Canadian Baseball League
Encyclopedia
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
, Rich Butler
, Steve Sinclair
, as well as celebrity Jonathan Aldridge.
The CBL was based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The championship trophy was the Jenkins Cup, named after the commissioner of the league, Ferguson Jenkins
.
product developer Charlton Lui, and later by former Yahoo!
president, and part owner of the San Francisco Giants
, Jeff Mallett
. Canadian
Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins
was brought in to act as the league's Commissioner.
Riviera's vision had big goals, and he followed suit by making big promises. Riviera stated that the CBL would be "AAA quality", He was rumoured to have approached the Winnipeg Goldeyes
about switching leagues, and even nominated Pete Rose
for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
.
The big plans initially appeared to be possible. The league announced a national television deal with sports channel The Score, while a crowd of 5,100 took in the league's inaugural game in London, Ontario
.
at 1,700 and Calgary
at 1,000. Four teams averaged fewer than 300 per game: Kelowna
(271), Saskatoon
(256), Welland
(181) and Trois-Rivières
(163). The national TV deal was cancelled after only six weeks after the CBL was unable to find enough sponsors to cover the production costs.
The Montreal franchise never played a game in Montreal due to a lack of a playing field. Their home games were played at Stade Amedee Roy in Sherbrooke.
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 entire operation, suspending operations following the game. A crowd of over 5,700 watched the final game in CBL history end in a tie. Following the game, a home run derby was held that produced a combined total of zero home runs. Despite losing as much as $4 million on the CBL, 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.
West Division
East Division
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
member Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
. The league featured former major league players such as Francisco Cabrera, Floyd Youmans
Floyd Youmans
Floyd Everett Youmans is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is likely best remembered as one of the players dealt by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.-New York Mets:...
, Rich Butler
Rich Butler
Richard Dwight Butler is a former outfielder for the Major League Baseball Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
, Steve Sinclair
Steve Sinclair
Steven Scott Sinclair is a former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.Sinclair made his major league debut for the Blue Jays on April 25, 1998, against the Chicago White Sox and pitched in 24 games that season...
, as well as celebrity Jonathan Aldridge.
The CBL was based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The championship trophy was the Jenkins Cup, named after the commissioner of the league, Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
.
A Canadian pro league
The CBL was the brainchild of Tony Riviera, a former major league scout, and the face of the league. It was backed by former MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
product developer Charlton Lui, and later by former Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
president, and part owner of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Jeff Mallett
Jeff Mallett
Jeffrey Mallett is best known for building internet giant Yahoo! from its start-up phase into the global franchise it is today...
. Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
was brought in to act as the league's Commissioner.
Riviera's vision had big goals, and he followed suit by making big promises. Riviera stated that the CBL would be "AAA quality", He was rumoured to have approached the Winnipeg Goldeyes
Winnipeg Goldeyes
The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a professional baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From 1994 to 2010, the team was a member of the Northern League.The...
about switching leagues, and even nominated Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
.
The big plans initially appeared to be possible. The league announced a national television deal with sports channel The Score, while a crowd of 5,100 took in the league's inaugural game in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
Quick demise
However, despite early promises that the league could, and would, average over 2,000 fans per game, it was clear that the CBL was not remotely close to projections. Only two markets averaged over 1,000 fans per game: VictoriaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
at 1,700 and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
at 1,000. Four teams averaged fewer than 300 per game: Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
(271), Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
(256), Welland
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
(181) and Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
(163). The national TV deal was cancelled after only six weeks after the CBL was unable to find enough sponsors to cover the production costs.
The Montreal franchise never played a game in Montreal due to a lack of a playing field. Their home games were played at Stade Amedee Roy in Sherbrooke.
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 entire operation, suspending operations following the game. A crowd of over 5,700 watched the final game in CBL history end in a tie. Following the game, a home run derby was held that produced a combined total of zero home runs. Despite losing as much as $4 million on the CBL, 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.
The teams
The eight teams that played in the CBL, and their record at the time the league was suspended. The Calgary Outlaws were declared the Jenkins Cup champions on the basis of having the league's best record.West Division
- Calgary OutlawsCalgary OutlawsThe Calgary Outlaws were an independent minor league baseball team in the Canadian Baseball League. Based in Calgary, Alberta, they shared Foothills Stadium with the Calgary Dawgs. In 2003, the only Canadian Baseball League season, they had the best record when the league was suspended at the...
(24-13) - Foothills StadiumFoothills StadiumFoothills Stadium, formerly Burns Stadium, is a stadium in Calgary, Alberta. It is primarily used for baseball, and was formerly home to the Calgary Cannons AAA baseball club until September 2002, when the team relocated to Albuquerque. It is now the home field of the Calgary Vipers baseball team... - Saskatoon LegendsSaskatoon LegendsThe Saskatoon Legends were a minor league baseball team during the 2003 season. They played in the Canadian Baseball League, which was not a part of Minor League Baseball and therefore not affiliated with Major League Baseball or its member clubs. The Legends played out of Cairns Field. The team...
(22-15) - Cairns FieldCairns FieldCairns Field is a stadium in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets of the Western Major Baseball League and the Saskatoon Tigers of Saskatoon Senior Baseball League... - Kelowna HeatKelowna HeatThe Kelowna Heat were a minor league baseball team located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The team played in the short-lived Canadian Baseball League and was not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team....
(18-19) - Elks StadiumElks StadiumElks Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The stadium is home to the Kelowna Falcons of the West Coast League.... - Victoria CapitalsVictoria CapitalsThe Victoria Capitals were members of the Canadian Baseball League that lasted two months before the league ceased operations in 2003. The Capitals played out of Royal Athletic Park and led the league in attendance, averaging over 1,000 fans per game. They featured former Toronto Blue Jays...
(13-22) - Royal Athletic ParkRoyal Athletic ParkRoyal Athletic Park is a multi-purpose, fully lit stadium in Victoria, British Columbia. It is primarily used for baseball, soccer, softball and football, but also hosts special events, such as the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival.-History:...
East Division
- London MonarchsLondon Monarchs (baseball)The London Monarchs played in the independent Canadian Baseball League that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of London, Ontario, the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Japan and the United...
(20-13) - Labatt ParkLabatt ParkLabatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field... - Niagara StarsNiagara StarsThe Niagara Stars played in the independent Canadian Baseball League that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of Welland, Ontario the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from Canada, the Dominican Republic, and the United States...
(15-15) - Welland StadiumWelland StadiumWelland Stadium is a stadium in Welland, Ontario, Canada. It is primarily used for baseball and was the home of the Welland Pirates of the New York - Penn League and the Niagara Stars of the Canadian Baseball League. The ballpark has a capacity of 2,500 people and was opened in 1989.... - Trois-Rivières SaintsTrois-Rivières SaintsThe Trois-Rivières Saints were a minor league baseball team located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The team played in the Canadian Baseball League. Their home stadium was Stade Municipal....
(14-17) - Stade MunicipalStade Municipal (Trois-Rivières)Stade Fernand-Bédard is a stadium in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. It is primarily used for baseball and was the home of the Trois-Rivières Saints of the Canadian Baseball League. The ballpark has a capacity of 4,500 people and was opened in 1938... - Montreal RoyalesMontreal RoyalesThe Montreal Royales were one of eight teams in the short-lived Canadian Baseball League . The Royales of the CBL, unrelated to the history-making Montreal Royals of 1939–1960, were strictly a road team which never succeeded in obtaining a "home" field in the Montreal area to play, despite...
(10-22) - Stade Amedee Roy (Sherbrooke)