Canadian Baseball League: Difference between revisions
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The '''Canadian Baseball League''' was an [[independent baseball|independent]] [[minor league baseball|minor league]] that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was [[Major League Baseball]] [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famer]] and [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]] member [[Ferguson Jenkins]]. The league featured former major league players such as [[Francisco Cabrera (baseball)|Francisco Cabrera]], [[Floyd Youmans]], [[Rich Butler]], [[Steve Sinclair]]. | The '''Canadian Baseball League''' was an [[independent baseball|independent]] [[minor league baseball|minor league]] that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was [[Major League Baseball]] [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famer]] and [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]] member [[Ferguson Jenkins]]. The league featured former major league players such as [[Francisco Cabrera (baseball)|Francisco Cabrera]], [[Floyd Youmans]],<ref name=RareVideo/> [[Rich Butler]], and [[Steve Sinclair]]. | ||
The CBL was based in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. | The CBL was based in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. | ||
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The CBL was the brainchild of [[Tony Riviera]], a former major league scout, and the face of the league. It was backed by former [[Microsoft]] product developer [[Charlton Lui]], and later by former [[Yahoo!]] president, and part owner of the [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Jeff Mallett]].<ref name="vancourier">{{Cite web |url=http://www.vancourier.com/issues03/103103/sports.html |title="CBL receivership not a fall classic", Vancouver Courier, August 4, 2004 |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021045352/http://www.vancourier.com/issues03/103103/sports.html |archive-date=October 21, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]r [[Ferguson Jenkins]] was brought in to act as the league's Commissioner. | The CBL was the brainchild of [[Tony Riviera]], a former major league scout, and the face of the league. It was backed by former [[Microsoft]] product developer [[Charlton Lui]], and later by former [[Yahoo!]] president, and part owner of the [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Jeff Mallett]].<ref name="vancourier">{{Cite web |url=http://www.vancourier.com/issues03/103103/sports.html |title="CBL receivership not a fall classic", Vancouver Courier, August 4, 2004 |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021045352/http://www.vancourier.com/issues03/103103/sports.html |archive-date=October 21, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]r [[Ferguson Jenkins]] was brought in to act as the league's Commissioner. | ||
===Big plans=== | |||
The league was first announced on September 27, 2001, and was initially intended to launch in 2002. A player draft was held in December 2001, with an initial set of eight teams in [[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]], [[Kamloops]], [[Kelowna]], [[Lethbridge]], [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]], [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], [[Nanaimo]], and [[Saskatoon]]. However, due to difficulties in negotiations between the teams and the cities, and resultant reorganizations within the CBL, the goal of a 2002 season was scrapped.<ref name=20YearsLater>{{cite web |last1=McFarland |first1=Joe |title=20 Years Later: Remembering the Canadian Baseball League |url=https://albertadugoutstories.com/2023/12/21/20-years-later-remembering-the-canadian-baseball-league/ |website=Alberta Dugout Stories: Tales of Baseball from Wild Rose Country |access-date=22 August 2025 |date=21 December 2023}}</ref> | |||
The big plans initially appeared to be possible. The league announced a national television deal with sports channel [[The Score Television Network|The Score]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.channelcanada.com/Article151.html |title=Canadian Baseball League gets National TV deal, Channelcanada.com, January 23, 2003 |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029001631/http://www.channelcanada.com/Article151.html |archive-date=October 29, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while a crowd of 5,100 took in the league's inaugural game in [[London, Ontario]].<ref name="CBLdeath"> | In November 2002, the CBL announced a revised plan to start the league in 2003. There were still eight teams, but locations of the teams changed substantially, creating a cross-country league with a Western and Eastern Conference (the original 2002 teams were all west of Manitoba).<ref name=20YearsLater/> Only Kelowna and Saskatoon retained their teams. The eight teams were owned directly by the league, and operated with $60,000 salary caps. A 72-game season was planned.<ref name=Davidi>{{cite web |last1=Davidi |first1=Shi |title=Canadian Jeff Mallett applies Giants ownership lessons across sports business |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/canadian-jeff-mallett-applies-giants-ownership-lessons-across-sports-business/ |website=Sportsnet.ca |access-date=20 August 2025 |language=en |date=9 July 2024}}</ref> | ||
Despite the difficulties, Riviera presented a grand vision for the CBL's inaugural season. He stated that the CBL would be "AAA quality",<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ballparkwatch.com/stadiums/IL/jetform.htm |title=Ballparkwatch.com, September 5, 2002 |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513052354/http://www.ballparkwatch.com/stadiums/IL/jetform.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and he was rumoured to have approached the [[Winnipeg Goldeyes]] about switching leagues.{{cn|date=August 2025}} Jenkins said that the league aimed to match AA league quality.<ref name=20YearsLater/> Riviera also nominated [[Pete Rose]] for the [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]] shortly before the CBL's inaugural season to raise interest, but Rose's nomination did not succeed.<ref>{{cite news |title=No Rose, but former Blue Jays slugger Carter voted in |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0224/1513515.html |access-date=21 August 2025 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN.com |date=13 March 2003}}</ref> | |||
The big plans initially appeared to be possible. The league announced a national television deal with sports channel [[The Score Television Network|The Score]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.channelcanada.com/Article151.html |title=Canadian Baseball League gets National TV deal, Channelcanada.com, January 23, 2003 |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029001631/http://www.channelcanada.com/Article151.html |archive-date=October 29, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while a crowd of 5,100 took in the league's inaugural game in [[London, Ontario]].<ref name="CBLdeath">{{Cite web |url=http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0703/0703cbl.htm |publisher=enterstageright.com |last=Murphy |first=Jackson |title=Death of the CBL |date=July 21, 2003 |access-date=August 24, 2025}}</ref> Owners and executives from the defunct [[Prairie League]], which had minor league teams in the [[Prairie Provinces]] until its demise in 1997, raised concerns about the viability of the CBL and its overly optimistic expectations.<ref name=20YearsLater/> | |||
===Quick demise=== | ===Quick demise=== | ||
The CBL's expectations were grander than the results. Early promises that the league would average over 2,000 fans per game, failed to manifest. Only two markets averaged over 1,000 fans per game: [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] at 1,700 and [[Calgary]] at 1,000.<ref name="EFOD">{{Cite web |url=https://thetyee.ca/News/2004/04/05/Empty_Field_of_Dreams/ |title=Empty Field of Dreams |website=thetyee.ca |date=April 5, 2004 |first=Brian |last=Schecter |access-date=August 24, 2025}}</ref> Four teams averaged fewer than 300 per game: [[Kelowna]] (271), [[Saskatoon]] (256), [[Welland, Ontario|Welland]] (181) and [[Trois-Rivières]] (163).<ref name="CBLdeath"/> The national TV deal was cancelled after only six weeks after the CBL was unable to find enough sponsors to cover the production costs.<ref name="EFOD"/> | |||
The Abbotsford Saints relocated to Trois Rivieres, Quebec before the season started. | The Montreal franchise never played a game in that city due to a lack of a playing field,<ref name=Davidi/> as they were denied a lease at [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]]. Their home games were played at [[Stade Amedee Roy]] in [[Sherbrooke]] instead. The Abbotsford Saints relocated to Trois Rivieres, Quebec before the season started.{{cn|date=August 2025}} | ||
The CBL's swan song was the All-Star game, held at Calgary. Unwilling to absorb any more losses, Mallett pulled the plug on the league, suspending operations the day before the game. A crowd of over 5,700 (the largest crowd to come to Burns Park all season) watched the East and West All-Stars play to a 5-5, ten-inning tie. Following the game, a home run derby was held, in which Jamie Gann of Kelowna hit the only | The CBL's swan song was the All-Star game, held at Calgary. Unwilling to absorb any more losses, Mallett pulled the plug on the league, suspending operations the day before the game. A crowd of over 5,700 (the largest crowd to come to Burns Park all season) watched the East and West All-Stars play to a 5-5, ten-inning tie. Following the game, a home run derby was held to break the tie, in which Jamie Gann of Kelowna hit the only home run, thus giving the West the victory.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/486440363/ |title=CBL all-stars get one final chance to shine |publisher=Calgary Herald |date=July 24, 2003 |page=E5}}</ref> Despite losing as much as $4 million on the CBL,<ref name="EFOD"/> and owing $1.2 million to creditors as of October 2003,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perry |first1=Dwight |title=Sideline Chatter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goRFAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA8&dq=%22Canadian%20Baseball%20League%22&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q=%22Canadian%20Baseball%20League%22&f=false |access-date=21 August 2025 |agency=Seattle Times |publisher=The Southeast Missourian |date=7 October 2003 |page=2B |language=en}}</ref> Mallett initially promised to bring the league back in 2004. However, the remaining assets of the league were quietly auctioned off on December 1, 2003 in Vancouver and the league never returned. | ||
==Teams== | ==Teams== | ||
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2025}} | |||
{{Location map+ | Canada | {{Location map+ | Canada | ||
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{{Location map~ | Canada | {{Location map~ | Canada | ||
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Eight teams played in the CBL, divided into two divisions. Because the season was cut short, teams played different numbers of games. Their records at the time the league was suspended, and their primary home stadiums, are listed below. The Calgary Outlaws were declared the Jenkins Cup champions at the season's end, on the basis of having the league's best record to that point.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Neff |first1=Andrew |title=Odyssey leaves ex-Lumberjack without a job |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q6ZJAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA41&pg=PA41#v=onepage|access-date=20 August 2025 |publisher=Bangor Daily News |date=30 July 2003 |page=C8 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
'''West Division''' | '''West Division''' | ||
*[[Calgary Outlaws (baseball)|Calgary Outlaws]] (24–13) – [[Foothills Stadium]] | *[[Calgary Outlaws (baseball)|Calgary Outlaws]] (24–13)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Minor League Baseball |title=Jody Davis |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-7828272 |website=MiLB.com |access-date=20 August 2025 |language=en |date=December 18, 2009}}</ref> – [[Foothills Stadium]]<ref name="Teardown">{{cite web |last1=Krause |first1=Darren |title='That was our baseball home': Teardown of Foothills Stadium begins |url=https://livewirecalgary.com/2024/12/04/that-was-our-baseball-home-teardown-of-foothills-stadium-begins/ |website=LiveWire Calgary |access-date=20 August 2025 |date=4 December 2024}}</ref> | ||
*[[Saskatoon Legends]] (22–15) – [[Cairns Field]] | *[[Saskatoon Legends]] (22–15)<ref name=RareVideo>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Matt |title=Rare Video: Footage of Saskatchewan baseball ‘Legends’ that few remember |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon/article/rare-video-footage-of-saskatchewan-baseball-legends-that-few-remember/ |website=CTVNews |access-date=21 August 2025 |language=en |date=18 July 2023}}</ref> – [[Cairns Field]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lazaruk |first1=Les |title=April 20th |url=https://www.cjwwradio.com/2021/04/20/april-20th-2/ |website=Country 600 CJWW |access-date=20 August 2025 |language=en |date=20 April 2021}}</ref> | ||
* | *Kelowna Heat (18–19)<ref name=TBC_CBL>{{cite web |title=2003 Canadian League [Ind] |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/minor_summary/2003~Cdn/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref> – [[Elks Stadium]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gabriel |first1=Jim |title=Item 6.4 - Canadian Baseball League Lease Agreement |url=https://apps.kelowna.ca/CityPage/Docs/PDFs/council%5Cmeetings%5CCouncil%20Meetings%202003%5C2003-06-09/Item%206.4%20-%20Canadian%20Baseball%20League%20Lease%20Agreement.pdf?t=021258946 |publisher=City of Kelowna |access-date=1 September 2025 |date=3 June 2003 |quote=City Council approved the principles of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on February 24, 2003 for the Canadian Baseball League Inc. to operate Elks Stadium and provide a home site for the Kelowna Heat Baseball Club. The development of the attached lease agreement is based on the principles of this MOU.}}</ref> | ||
*[[Victoria Capitals]] (13–22) – [[Royal Athletic Park]] | *[[Victoria Capitals]] (13–22)<ref name=TBC_CBL/> – [[Royal Athletic Park]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reichard |first1=Kevin |title=Archives: Oct. 1-7, 2008 |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/20081007530/minor-league-baseball/news/archives-oct-1-7-2008 |website=Ballpark Digest |date=7 October 2008 |quote=Royal Athletic Park, built in 1925, is the premier outdoor sports venue in Victoria. [...] It was the home of all of the former professional baseball teams in Victoria, including the Victoria Capitals of the Canadian Baseball League a few years ago}}</ref> | ||
'''East Division''' | '''East Division''' | ||
*[[London Monarchs (baseball)|London Monarchs]] (20–13) – [[Labatt Park]] | *[[London Monarchs (baseball)|London Monarchs]] (20–13)<ref name=TBC_CBL/> – [[Labatt Park]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-20 |orig-date=2003-07-18 |title=LFP ARCHIVES: Remembering the short-lived London Monarchs |url=https://lfpress.com/sports/baseball/lfp-archives-remembering-the-short-lived-london-monarchs |access-date=2025-06-25 |publisher=The London Free Press |publication-place= London, Ontario}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nowokowski |first1=Riley |last2=Barney |first2=Robert K. |title=A Canadian National Treasure: Tecumseh/Labatt Memorial Park |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/a-canadian-national-treasure-tecumseh-labatt-memorial-park/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Niagara Stars]] (15–15) – [[Welland Stadium]] | *[[Niagara Stars]] (15–15)<ref name=TBC_CBL/> – [[Welland Stadium]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Niagara Stars - Team History |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/minor_team/69/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Trois-Rivières Saints]] (14–17) – [[Stade Municipal (Trois-Rivières)|Stade Municipal]] | *[[Trois-Rivières Saints]] (14–17)<ref name=TBC_CBL/> – [[Stade Municipal (Trois-Rivières)|Stade Municipal]]<ref>{{cite web |title=2003 Trois-Rivieres Saints - Statistics and Roster |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats_minor/2003~79/ |website=The Baseball Cube |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[Montreal Royales]] (10–22) – [[Amedée Roy Stadium]] (Sherbrooke) | *[[Montreal Royales]] (10–22)<ref name=TBC_CBL/> – [[Amedée Roy Stadium]] (Sherbrooke)<ref>{{cite web |title= 2003 Montreal Royales - Statistics and Roster |website=The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats_minor/2003~68/ |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 02:17, 1 September 2025
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Sports league
The Canadian Baseball League was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins. The league featured former major league players such as Francisco Cabrera, Floyd Youmans,[1] Rich Butler, and Steve Sinclair.
The CBL was based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The championship trophy was the Jenkins Cup, named after the commissioner of the league, Ferguson Jenkins.
History
The CBL was the brainchild of Tony Riviera, a former major league scout, and the face of the league. It was backed by former Microsoft product developer Charlton Lui, and later by former Yahoo! president, and part owner of the San Francisco Giants, Jeff Mallett.[2] Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins was brought in to act as the league's Commissioner.
Big plans
The league was first announced on September 27, 2001, and was initially intended to launch in 2002. A player draft was held in December 2001, with an initial set of eight teams in Abbotsford, Kamloops, Kelowna, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Regina, Nanaimo, and Saskatoon. However, due to difficulties in negotiations between the teams and the cities, and resultant reorganizations within the CBL, the goal of a 2002 season was scrapped.[3]
In November 2002, the CBL announced a revised plan to start the league in 2003. There were still eight teams, but locations of the teams changed substantially, creating a cross-country league with a Western and Eastern Conference (the original 2002 teams were all west of Manitoba).[3] Only Kelowna and Saskatoon retained their teams. The eight teams were owned directly by the league, and operated with $60,000 salary caps. A 72-game season was planned.[4]
Despite the difficulties, Riviera presented a grand vision for the CBL's inaugural season. He stated that the CBL would be "AAA quality",[5] and he was rumoured to have approached the Winnipeg Goldeyes about switching leagues.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Jenkins said that the league aimed to match AA league quality.[3] Riviera also nominated Pete Rose for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame shortly before the CBL's inaugural season to raise interest, but Rose's nomination did not succeed.[6]
The big plans initially appeared to be possible. The league announced a national television deal with sports channel The Score,[7] while a crowd of 5,100 took in the league's inaugural game in London, Ontario.[8] Owners and executives from the defunct Prairie League, which had minor league teams in the Prairie Provinces until its demise in 1997, raised concerns about the viability of the CBL and its overly optimistic expectations.[3]
Quick demise
The CBL's expectations were grander than the results. Early promises that the league would average over 2,000 fans per game, failed to manifest. Only two markets averaged over 1,000 fans per game: Victoria at 1,700 and Calgary at 1,000.[9] Four teams averaged fewer than 300 per game: Kelowna (271), Saskatoon (256), Welland (181) and Trois-Rivières (163).[8] The national TV deal was cancelled after only six weeks after the CBL was unable to find enough sponsors to cover the production costs.[9]
The Montreal franchise never played a game in that city due to a lack of a playing field,[4] as they were denied a lease at Olympic Stadium. Their home games were played at Stade Amedee Roy in Sherbrooke instead. The Abbotsford Saints relocated to Trois Rivieres, Quebec before the season started.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
The CBL's swan song was the All-Star game, held at Calgary. Unwilling to absorb any more losses, Mallett pulled the plug on the league, suspending operations the day before the game. A crowd of over 5,700 (the largest crowd to come to Burns Park all season) watched the East and West All-Stars play to a 5-5, ten-inning tie. Following the game, a home run derby was held to break the tie, in which Jamie Gann of Kelowna hit the only home run, thus giving the West the victory.[10] Despite losing as much as $4 million on the CBL,[9] and owing $1.2 million to creditors as of October 2003,[11] Mallett initially promised to bring the league back in 2004. However, the remaining assets of the league were quietly auctioned off on December 1, 2003 in Vancouver and the league never returned.
Teams
Template:More citations needed section
Eight teams played in the CBL, divided into two divisions. Because the season was cut short, teams played different numbers of games. Their records at the time the league was suspended, and their primary home stadiums, are listed below. The Calgary Outlaws were declared the Jenkins Cup champions at the season's end, on the basis of having the league's best record to that point.[12]
West Division
- Calgary Outlaws (24–13)[13] – Foothills Stadium[14]
- Saskatoon Legends (22–15)[1] – Cairns Field[15]
- Kelowna Heat (18–19)[16] – Elks Stadium[17]
- Victoria Capitals (13–22)[16] – Royal Athletic Park[18]
East Division
- London Monarchs (20–13)[16] – Labatt Park[19][20]
- Niagara Stars (15–15)[16] – Welland Stadium[21]
- Trois-Rivières Saints (14–17)[16] – Stade Municipal[22]
- Montreal Royales (10–22)[16] – Amedée Roy Stadium (Sherbrooke)[23]
References
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