Golden Baseball League

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Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League logo
Sport Baseball
Founded 2004
No. of teams 8
Country(ies) Flag of the United States United States
Flag of Canada Canada
Most recent champion(s) Chico Outlaws
Official website www.goldenbaseball.com

The Golden Baseball League, based in Dublin, California, is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the western United States and Canada.

The GBL is not affiliated with either Major or Minor League Baseball but features many players with MLB experience (Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Alex Arias, Bud Smith) as well as top young prospects. It formed in 2004 and began play on May 26, 2005. The GBL uses the designated hitter rule.

As an independent baseball league, the GBL exists to give professional baseball players who are not currently under contract with a Major or Minor League organization another chance at playing at the professional level. The GBL level of play is considered to be at the double A standard. Over 50 players have been sold to MLB organizations over the past two seasons. Player salaries range from $750 to $3,000 per month, the standard at the double A level.

The GBL's presenting partner is Safeway Inc.. Other investors in the GBL include Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, former National Football League players Mike Sherrard and Christian Okoye, and executives from Cisco Systems, Taleo and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Contents

In its inaugural season, the league was composed of eight teams that played their home games in city- and university-owned stadiums, with the exception of the Japan Samurai Bears, a traveling team of Japanese players that played all of its games on the road. Three of the GBL's teams, the Chico Outlaws, Long Beach Armada, and Yuma Scorpions, operated in former Western Baseball League cities.

On May 9, 2005, Major League Baseball's all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, signed a contract to play the 2005 season with the GBL's San Diego Surf Dawgs, the first GBL Champions. José Canseco, another retired star, signed with the Surf Dawgs in 2006 as part of his attempt to return to baseball and promote his book Juiced, along with its upcoming movie adaptation. Canseco was traded to the Long Beach Armada after only one game. He said that the move was to be closer to his daughter.[citation needed]

The 2005 season ended with a four team championship tournament on Labor Day Weekend. The tournament ended with San Diego winning two games on the final day, knocking off the Mesa Miners in the second game to wrap up their championship season.

Before the 2006 season, the Mesa Miners and Surprise Fightin' Falcons suspended operations and a new team, the Reno Silver Sox, was created, becoming the first GBL club in Nevada. The league chose to move to a 6-team format and did not have the travelling Samurai Bears return.

The GBL added the St. George Roadrunners for the 2007 season, and the Calgary Vipers and Edmonton Cracker-Cats joined the league for 2008. The league is looking to add additional teams in California, Arizona, Oregon and Canada.

North
Team City Stadium
Calgary Vipers Calgary, Alberta Foothills Stadium
Chico Outlaws Chico, California Nettleton Stadium
Edmonton Cracker-Cats Edmonton, Alberta TELUS Field
Reno Silver Sox Reno, Nevada William Peccole Park
South
Team City Stadium
Long Beach Armada Long Beach, California Blair Field
Orange County Flyers Fullerton, California Goodwin Field
St. George Roadrunners St. George, Utah Bruce Hurst Field
Yuma Scorpions Yuma, Arizona Desert Sun Stadium

Standings
PL California Division W L GB PL Arizona Division W L GB
1 San Diego-x 52 38 -- 1 Mesa-x 51 39 --
2 Chico-y 49 41 3 2 Yuma 47 43 4
3 Long Beach-y 49 41 3 3 Surprise 45 45 6
4 Fullerton 34 56 18 4 Samurai Bears 33 57 18

x-Division Champion y-Wild Card (Division champions and top two wild card teams go to Championship.)

Playoffs and Championship(4 team double-elimination, final 2 teams face in one game playoff):
Game 1 SAN DIEGO 9 Chico 0
Game 2 MESA 8 Long Beach 0
Game 3 CHICO 7 Long Beach 5 (Long Beach eliminated)
Game 4 MESA 2 San Diego 0
Game 5 SAN DIEGO 2 Chico 1 (Chico eliminated)
Championship Game SAN DIEGO 9 Mesa 6 (San Diego wins championship)
MVP Cody Clark, San Diego
Awards:
Year Most Valuable Player Pitcher of the Year Rookie of the Year Rookie Pitcher of the Year Manager of the Year Executive of the Year
2005 Desi Wilson, 1B/OF, Surprise Grant Gregg, LHP, Chico Nick Guerra, C/3B, San Diego Manny Ayala, RHP, Mesa Terry Kennedy, San Diego Bob Linscheid, Chico[5]

Gold Glove winners:[6] Pitcher: Adam Pettyjohn, Long Beach Catcher: Cody Clark, San Diego First base: Yuji Nerei, Samurai Bears Second base: Kenichi Miura, Samurai Bears Third base: Sean Walsh, Fullerton Shortstop: Jeremy Hernandez, Long Beach Outfielders Marcus Knight, Mesa; Billy Brown, Surprise; Travis McAndrews, Long Beach

Standings:
PL 1st Half Standings W L GB PL 2nd Half Standings W L GB
1 Reno-z 25 15 -- 1 Fullerton-x 26 14 --
2 Chico 22 18 3 2 Chico 24 16 2
3 Long Beach 22 18 3 3 Reno 22 18 4
4 Yuma 18 22 7 4 San Diego 19 21 7
5 Fullerton 17 23 8 5 Long Beach 15 25 11
6 San Diego 16 24 9 6 Yuma 14 26 12

z-1st half champion and best overall record, x-2nd half champion (Champions of each half face in 5 game series for championship. If one team wins both halfs, team with next best overall record receives championship bid.)

Championship(best of 5 game series):
Game 1 RENO 11 Fullerton 4
Game 2 RENO 5 Fullerton 4
Game 3 FULLERTON 9 Reno 5
Game 4 RENO 5 Fullerton 3 (Reno wins championship)
MVP Doug Gredvig, Reno
Awards:
Year Most Valuable Player Pitcher of the Year Rookie of the Year Rookie Pitcher of the Year Manager of the Year Executive of the Year
2006 Peanut Williams, 1B/DH, Fullerton Chris Jakubauskas, RHP, Fullerton Matt Maloney, OF, San Diego Phil Springman, RHP, Chico Les Lancaster, Reno Becca Hoffer, Chico

All-League Team: Catcher: Marcus Jensen, Reno First base: Desi Wilson, Chico Second base: Adam Mandel, San Diego Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Bret LeVier, Fullerton Utility: Craig Kuzmic, Chico Outfielders: Seth Pietsch, San Diego; Jason Van Meetren, Chico; Jeff LaRue, Long Beach; Scott Goodman, San Diego Designated hitter: Peanut Williams, Fullerton Starting Pitchers: Chris Jakubaskaus, Fullerton; Andre Simpson, Long Beach; Ben Thurmond, Reno; Phil Springman, Chico; Brian Kroll, Chico; Nate Sevier, Reno Relief Pitchers: Josh Rummonds, San Diego; Scott Schneider, Reno; E.J. Shanks, San Diego; Mike Peck, Long Beach; Wes Faust, Fullerton

Gold Glove Winners:[7] Pitcher: James Johnson, Reno Catcher: Marcus Jensen, Reno First base: Desi Wilson, Chico Second base: Rob Gandolfo, Chico Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Hector Tena, Yuma Outfielders Chris Klemm, Long Beach; Lino Garcia, Chico; Ryan Webb, Long Beach

Standings:
PL 1st Half Standings W L GB PL 2nd Half Standings W L GB
1 Chico-x 25 13 -- 1 Long Beach-z 25 13 --
2 Long Beach 23 15 2 2 Yuma 21 17 4
3 Yuma 21 17 4 3 Chico 19 19 6
4 Orange County 19 19 6 4 Orange County 18 20 7
5 Reno 18 20 7 5 St. George 16 22 9
6 St. George 7 31 18 6 Reno 15 23 10

x-1st half champion, z-2nd half champion and best overall record

Championship(best of 5 game series):
Game 1 CHICO 10 Long Beach 4
Game 2 CHICO 12 Long Beach 8
Game 3 LONG BEACH 7 Chico 5
Game 4 CHICO 6 Long Beach 1 (Chico wins championship)
MVP Scott Dragicevich, Chico
Awards:
Year Most Valuable Player Pitcher of the Year Rookie of the Year Rookie Pitcher of the Year Executive of the Year
2007 Daniel Nava, OF, Chico Todd Gelatka, RHP, Chico Kane Simmons, OF, Reno Dustin Gober, RHP, Long Beach Curt Jacey, Reno

All-League Team: Catcher: Buddy Morales, Orange County First base: Jaime Martinez, Long Beach Second base: David Bacani, Orange County Third base: Henry Calderon, Yuma Shortstop: Jesse Kovacs, Chico Utility: Ryan Stevenson, St. George Outfielders:Daniel Nava, Chico; Kane Simmons, Reno; Johnny Kaplan, Long Beach Yosvanny Almario, Yuma Designated hitter: Peanut Williams, Orange County Starting Pitchers: Ben Fox, Orange County; Derek Loop, Chico; Ryan Claypool, Long Beach; Roger Luque, Yuma; Dusty Bergman, Reno Relief Pitchers: Todd Gelatka, Chico; Dane De La Rosa, Long Beach; Anthony Pluta, St. George; Neil Hayes, Yuma

Main article: Arizona Winter League

On November 15, 2006, the Golden Baseball League announced the Arizona Winter League, which would be an instructional league for its summer league. The league began play on January 19, 2007.

  • The difference of mileage between Chico (the GBL's northernmost United States team) and Calgary (the GBL's southernmost Canada team) is exactly 1,337 miles (2,344 kilometers).

  1. ^ http://origin.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_7554952
  2. ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_7448774?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

v • d • e
Golden Baseball League
North Division Calgary Vipers • Chico Outlaws • Edmonton Cracker-Cats • Reno Silver Sox
South Division Long Beach Armada • Orange County Flyers • St. George Roadrunners • Yuma Scorpions
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Baseball_League"
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