Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[CivicEvo]

Standings: July 26, 2015



- Starting next week, the Playoff Chase will officially be underway as there will be less than one month remaining in the regular season. Additionally, trade talks are expected to heat up as the calendar switches from July to August. Looks like there will be 6 teams battling for 5 spots this year!

- This week's Player of the Week was 2B Tony Gomez (MEX) of Dallas, who hit .440 with 4 HR and 8 RBI with 6 runs scored. For the season, the 23 year old is hitting .315 with 9 HR and 30 RBI in 143 ABs.

- Outside of that, very little news this week. Of note, SP Andy Newsome (USA) of Washington returned from the DL and tossed 5 innings of 3 run ball in a 9-2 loss against Los Angeles. The 24 year old is a key part of the first place team's rotation.



Standings: July 26, 2015



- C Armando Gildard (MEX) of Tijuana was named the Player of the Week, the first such player from TIJ to win the award. Gildard hit .431 with 1 HR and 7 RBI in the last week, and is hitting .245 with 1 HR and 9 RBI for the season.

- Similar to as with the USABL, not a ton of news this week. 3B Jesus Rosales (MEX) of Monterrey will be out 2 weeks with a bone bruise. He was off to a slow start, hitting .214 with 0 HR and 0 RBI in 28 ABs to start the year. Eddie Lopez (MEX) will move from the outfield to start at 3B, with Carlos Herrera (MEX) entering the lineup in LF.



Standings: July 26, 2015



- This week's Player of the Week was SP Ed Upton (CAN) of Vancouver, who went 2-0 on the week with a 0.60 ERA and 8 Strikeouts in 15 innings. He held batters to just a .173 average against in the first full week of the Canadian season.

- No other injuries or returning players this week!

[CivicEvo]

CARACAS, VENEZUELA
JULY 26, 2015

The International Baseball Federation gathered in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas to announce the formation of a two-team Venezuelan domestic association to begin play in 2016. The association, which will take on a similar naming structure as the other leagues, will be known as the Venezuelan Baseball League.

Two owners have stepped forward to start operations after the 2015 Division I Club Championship, but those teams remain unannounced until later in the season, as the IBF wants to leave a little bit of surprise as to where the teams will be located. That said, officials did hint that the cities would be not that difficult to figure out.

As of the offseason, both teams will officially ratify their membership and become full-fledged members of the IBF. For 2016, the association will consist of two teams playing in a 20-game challenge series from August 15 - September 15 to determine the champion. In the event of a 10-10 split, a 21st game will be played to determine the winner. Additionally, as official members of the International Baseball Federation, they will be eligible to trade players with the other three leagues, and will be eligible for the 2016 Club Championship. Venezuela, as a national, will continue to perform in International Tournaments as well.



About Venezuela
From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela)


Source: TripAdvisor

Venezuela is a federal republic located on the northern coast of South America. It is bordered by Colombia on the west, Brazil on the south, Guyana on the east, and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east. Venezuela covers 916,445 km2 (353,841 sq mi) and has over 31 million (31,775,371) people. The country has extremely high biodiversity (ranked 7th in the world's list of nations with the most number of species), with habitats ranging from the Andes Mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rain-forest in the south, via extensive llanos plains and Caribbean coast in the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east.

The territory now known as Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 amid resistance from indigenous peoples. In 1811, it became one of the first Spanish-American colonies to declare independence, which was not securely established until 1821, when Venezuela was a department of the federal republic of Gran Colombia. It gained full independence as a separate country in 1830. During the 19th century, Venezuela suffered political turmoil and autocracy, remaining dominated by regional caudillos (military strongmen) until the mid-20th century. Since 1958, the country has had a series of democratic governments. Economic shocks in the 1980s and 1990s led to several political crises, including the deadly Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez for embezzlement of public funds in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of former coup-involved career officer Hugo Chávez and the launch of the Bolivarian Revolution, beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela. This new constitution officially changed the name of the country to República Bolivariana de Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).

Venezuela is a federal presidential republic consisting of 23 states, the Capital District (covering Caracas), and federal dependencies (covering Venezuela's offshore islands). Venezuela also claims all Guyanese territory west of the Essequibo River, a 159,500-square-kilometre (61,583 sq mi) tract dubbed Guayana Esequiba or the Zona en Reclamación (the "zone being reclaimed"). Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north, especially in the capital (Caracas) which is also the largest city in Venezuela.

Oil was discovered in the early 20th century, and Venezuela has the world's largest known oil reserves and has been one of the world's leading exporters of oil. Previously an underdeveloped exporter of agricultural commodities such as coffee and cocoa, oil quickly came to dominate exports and government revenues. The 1980s oil glut led to an external debt crisis and a long-running economic crisis, in which inflation peaked at 100% in 1996 and poverty rates rose to 66% in 1995 as (by 1998) per capita GDP fell to the same level as 1963, down a third from its 1978 peak. The recovery of oil prices in the early 2000s gave Venezuela oil funds not seen since the 1980s. The Venezuelan government then established populist policies that initially boosted the Venezuelan economy and increased social spending, significantly reducing economic inequality and poverty. However, such policies later became controversial since they destabilized the nation's economy, resulting in hyperinflation, an economic depression and a drastic increase in poverty.

--

Additional Note: Confirming now that the two-team Venezuelan association WILL be included in the 2016 quickstart that I release.

[CivicEvo]

Trades - Week 7

Philadelphia trades 1B Bob Wolfe (USA) [.323-6-28] to Calgary for 3B Gavin Horridge (ARU) [.286-0-2], CF Asher Callbeck (CAN), and SS Cory McIntyre (CAN) [.167-0-0]

Washington trades 3B Drew Williamson (USA) [.339-4-24] and CF Adam Laubenthal (USA) to San Francisco for SP Brian Leise (USA) [3-2, 3.70]

Los Angeles trades SP Paul Combs (USA) [3-3, 4.08] to Chicago for SP Mark Porterfield (USA)



Standings: August 2, 2015



Playoff Odds

Washington - 100.0%
Dallas - 99.7%
Houston - 93.3%
Los Angeles - 88.8%
Boston - 73.2%
--
San Francisco - 37.4%
New York - 7.6%
Chicago - ~0.0%
Miami - ~0.0%
Philadelphia - ~0.0%


Standings: August 2, 2015






Standings: July 26, 2015



--

Smaller update tonight as I'm trying to now focus more on the story of how the federation is evolving - as you see the mid-day posts are way more in line with overall federation updates. I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep focus on the key players as well - potentially will do a focus on a specific position-per-league of players that are relevant vs. just reporting on random injury updates. Just something I'm thinking about as next year will mark the start of league #4, and it's going to become untenable to report on every single transaction as it happens. Stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, I do love doing the Player of the Month Awards, so expect July Player of the Month for each league to be up tomorrow.

[CivicEvo]

July Players of the Month

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

SP Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston
Torreon, Mexico

C Alex Marquex (CRC) - Chicago
San Miguel, Costa Rica

1B Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston
Valtierrilla, Mexico

2B Kyle Lewellen (USA) - New York
Nashville, Tennessee

3B Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston
Springfield, Florida

SS Antonio Santos (MEX) - Chicago
Durango, Mexico

LF Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington
Loyalist, Ontario

CF Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston
Tegucigalpa, Honduras

RF Nate Humphreys (USA) - Dallas
Minneapolis, Minnesota



July Players of the Month

The Mexico Baseball League has announced the following players as July’s Players of the Month:

SP Alejandro Salinas (MEX) - Monterrey
Mexico City, Mexico

C T.J. Dugas (USA) - Puebla
Schenectady, New York

1B Jack Collins (USA) - Mexico City
Fort Worth, Texas

2B Javy Cantu (MEX) - Puebla
Morelia, Mexico

3B Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey
Mexico City, Mexico

SS Dave Gomez (MEX) - Guadalajara
Valle de Bravo, Mexico

LF Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara
Leon, Mexico

CF Pete Corson (USA) - Tijuana
Suffolk, Virginia

RF Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City
Columbia, Maryland



July Players of the Month

The Canada Baseball League has announced the following players as July’s Players of the Month:

SP Paul Hart (CAN) - Ottawa
East Gwillimbury, Ontario

C Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto
Chalco, Mexico

1B Francisco Abreu (PUR) - Vancouver
Levittown, Puerto Rico

2B Hugh Blue (USA) - Ottawa
Pasco, Washington

3B Alfred Kerry (CAN) - Montreal
Toronto, Ontario

SS Max Cole (CAN) - Ottawa
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

LF Adam Howell (CAN) - Ottawa
London, Ontario

CF A.J. Britten (CAN) - Calgary
London, Ontario

RF Pascal Jourdain (CAN) - Toronto
Vancouver, British Columbia

[CivicEvo]

Trades - Week 8

Los Angeles trades SS Matt Foerster (USA) [.214-0-3] to Tijuana for RF Mauricio Garcia (MEX) [.319-0-5] and RP Heriberto Cuella (MEX) [1-2, 12.15]

Los Angeles trades SP Denny Goodwin (USA) [1-4, 5.36] to Ottawa for 1B Jean-Jacques Petit (CAN) [No Stats]



Standings: August 9, 2015



Playoff Odds

Washington - 100.0%
Dallas - 99.8%
Houston - 97.5%
Los Angeles - 94.5%
Boston - 62.5%
--
San Francisco - 23.1%
New York - 22.6%
Chicago - ~0.0%
Miami - ~0.0%
Philadelphia - ~0.0%

Batting Leaders





Standings: August 9, 2015



Batting Leaders






Standings: August 9, 2015



Batting Leaders



--

Two quick notes as it pertains to this year's reports:

- Continuing my thoughts from yesterday, I am going to finish out this year with pretty generic results, in terms of leaders and updates. Starting the 2016 season, I will be moving back to more player leaderboards for certain levels: team leaders, position leaders, league leaders on a rotating basis. That, to me, is the best way to keep everyone updated on players as I shift the story to move into more of the expansion phase both from a country perspective and from a new-team perspective. Additionally, with the start of the respective Hall of Fames, the best players will also start to get their due as part of this story as well.

So to bottom line this: much less on the transactional updates, much more on leaderboard and story updates going forward.

- Speaking of the story, expect the first reveal of the first team in the Venezuelan league tomorrow!

[CivicEvo]

MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA
AUGUST 9, 2015



A press conference was held in Venezuela’s most populous city today, as work gets under way to make the Venezuelan Baseball League fully operational by the start of the off-season, which is just now over a month and a half away. As part of that launch plan, the IBF Board of Trustees gathered to announce to both the Venezuelan press and the Global Baseball press that the first team to begin operations would be located in the city of Maracaibo.

As a result, Maracaibo will start operations as part of the IBF effective October 1, 2015 and will participate operationally in the International Baseball Federation, starting with the inaugural Venezuelan Entry Draft to take place in November.



About Maracaibo
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maracaibo



Maracaibo is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the second-largest city in the country (after the national capital Caracas) and is the capital of the state of Zulia. The population of the city is approximately 1,495,200 with the metropolitan area estimated at 2,108,404 as of 2010. Maracaibo is nicknamed La Tierra del Sol Amada ("The Beloved Land of the Sun").

Map of the League
Maracaibo Highlighted in Green



WEEK 9 should be up tonight - with league pitching leaders included!

[CivicEvo]

Trades - Week 9

Los Angeles traces C Bob Roseberry (USA) to Montreal for RF Quentin Scammell (CAN) and SP Chad Leger (CAN)

Los Angeles trades SP Rob Sellick (CAN) to Ottawa for SS Patrick Delannoy (CAN)



Standings: August 16, 2015



Playoff Odds

Washington - Clinched
--
Houston - 100.0%
Dallas - 99.9%
Los Angeles - 85.2%
New York - 53.7%
--
Boston - 43.7%
San Francisco - 17.6%
Chicago - ~0.0%
Miami - ~0.0%
--
Philadelphia - Eliminated

Pitching Leaders





Standings: August 16, 2015



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 90.0%
Toluca - 73.2%
Guadalajara - 55.4%
--
Puebla - 42.1%
Monterrey - 39.3%
Tijuana - ~0.0%

Pitching Leaders





Standings: August 16, 2015



Playoff Odds

Ottawa - 92.5%
Vancouver - 58.5%
--
Montreal - 42.3%
Toronto - 6.8%
Calgary - ~0.0%

Pitching Leaders



More announcements to come soon including:
- New Registered Nations for 2016
- 2nd Venezuelan Baseball League Team
- 2015 International Rankings
- 2016 International Competition Announce (this is a big one!)
- And more!

[CivicEvo]

NEW YORK, NY
August 17, 2015

The International Baseball Federation has announced that two new nations have completed the registration process and have received approval for players to join the IBF universe for the 2016 season. Over the past three years, the league has approved the following nations who have since all had players enter into the international amateur signing period. Those nations were:

2012 - Nicaragua, Curacao, Aruba
2013 - China, Germany, Taiwan
2014 - England

The IBF extends across five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. This year, one country from South America and one from Europe will be joining the association. They are:

Brazil



Brazil, a vast South American country, stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and massive Iguaçu Falls in the south. Rio de Janeiro, symbolized by its 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado, is famed for its busy Copacabana and Ipanema beaches as well as its enormous, raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba music and dance.

Italy



Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s "David" and Brunelleschi's Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.

Brazil and Italy officially become the 22nd and 23rd registered nations in the International Baseball Federation. While some nations still have legacy players in the IBF, only these 23 countries are permitted to have players registered for either the IBF International Signing period of IBF League Amateur Drafts. As usual, the 2015 drafts and signing period will occur after the Club Champions League, around the first of November.

We're back with Week 10 tonight!

[CivicEvo]

Quick Standings Reports --



Standings: August 23, 2015
The USABL Regular Season Ends Next Week!



Playoff Odds

Washington - Clinched
Dallas - Clinched
Houston - Clinched
--
New York - 94.8%
Los Angeles - 56.5%
--
Boston - 47.3%
San Francisco - 1.4%
--
Chicago - Eliminated
Miami - Eliminated
Philadelphia - Eliminated



Standings: August 23, 2015



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 99.9%
Guadalajara - 84.1%
Toluca - 76.3%
--
Monterrey - 33.5%
Puebla - 6.2%
Tijuana - ~0%



Standings: August 23, 2015



Playoff Odds

Ottawa - 99.6%
Vancouver - 73.4%
--
Toronto - 19.0%
Montreal - 8.1%
Calgary - ~0%

More to come tomorrow - our last new club team announcement of the 2015 season!

[CivicEvo]

CARACAS, VENEZUELA
August 24, 2015



The International Baseball Federation board was back in Venezuela for the second time in three weeks, this time to announce the formation of Venezuela’s second club team, based in the country’s capital city of Caracas. Similar to the other team (Maracaibo), Caracas will be eligible to begin operations in the way of player transactions on October 1, 2015 - after the club association playoffs are completed.

The Venezuela Baseball League will begin play for the 2016 season and will feature two teams, Caracas and Maracaibo, playing a 20 game challenge series. There will be no post-season, as the leader after those 20 games will be considered the inaugural league champion.



About Caracas
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracas



Caracas, Venezuela's capital, is a commercial and cultural center located in a northern mountain valley. Independence leader Simón Bolívar is buried at the National Pantheon of Venezuela, established in the 19th century in the city's old town. Caracas Cathedral, a landmark of Romanesque architecture, dates to the 17th century. Parque Central's 225m-high twin towers are the signature of the skyline.

Map of the League
Caracas Highlighted in Green



Week 11 (end of the USABL regular season) is next!

[CivicEvo]

Final 2015 Standings



- There was a tie for the final wild-card spot with New York and Boston both finishing at 35-35. A one game playoff was held, which New York won, and they will move on to face familiar foe Los Angeles in the Wild Card round next week.

Final League Leaders

AVG: Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington - .360
HR: Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston - 24
RBI: Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston - 61
ERA: Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston - 2.06
Wins: Julien Kieffer (CAN) - Los Angeles / Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston - 9
SO: Vance Armstrong (USA) - New York - 121

Playoff Tree






Standings: August 30, 2015



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 98.9%
Toluca - 88.1%
Guadalajara - 85.2%
--
Monterrey - 26.2%
Puebla - 1.6%
--
Tijuana - Eliminated



Standings: August 30, 2015



Playoff Odds

Ottawa - 100.0%
Vancouver - 92.0%
--
Toronto - 5.3%
Montreal - 2.7%
--
Calgary - Eliminated

--

Next: The 2015 International Rankings will be released!

[CivicEvo]

August 30, 2015
NEW YORK, NY

2015 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 - 1283
2. Canada - 1123
3. United States - 1000
4. Puerto Rico - 889
5. Japan - 854
6. Venezuela - 852

Flags will be added tonight.

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



The IBF also announced that plans for the 2016 National Tournament would be released soon, towards the end of the club association season.

[CivicEvo]

2015 Wild Card Round

(4) Los Angeles vs. (5) New York
Best 2-of-3 Series



Game 1: Los Angeles - 3; New York - 2
Game 2: New York - 8; Los Angeles - 2
Game 3: Los Angeles - 1; New York - 0

Series MVP: SP Julien Kieffer (CAN) - Los Angeles

Playoff Tree






Standings: September 4, 2015



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 99.9%
Guadalajara - 87.5%
Toluca - 80.8%
--
Monterrey - 20.5%
Puebla - 11.2%
--
Tijuana - Eliminated



Standings: September 4, 2015



Playoff Odds

Ottawa - Clinched
--
Vancouver - 97.2%
--
Toronto - 2.9%
Montreal - ~0.0%
--
Calgary - Eliminated

[Jakegraff7]

Brand new to the game and this story has gotten me hooked already! Impressive stuff!

[CivicEvo]

August Players of the Month

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

SP Andy Newsome (USA) - Washington
Paramount, California

C Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago
San Miguel, Costa Rica

1B Devin Clark (CAN) - Boston
Hamilton, Ontario

2B Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas
San Vicente, Mexico

3B Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas
Naucalpan, Mexico

SS Chris Renda (CAN) - Miami
Caledon, Ontario

LF Mario Moreno (MEX) - San Francisco
General Escobedo, Mexico

CF Jeremy Fisher (USA) - Dallas
Redondo Beach, California

RF Eric Towers (USA) - Houston
Muncie, Indiana



August Players of the Month

The Mexico Baseball League has announced the following players as August’s Players of the Month:

SP Esteban Moreno (MEX) - Monterrey
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

C Armando Gildard (MEX) - Tijuana
Chihuahua, Mexico

1B Jack Collins (USA) - Mexico City
Ft. Worth, Texas

2B Jose Gonzales (MEX) - Guadalajara
Hermosillo, Mexico

3B German Gonzales (MEX) - Mexico City
Leon, Mexico

SS Miguel Navarro (MEX) - Puebla
Agua Prieta, Mexico

LF Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara
Leon, Mexico

CF Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey
Mexico City, Mexico

RF Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City
Columbia, Maryland



August Players of the Month

The Canada Baseball League has announced the following players as August’s Players of the Month:

SP Eric Brown (USA) - Montreal
Fairhope, Alabama

C Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto
Chalco, Mexico

1B Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal
Sherwood Park, Alberta

2B Hugh Blue (USA) - Ottawa
Pasco, Washington

3B Ed Mathews (CAN) - Vancouver
Halifax, Nova Scotia

SS Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Toronto
Vancouver, British Columbia

LF Bill Merritt (CAN) - Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia

CF Gary Starr (CAN) - Toronto
Penticton, British Columbia

RF Broderick Paul (CAN) - Ottawa
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Originally Posted by Jakegraff7

Brand new to the game and this story has gotten me hooked already! Impressive stuff!

Thanks! Hope you get as much enjoyment out of the game as many of us have!

[KingofWarsaw]

It's interesting to me that the US has been passed by both Canada and Mexico now. Do you know why that is?

[CivicEvo]

2015 USABL Semi-Finals

(1) Washington vs. (4) Los Angeles
Best 3-of-5 Series



Game 1: Los Angeles - 6; Washington - 0
Game 2: Washington - 5; Los Angeles - 2
Game 3: Washington - 8; Los Angeles - 1
Game 4: Washington - 12; Los Angeles - 1

Series MVP: LF Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington

(2) Houston vs. (3) Dallas
Best 3-of-5 Series



Game 1: Houston - 6; Dallas - 0
Game 2: Houston - 3; Dallas - 2
Game 3: Houston - 6; Dallas - 3

Series MVP: SP Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston

Playoff Tree





Standings: September 10, 2015



Playoff Odds

Mexico City - 93.5%
Toluca - 90.8%
Guadalajara - 90.4%
--
Puebla - 13.5%
Monterrey - 11.8%
--
Tijuana - Eliminated



Standings: September 10, 2015



Playoff Odds

Ottawa - Clinched
Vancouver - Clinched
--
Toronto - Eliminated
Montreal - Eliminated
Calgary - Eliminated

Coming Tomorrow - Two Big Events!
- International Tournament Announcement in the Afternoon
- End of the Canadian and Mexican Regular Seasons

Originally Posted by KingofWarsaw

It's interesting to me that the US has been passed by both Canada and Mexico now. Do you know why that is?

Awesome question. I honestly don't, but I have theories. In theory the USA should be turning out all of this awesome talent, but for some reason the league has really become the international hub, so some players aren't getting their chances just yet. The teams they have in the tournaments are strong, but for whatever reason, they're really struggling. I think part of this is due to the initial CAN/MEX IFAs hitting their prime ages while much of the USA team still skews a bit older (that's changed in the last tournament).

It also could simply be bad luck.... though I will say the Mexican team is just ridiculously good right now. They've all developed in the USA league and basically all hit their potential. The Canadian surge, admittedly, was a surprise - I'm not convinced they will be that successful again. Either way, it's something to watch and I'm glad you brought it up. Thanks for reading!

[CivicEvo]



NEW YORK, NY
September 10, 2015

2016 World Cup

The International Baseball Federation gathered today to announce the first inaugural IBF World Cup! As a testament to their success and growth, Mexico will be the first host for the 2016 tournament, to be played in March in Mexico City and Monterrey. The tournament this year will consist of 7 nations competing for what the IBF is considered as the ultimate prize: the World Cup.

The World Cup will have two phases, similar to previous tournaments. The first phase will consist of the teams ranked 4-7, in a 3 game round robin. The winner of that group will advance to the main draw with Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

The below are the groups, with Group A representing the initial qualifying phase:

GROUP A


PUERTO RICO
JAPAN
VENEZUELA
SOUTH KOREA

GROUP B



MEXICO
CANADA
UNITED STATES
GROUP A QUALIFIER


The tournament gets under way in March!

[CivicEvo]

While the finals in the USABL are going on, we check in with the end of the CANBL and MEXBL regular seasons:






Final 2015 Standings



Final League Leaders

AVG: Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara - .366
HR: Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City - 16
RBI: Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City - 50
ERA: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City - 1.92
Wins: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City - 7
SO: Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City - 108

Playoff Tree






Final 2015 Standings



Final League Leaders

AVG: Bill Merritt (CAN) - Vancouver - .414
HR: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal - 9
RBI: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal - 53
ERA: Harry Gerardin (CAN) - Vancouver - 2.47
Wins: 3 Tied With - 6
SO: Harry Gerardin (CAN) - Vancouver - 70

Playoff Tree



September Players of the Month will be revealed next, and then it's onto the results of the playoffs before the Club Championships begin!

[CivicEvo]

As the USABL season ended in August, only the MEXBL and CANBL are announcing award winners for September.



September Players of the Month

The Mexico Baseball League has announced the following players as September’s Players of the Month:

SP Santiago Garduno (MEX) - Mexico City
Cuautitlan, Mexico

C T.J. Dugas (USA) - Puebla
Schenectady, New York

1B Jack Collins (USA) - Mexico City
Fort Worth, Texas

2B Gustavo Marin (MEX) - Toluca
Ecatepec, Mexico

3B Elias Menjivar (MEX) - Puebla
Matamoros, Mexico

SS Dave Gomez (MEX) - Guadalajara
Valle de Bravo, Mexico

LF Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara
Leon, Mexico

CF Ricky Loaiza (MEX) - Guadalajara
Aguascalientes, Mexico

RF Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla
Hermosillo, Mexico




September Players of the Month

The Canada Baseball League has announced the following players as September’s Players of the Month:

SP Harry Gerardin (CAN) - Vancouver
Longueuil, Quebec

C Bob Roseberry (USA) - Montreal
Minneapolis, Minnesota

1B Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal
Sherwood Park, Alberta

2B Tarek Caron (CAN) - Calgary
Winnipeg, Manitoba

3B Ed Mathews (CAN) - Vancouver
Halifax, Nova Scotia

SS Max Cole (CAN) - Ottawa
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

LF Mark Wentzell (CAN) - Calgary
Montreal, Quebec

CF Francisco Abreu (PUR) - Vancouver
Levittown, Puerto Rico

RF Victor Medina (MEX) - Montreal
Monterrey, Mexico

The 2016 League Championships are next!