever league is starting first for the year (likely will always be the USA League). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

[CivicEvo]

2014 Top 10 International Free Agents

Hughie Reynolds - SP - London, England
Marshall Blachford - SP - Sydney, Australia
Wei-Liang Geng - SP - Shanghai, China
Juan Lopez - SP - Heredia, Costa Rica
Sebastian Chugh - SP - Bristol, England
Alex Romero - 2B - Piedecuesta, Colombia
Jin-Guo Joo - SP - Xian, China
Alex Mulholland - SP - London, England
Ki-Tong Chia - SP - Beijing, China
Jan Doggen - SP - Alblasserdam, Netherlands

Players By Country - As of March 1, 2015
A total of 32 Countries are represented

United States - 417
Mexico - 347
Canada - 275
Japan - 48
Puerto Rico - 46
Venezuela - 45
South Korea - 32
Australia - 29
The Netherlands - 27
Dominican Republic - 22
Cuba - 22
Colombia - 20
Panama - 19
China - 18
Costa Rica - 18
Nicaragua - 10
England - 9
Germany - 8
Guatemala - 8
Curacao - 7
Taiwan - 5
Haiti - 3
El Salvador - 3
Trinidad & Tobago - 3
Aruba - 3
Bahamas - 2
Honduras - 2
Barbados - 1
Bermuda - 1
Jamaica - 1
Sint Maarten - 1
Grenada - 1

[CivicEvo]

Standings: June 28, 2015



- Week 2 in the USABL season was an interesting one as some teams have already started to separate from the pack. One of those teams, Dallas, was led by Player of the Week 1B Vic Hodge (CAN), who went 12-for-23 on the week with 2 HR and 5 RBI. Hodge is now hitting .408 on the year with 2 HR and 7 RBI, continuing the success he saw during his 2014 breakout with the Texas-based club.

- One of the teams stuck in the middle, Houston, suffered a big blow as their starting C Chang-ho Park (USA) fractured his thumb on June 22, and will be out 6 weeks. Park was hitting .240 with 0 HR and 0 RBI in 7 games, and will be replaced by his backup, Mike Moeser (USA) who performed well in the role last season. However, the 23-year old Moeser is hitting just .150 on the season so far.

- Long-time reliever Jim Cobb (USA) of Los Angeles got some pretty awful news, as he will need elbow ligament reconstruction surgery that will take him out until July 2016. The 33-year old pitcher from Long Island is in his 13th season and was in his 3rd season with LA. He threw just one inning of the year. For his career, Cobb is 18-22 with 43 saves and a 3.18 ERA in 331.1 IP.

- As if things weren't already bad for perennial loser Philadelphia, they will be without their ace Kirk Langlais (CAN) for the entire season with elbow inflammation. The 25-year old started just 3 games on the season, going 0-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 17 strikeouts. He will be replaced by top prospect Jose Rivera (PUR), as the club looks for upside in what looks to be yet another bleak season.

[CivicEvo]

IBF Hall of Fame Intentions Announced

The Board of Trustees of the International Baseball Federation are pleased to announce, in light of the federation’s 15-year anniversary, intentions to begin a process for players to be honored for their commitment to the game. Almost 1,000 players have suited up for at least one of the world’s 21 best teams, and the fanbase continues to grow each year in multiple countries. This current year marked our first Asian international team, Japan, competing in an official IBF National competition, showing the tangible growth that our game has made in such a short time.

As a result, the board has banded together and will unveil four different types of honors that a player can achieve, to be decided yearly by an “Honor Committee” of writers, owners, former players, and stakeholders. Each honor is separate and indicative of a players’ performance over the course of their careers. Adjusted WAR will be the key metric for the committee as they choose, combining player performance in league competition, champions league competition, and international competition. Additionally, there will be a different post-retirement waiting period for each honor. The honors are as followed:

Franchise Hall-of-Fame

In all sports, players grow attached to the cities they play in, and the IBF is no different. We have players from all over the world playing locally in our cities, and the teams are representative of the communities they play in. Starting in 2016, the Honor Committee will work directly with the franchises to nominate players for their individual Franchise Hall-of-Game.

The post-retirement waiting period for this honor will be 0 Years. As soon as a player retires, he will be eligible to be inducted into a Franchise Hall-of-Fame. The Honor Committee is already working with some longer-term franchises to start planning announcements for next season.

Each franchise Hall of Fame will be located in the stadium of the city of which they play.

Positional Hall-of-Fame

Fans love to rank players. Baseball is inherently a game of fierce statistical debate and comparison. One of the best ways to compare players is by which the position that they play. The Honor Committee felt that this was a spectacular way to push those debates forward. Starting in 2016, players will be eligible to be inducted into a Positional Hall-of-Fame. There will be 10 of these locations: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Left Field, Center Field, Right Field, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher.

Locations have yet to be announced, but will be as the inductees become unveiled over time. The post-retirement wait for this honor will be 2 years.

National Hall-of-Fame

As the game grows worldwide, it also grows in individual countries. Natives from each country look up to their baseball heroes as they travel the globe, competing in their craft. But ultimately, there’s nothing like playing for your home country each year. Attendance has skyrocketed for international competitions, with fans traveling near and far to see their country compete for the prize. The Honor Committee has taken notice of this, and has decided to induct the best players from each country into a National Hall of Fame.

Locations will be within each country’s capital, and will open as players begin to get inducted. The post-retirement wait for this honor will be 3 years.

International Baseball Hall-of-Fame

This is the highest honor. Where only legends are allowed in, the true cream of the crop in international baseball history. The Honor Committee all agreed that while the aforementioned honors are valuable, there needs to be a place where only legends live. That is the International Baseball Hall-of-Fame.

Given that the IBF originated in New York, and that the New York club was the first great team in the USA league, there was unanimous agreement that the Hall should be located in one of the world’s biggest cities.

The post-retirement wait for this honor is 5 years, to ensure that only the best of the best are invited in as a member of this exclusive club.

Timelines

With this announcement today, the countdown is on. Hall of Fames are expected to open in 2016, and inductees will be announced next year over the course of the IBF Calendar. It’s time to honor the players that have elevated this league to the next level.

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 5, 2015



- The reigning champs aren't off to a ridiculous start, but Houston CF Antonio Torres (HON) has kept them in it early on. He was named this week's Player of the Week after a .516 week with 2 HR and 8 RBI with 8 runs scored. Torres, who currently leads the league in WAR, is hitting .329 with 6 HR and 20 RBI so far in 79 total ABs.

- With a lot of teams squished together at the top of the standings, there's not a lot of room for error or injuries. Unfortunately, San Francisco suffered a big one this past week as CF John MacIndoe (CAN) will miss the season with a radial nerve surgical issue that will keep him out for 4-5 months. The yearly starter for San Fran will play in just 12 games this year, hitting a monster .408 with 1 HR and 4 RBI and 2 steals. The team will welcome back former star John Bartlatt (CAN) to the lineup in his absence. Bartlatt is hitting .265 with 0 HR and 3 RBI in 34 ABs so far this year, but will get a lot more time going forward.

- Washington has been off to a torrid start in 2015, but they will be without CF Cecil Hammond (USA) for about 5 weeks with a strained oblique. Hammond has been rock solid again this year, hitting .333 with 2 HR and 10 RBI in 15 games. Former starting OF Juan Valdez (VEN) re-enters the lineup after a productive 2014, where he finished with a .737 OPS.

- In a trio of centerfielder injuries, Dallas will miss CF Christian Teslo (CAN) for approximately a month after fracturing his thumb earlier in the week. Teslo is in his third season with Dallas, and has generally struggled. This year, he is hitting .255 with 0 HR and 6 RBI in 47 ABs. Dallas will turn back to their utility outfielder Jeremy Fisher (USA) while Teslo is out, and just like Teslo, Fisher will hit 8th in the lineup.

Next: June Players of the Month!

[CivicEvo]

June Players of the Month

The United States Baseball League has announced the following players as June’s Players of the Month:

Player of the Month

LF Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington
Loyalist, Ontario
.455 AVG - 3 HR - 17 RBI - 1.153 OPS - 1 SB

Pitcher of the Month

SP Paul Combs (USA) - Los Angeles
Tulsa, Oklahoma
3-0 Record - 2.25 ERA - 0.96 WHIP - 16 K

Rookie of the Month

1B Yoon-tae Sohn (KOR) - New York
Incheon, South Korea
.333 AVG - 1 HR - 2 RBI - .914 OPS - 2 SB

All-Stars of the Month

SP Paul Combs (USA) - Los Angeles
Tulsa, Oklahoma

C Jeremy Patterson (USA) - Boston
Park City, Illinois

1B Vic Hodge (CAN) - Dallas
Espanola, Ontario

2B Fred Henrichs (USA) - Washington
La Puente, California

3B Jose Gonzalez (USA) - Los Angeles
St. Stephens, North Carolina

SS Nick Muglia (USA) - New York
Hanamaulu, Hawaii

LF Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington
Loyalist, Ontario

CF Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) - San Francisco
Calgary, Alberta

RF Brad Lange (USA) - Washington
Bristol, TN

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 12, 2015



- After a monster week that culminated in a 6-game winning streak, Houston 1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) was named the Player of the Week after going 10-for-23 with 4 HR and 12 RBI in just 6 games. The 2013 USABL MVP is hitting is .333 on the season with 9 HR and 25 RBI in 26 games. As we approach the halfway mark of the regular season, he's once again a front runner for the league's most prestigious award.

- Sensing some fatigue in his arm after two great seasons, Washington has shut down SP Andy Newsome (USA) for a week with what they are calling a mild shoulder sprain. Newsome is 2-1 in 5 starts this year, but has a very abnormal 5.96 ERA with a diminished strikeout rate. Christian Dos Santos (CAN) will come into the rotation, after first appearing for Washington in the Champions League last season.

- New York LF Pete Abbey (USA) will miss 3 weeks with a separated shoulder suffered over the weekend. The 25-year old, in his third season with New York, is hitting .200 on the season with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 22 games. The team is exploring options, but is expected to move Yoon-tae Sohn (KOR) to left field and insert Aaron Numbers (USA) at first in the interim.



Standings: July 12, 2015



- The 2015 Mexican Baseball League season started over the weekend, with now 6 teams competing for Mexico's highest prize. This season will be a 50-game campaign, culminating in 3 teams making the playoffs.

- Only one transaction of note occurred this week as Toluca signed C Antonio Davila (MEX) to a 1 year contract for $920. Davila played with Puebla last season, hitting .206 as their backup with 0 HR and 4 RBI. He is, however, expected to start and play every day for what's expected to be an upstart Toluca team.

- A more defined season preview of the MEXBL will be up in the morning.

[CivicEvo]

With the season underway, let's take a look at each of the 6 Mexican League teams and outline the key additions made during the off-season:

1. Guadalajara (21-23, 3rd Place)



Key Additions
- Signed C Jim Fisher (CAN) to a 1 Year, $2,060 contract from Ottawa
- Signed RF Raleigh Speck (CAN) to a 1 Year, $2,800 contract from Mexico City
- Signed 2B Victor Veeck (USA) to a 1 Year, $1,620 contract from Toluca

Mexico City (31-13, 1st Place)



Key Additions
- Re-acquired C Juan Pinto (MEX) from San Francisco for 2B Jose Garcia (MEX) and CF Alex Salazar (MEX)

Monterrey (25-19, 2nd Place - Champions)



Key Additions
- Signed SS Alfonso Trujillo (MEX) to a 1 Year, $3,560 contract from Mexico City
- Signed 1B Antonio Morin (MEX) to a 1 Year, $1,440 contract from Mexico City

Puebla (17-27, 4th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed SP Mike Olson (USA) to a 1 Year, $1,320 contract from Guadalajara

Tijuana (Expansion Team)



Key Additions
- Signed CF Pete Corson (USA) to a 1 Year, $990 Contract from Monterrey
- Signed 3B Bryan Schmidt (USA) to a 1 Year, $1,760 contract from Guadalajara
- Signed C Armando Gildard (MEX) to a 1 Year, $790 contract from Mexico City

Toluca (16-28, 5th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed CF Jorge Hernandez (MEX) to a 4 Year, $14,080 contract from Monterrey
- Signed C Antonio Davila (MEX) to a 1 Year, $990 contract from Puebla
- Signed SP Randy Phillips (USA) to a 1 Year, $1,400 contract from Guadalajara
- Signed SP Sal Santiago (MEX) to a 1 Year, $860 contract from Mexico City
- Signed SP Manny Salas (MEX) to a 1Year, $1,080 contract from Mexico City

Coming up next: A big announcement from the Mexico Baseball League!

[CivicEvo]

LÉON, MEXICO
JULY 13, 2015

The Board of Trustees is excited to announce that for the second year in a row, the Mexican Baseball League will be expanding. With Mexico Baseball catapulting in popularity due to the international success of the club, the federation was able to secure procurement by an ownership group to own the league's 7th team in Léon.

Léon becomes the IBF's 22nd team and 7th in the Mexican Baseball League. They will begin to play in time for the 2016 season, and will be eligible to begin making player moves on the first day of the 2015 offseason, with the same entitlements as the current 21 other teams. Additionally, they will be eligible to participate in the 2016 Champions League, which will be announced during that season.



About Léon
From Wikipedia


Courtesy: TripAdvisor

León has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories to both national and international markets. Its first-class services and hotel industry make it one of the most important centers in Mexico with numerous opportunities for entertainment, gastronomy, leisure activities, arts, and recreation. It is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of integrating a network of bike lanes into the SIT system. In March 2012 it received an award as "City Water Champion", mainly due to great progress in the areas of sanitation, wastewater reuse, and energy cogeneration from biogas.

Map of the League
Leon Highlighted in Green



Coming Up: Week 5!

[CivicEvo]

---

Standings: July 19, 2015



- Dallas is once again looking primed for a playoff run, and for them, their first championship. To do that, they will need continued greatness from their best players. This week, they got just that from 3B Edgar Bonilla (MEX), who was named as the Player of the Week. Bonilla hit .452 on the week with 2 HR and 11 RBI, and is now hitting .333 on the season with 7 HR and 30 RBI with 32 runs in 33 games.

- We had our first no-hitter of the season as SP Jacob Dempsey (USA) threw one this past week. This is actually the second no-hitter of Dempsey's career! He threw a perfect game back in 2009, and is now 4-3 on the season with a 2.68 ERA.

- Oh no. Last year, 2014 RoY 1B Frank Torres (MEX) of Chicago was diagnosed with a back condition that caused him to miss 5 weeks. He was again diagnosed with the same condition this year and is expected to miss 3 weeks. Torres is hitting .287 on the season with 3 HR and 10 RBI. Struggling second year player Rico Espinosa (MEX) will take his spot in the lineup.

- Los Angeles fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the club inked legendary LF Dan Gibson (USA) to a 4-year extension. The 33 year old signed a contract worth $33,400 that will keep him with the team through 2019. Gibson is doing his normal thing, hitting .299 on the season with 10 HR and 29 RBI in 28 games so far this season as the centerpiece of Los Angeles' resurgence into the playoff race.

- Tough news for Dallas SP Glen Leahy (CAN), who will miss 4 weeks with a big oblique strain. After a weird 2014, he's back to his normal stuff after a great showing in the 2015 Division I International Competition, going 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 34.1 IP. Dallas has turned to rookie SP Matt Davies (USA) to take his spot in the rotation.

- Some great news out of San Francisco has LF Mario Moreno (MEX) is back in the lineup, returning from injury. He's struggled since his return and is now hitting .174 on the season with 0 HR and 1 RBI, but in just 6 games. Plenty of time for Moreno to turn it around - his team will need it.

- Happens when you get older, but Washington suffered a big blow as RF Brad Lange (USA) will miss a month with a torn ligament in his thumb. The likely future HOFer was really good to start the season, hitting .259 with 6 HR and 12 RBI in 25 games. The 40 year old is showing no signs of slowing down! Washington will shuffle some parts again, with Yong-u Che moving to RF, Juan Valdez moving to CF, and Sam Londrigan (USA) entering the every day lineup to play first base.



Standings: July 19, 2015



- Although the team is off to a surprisingly struggling start, 1B Jack Collins (USA) of Mexico City was named the Player of the Week, after hitting .350 with 5 HR and 8 RBI for the week. The 25-year old looks to be primed for another productive season.

- Luckily for everyone, no injuries to speak of this week. However, there were two free agent signings. Monterrey signed RP Alfredo Torres (MEX) to a 2-year deal worth $2,720. Additionally, Tijuana signed former Philly RP Carlos Reynoso (MEX) to a 3-year contract for $4,320.



Standings: July 19, 2015



- The start of the Canadian season has produced little in the way of too many surprises. One player off to a great start is 3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) of Montreal, a journeyman who has bounced around since leaving Philadelphia via trade last year. He was named the first Player of the Week of the season, hitting .524 with 0 HR and 4 RBI.

- A formal team-by-team preview of the CANBL will be up tomorrow.

[CivicEvo]

The 2015 Canada Baseball League season is now underway, so let's take a look at each of the 5 teams and the significant changes that they made during this past offseason:

Calgary (14-30, 5th Place)



Key Additions
- Signed SP Mike Jacobs (CAN) to a 1 Year, $900 Contract from Vancouver
- Signed SP Jean Vial (CAN) to a 1 Year, $920 contract from Toronto

Montreal (23-21, 3rd Place)



Key Additions
- Acquired LF Brad Updegraff (USA) from Miami for 2B Ewan Despres (CAN) and 2B Quinn Pellerin (CAN)
- Acquired 3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) from Calgary for RP Nate Buskirk (USA), 1B Wilford McKinley (CAN), RP Tony Freemann (CAN), RP Gary Harrigan (CAN), and C Murdock Gilliland (CAN)
- Acquired 2B Mark Williams (USA) from Philadelphia for 3B Mark Winters (CAN)

Ottawa (27-17, 1st Place, Champions)



Key Additions
- Acquired 2B Hugh Blue (USA) from Philadelphia for CF Jonah Nichols (CAN), SP Eric Rubinstein (CAN), and RP Scott Ollis (CAN)
- Acquired C Shafgat Alavi (USA) from Chicago for 3B Jean Bertrand (CAN) and RF Johnny McBean (CAN)

Toronto (27-17, 2nd Place)



Key Additions
- Signed SP John Bisson (CAN) to a 1 Year, $498 Contract from Ottawa

Vancouver (19-25, 4th Place)



Key Additions
- None

[CivicEvo]

2015 IBF Club Rankings

With the official start of the Canadian Baseball League season, the IBF has released this year’s Club Rankings updated to reflect the results of the 2014 America’s Cup:



2015 Division I Club Championship Announced

The International Baseball Federation has come together to announce the Division I Club Championship, to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, as the reward for Boston’s 2014 Americas Championship victory, this fall. All 21 IBF clubs will be invited to participate in this year’s tournament, which will have a similar format to recent years.

The first leg of the tournament will be a best 2-of-3 play-in round between the 20th Ranked Team (Puebla) and the new 21st ranked team (Tijuana). The winner of that mini-series will join the main draw with the other 19 teams.

During pool play, teams will again compete in a 6 game round robin. The top two teams from each group will advance to the tournament bracket. As there will be 5 groups this year, that will result in a 10 team single-elimination tournament.

Groups for the tournament have been released as followed, based on their 2015 IBF Club Ranking:

Group A
Guadalajara
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Puebla/Tijuana

Group B
Boston
Dallas
Montreal
Washington

Group C
Calgary
Chicago
Miami
Ottawa

Group D
Monterrey
New York
Toronto
Vancouver

Group E
Houston
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Toluca

As usual, the tournament will begin after the conclusion of all of the league championships.