Continental Baseball League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Continental Baseball League | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 2006 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country(ies) |  United States |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Tarrant County Blue Thunder |
| Official website | www.cblproball.com |
The Continental Baseball League, based in Addison, Texas, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the U.S. state of Texas. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams nor affiliated with either.
The Continental Baseball League exists so that professional baseball players who are not signed by a Major or Minor League organization could have another chance at playing at a higher level. Although the level of Continental Baseball League play can be categorized as single A standard, players in independent baseball are usually not scouted heavily by Major League teams. Many Major League alumni have called independent league teams home in an effort get back to the Majors. The league also caters to players who are not quite talented enough to play at a higher level.
Contents |
[edit] The League
The CBL's players primarily come from the college ranks, although some former professional players will fill the team rosters.
The CBL's first game was played on May 27, 2007 between the Texas Heat and the Bay Area Toros. It was played at Clear Creek Wildcat Stadium and the Heat beat the Toros, 6-5, in 10 innings.
The historic first milestones:
- Official Start Time: 5:12pm (Attendance: 1150; Time of game: 3 hours and 50 minutes)
- First Hit: Mitch Elliott (Heat) had an infield single
- First Home Run: Samson Oldenburg (Solo HR)
- First RBI: Robby Winn (Heat)
- First Extra Inning Game in CBL History
- First Win: Adam Beseda
- First Save: Brandon Pello
[edit] 2008 Continental Baseball League Teams
| Continental Baseball League | |||
| Team | City | Stadium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Toros | Texas City, Texas, USA | Robinson Stadium | |
| Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs | Robstown, Texas, USA | Fairgrounds Field | |
| McKinney Blue Thunder | McKinney, Texas, USA | Gabe Nesbitt Field | |
| Texarkana Gunslingers | Texarkana, Texas, USA | George Dobson Field | |
[edit] 2008 Season Overview
[edit] Standings
| Team | Wins | Loses | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs | 11 | 6 | .647 | - |
| Bay Area Toros | 10 | 7 | .588 | 1.0 |
| McKinney Blue Thunder | 8 | 8 | .500 | 2.5 |
| Texarkana Gunslingers | 4 | 12 | .250 | 6.5 |
[edit] 2007 Season Review
[edit] Standings
| Team | Wins | Loses | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County Blue Thunder | 30 | 17 | .638 |
| Texas Heat | 25 | 17 | .595 |
| Lewisville Lizards | 19 | 25 | .432 |
| Bay Area Toros | 13 | 28 | .317 |
[edit] Playoffs
The first CBL championship was won by the Tarrant County Blue Thunder, who beat the Bay Area Toros in a double elimination event 17-0 on August 18, 2007 and 6-3 on August 19, 2007.
[edit] Season Awards
Zach Duncan of the Tarrant County Blue Thunder won the league's ERA crown with a 3.14 ERA and was named the CBL Pitcher of the Year. He was tied for the league in wins with five and second in strikeouts with 57 Ks in 51 innings pitched for a K/9 ratio of 10.06. He held opposing batters to an average of .241.
Josh Blackstock, also of the Tarrant County Blue Thunder, took the batting title with a .373 average.
First baseman Robby Winn of the Texas Heat won league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards with a .341 batting average, 46 runs scored, and league leading 61 hits, 21 HRs and 64 RBI.
Tarrant County Blue Thunder pitcher George Castillo and Lewisville Lizards pitcher Randy Strann shared the Reliever of the Year award with 7 saves each.
Curtis Wilkerson a former MLB player for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals won Manager of the Year honors for leading the Tarrant County Blue Thunder to the league's best regular-season record.
[edit] Expansion
| Year | # of Teams | Expansion Teams | Folded Teams | Suspended Teams | Returning Teams | Relocated Teams | Name Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4 | Bay Area Toros Lewisville Lizards Tarrant County Blue Thunder Texas Heat |
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| 2008 | 4 | Tarrant County → McKinney Blue Thunder Lewisville → Texarkana Gunslingers Texas → Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs |
[edit] References
[edit] External links and references
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