Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) is a 6 team collegiate summer baseball league. The Futures League was co-developed by the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners
(Single A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
) owner Drew Weber, Weber formally developed and owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Double A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
. Along with Weber, the Futures League was also co-developed by Chris Carminucci, C.E.O. of the Can-Am League's Brockton Rox
franchise, which Carminucci Sports Group controls and operates.
In 2012, the Futures League will welcome Marvin Goldklang
and the Goldklang Group to operate their newest expansion franchise to be located in Pittsfield, Mass. The Goldklang Group are widely considered America's premiere minor league operators. The majority owner will be Marvin Goldklang
, who also owns & operates four other minor league baseball teams throughout the country (Charleston RiverDogs
, Fort Myers Miracle
, Hudson Valley Renegades
, and St. Paul Saints
).
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League has six franchises in three New England states: (1)Connecticut, (2)New Hampshire, (3)Massachusetts
(NECBL) franchise on the resort island off of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard. The Spinners were hoping to do the same in Nashua, NH. The New England Collegiate Baseball League
wasn't open to expansion, thus both organization's joined forces to instead form a new high level summer collegiate baseball league in the New England region. The major difference between the Futures Collegiate Baseball League ,and other summer collegiate leagues in the region, is that the FCBL is operated by professional baseball operators, with a proven history of many of America's premiere minor league baseball brands and franchises...as opposed to the other summer collegiate leagues, that are simply run by volunteers.
All ballplayers in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League are unpaid collegiate athletes who join the league to gain experience, and exposure to Major League Baseball
scouts. The FCBL mission is to prepare young men for the rigors of playing professional baseball. A few teams in the league play in ballparks formerly occupied by professional clubs.
will expand into the Leominster/Fitchburg, & Pittsfield Mass region with the addition of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs, and the yet to be named Pittsfield Collegiate Baseball Club for the 2012 season.
There are several other New England markets that are heavily engaged in talks with FCBL officials, with additional announcements coming in the Fall of 2011.
and American Defenders of New Hampshire
, (currently the Pittsfield Colonials) of the (Can-Am League
), has been named the FCBL’s first commissioner.
Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer, Bob Stanley
is a league Board Of Director, as well as the current President of the Seacoast Mavericks
.
Cecil Fielder
and Pete Incaviglia
are advisory board members for the Torrington Titans
.
, Below is a snip about the four original "Charter Franchises":
Opening day for the 2011 season is scheduled for Thursday, June 9. The season will run through early August.
Lowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
(Single A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
) owner Drew Weber, Weber formally developed and owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....
Double A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. Along with Weber, the Futures League was also co-developed by Chris Carminucci, C.E.O. of the Can-Am League's Brockton Rox
Brockton Rox
The Brockton Rox were a professional baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Rox were a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2002 season to 2011, the Rox played their home...
franchise, which Carminucci Sports Group controls and operates.
In 2012, the Futures League will welcome Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang is a minority owner of the New York Yankees. He is also the principal owner of four minor league baseball teams, and assists in the management of others.-Minor League Baseball:...
and the Goldklang Group to operate their newest expansion franchise to be located in Pittsfield, Mass. The Goldklang Group are widely considered America's premiere minor league operators. The majority owner will be Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang is a minority owner of the New York Yankees. He is also the principal owner of four minor league baseball teams, and assists in the management of others.-Minor League Baseball:...
, who also owns & operates four other minor league baseball teams throughout the country (Charleston RiverDogs
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
, Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
, Hudson Valley Renegades
Hudson Valley Renegades
The Hudson Valley Renegades are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is a member of the New York - Penn League, a Class A Short Season league. The Renegades play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY....
, and St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
).
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League has six franchises in three New England states: (1)Connecticut, (2)New Hampshire, (3)Massachusetts
History
Originally, Carminucci Sports Group was looking to place an existing or expansion New England Collegiate Baseball LeagueNew England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
(NECBL) franchise on the resort island off of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard. The Spinners were hoping to do the same in Nashua, NH. The New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
wasn't open to expansion, thus both organization's joined forces to instead form a new high level summer collegiate baseball league in the New England region. The major difference between the Futures Collegiate Baseball League ,and other summer collegiate leagues in the region, is that the FCBL is operated by professional baseball operators, with a proven history of many of America's premiere minor league baseball brands and franchises...as opposed to the other summer collegiate leagues, that are simply run by volunteers.
Roster Rules
The league will compete directly for players and markets with the NECBL, at a level slightly below the Cape Cod League. All players in the league will be on college baseball rosters during the spring 2012 season. League rules mandate at least 15 of the 30 players on a roster must have attended high schools in New England or currently attend a New England area college.Format
The Futures League will be a wood bat league schedule, consisting of a 54 game regular season (27 home and 27 away games). The Futures Collegiate Baseball League Championship will consist of the top two franchises in a best of three championship series to determine the FCBL champion.All ballplayers in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League are unpaid collegiate athletes who join the league to gain experience, and exposure to 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...
scouts. The FCBL mission is to prepare young men for the rigors of playing professional baseball. A few teams in the league play in ballparks formerly occupied by professional clubs.
Expansion
The Futures Collegiate Baseball LeagueFutures Collegiate Baseball League
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League is a 6 team collegiate summer baseball league. The Futures League was co-developed by the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners owner Drew Weber, Weber formally developed and owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Double A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays...
will expand into the Leominster/Fitchburg, & Pittsfield Mass region with the addition of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs, and the yet to be named Pittsfield Collegiate Baseball Club for the 2012 season.
There are several other New England markets that are heavily engaged in talks with FCBL officials, with additional announcements coming in the Fall of 2011.
League Officers
Chris Hall, the former general manager of the independent Nashua PrideNashua Pride
The Nashua Pride were a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States, not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played home games at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, when they were sold and renamed the American Defenders of New Hampshire. In 2010 that...
and American Defenders of New Hampshire
American Defenders of New Hampshire
The Pittsfield Colonials were a baseball team in the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
, (currently the Pittsfield Colonials) of the (Can-Am League
Can-Am League
Can-Am League is the nickname of two baseball leagues:* Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball , a modern independent league.* Canadian-American League , a class C circuit league....
), has been named the FCBL’s first commissioner.
Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer, Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley
Robert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
is a league Board Of Director, as well as the current President of the Seacoast Mavericks
Seacoast Mavericks
- Seacoast Mavericks :The Seacoast Mavericks is a collegiate summer baseball team located in New Hampshire. It is a recent addition to the Futures Collegiate Baseball League which is a wooden bat league with a 44 game regular season. The FCBL comprises the Seacoast Mavericks and three other teams...
.
Cecil Fielder
Cecil Fielder
Cecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians...
and Pete Incaviglia
Pete Incaviglia
Peter "Inky" Joseph Incaviglia is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was drafted in the 1st round by the Montreal Expos in the 1985 amateur draft out of Oklahoma State University, but was traded later the same year to the Texas Rangers...
are advisory board members for the Torrington Titans
Torrington Titans
The Torrington Titans are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league...
.
Current franchises
| Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | City | Stadium | ||
| Martha's Vineyard Sharks Martha's Vineyard Sharks The Martha's Vineyard Sharks are a collegiate summer baseball team based on Martha's Vineyard, that is set to play in 2011 in the announced Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England... |
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
Vineyard Baseball Park @ Martha's Vineyard Regional High School Martha's Vineyard Regional High School Martha's Vineyard Regional High School or MVRHS is a high school in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States.-History:... |
||
| Nashua Silver Knights Nashua Silver Knights The Nashua Silver Knights are a summer collegiate baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, that plays in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. The team's home games are played at Holman Stadium in Nashua... |
Nashua Nashua, New Hampshire -Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile... , New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
Holman Stadium Holman Stadium (Nashua) Holman Stadium is a baseball stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was constructed in 1937, as a multi-purpose stadium, by the City of Nashua. The official seating capacity is 4,375 people. Holman is currently the home of the Nashua Silver Knights of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League... |
||
| Pittsfield Collegiate Baseball | Pittsfield Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
Wahconah Park Wahconah Park Wahconah Park is a city-owned baseball park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and nestled in a working class neighborhood. One of the last remaining ballparks in the United States with a wooden grandstand, it was constructed in 1919 and seats 4,500. The stadium is now currently home to the, yet... |
||
| Torrington Titans Torrington Titans The Torrington Titans are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league... |
Torrington Torrington, Connecticut Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the northwestern Connecticut region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area in the United States. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census.... , Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
Fuessenich Park Fuessenich Park Fuessenich Park is a baseball field located in downtown Torrington, Connecticut, USA, with a capacity of 1,500 fans. It is the home of the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.-Former Tenants:... |
||
| Seacoast Mavericks Seacoast Mavericks - Seacoast Mavericks :The Seacoast Mavericks is a collegiate summer baseball team located in New Hampshire. It is a recent addition to the Futures Collegiate Baseball League which is a wooden bat league with a 44 game regular season. The FCBL comprises the Seacoast Mavericks and three other teams... |
Rochester Rochester, New Hampshire Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair.... , New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
Bert George Field @ Spaulding High School | ||
| Wachusett Dirt Dawgs (2012) | Leominster Leominster, Massachusetts Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
Doyle Field | ||
, Below is a snip about the four original "Charter Franchises":
- Martha's Vineyard SharksMartha's Vineyard SharksThe Martha's Vineyard Sharks are a collegiate summer baseball team based on Martha's Vineyard, that is set to play in 2011 in the announced Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England...
. The Sharks will play their home games at Vineyard Baseball Park located at the campus of Martha's Vineyard Regional High SchoolMartha's Vineyard Regional High SchoolMartha's Vineyard Regional High School or MVRHS is a high school in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States.-History:...
in Oak Bluffs, Mass. - Nashua Silver KnightsNashua Silver KnightsThe Nashua Silver Knights are a summer collegiate baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, that plays in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. The team's home games are played at Holman Stadium in Nashua...
in Nashua, NH - Seacoast MavericksSeacoast Mavericks- Seacoast Mavericks :The Seacoast Mavericks is a collegiate summer baseball team located in New Hampshire. It is a recent addition to the Futures Collegiate Baseball League which is a wooden bat league with a 44 game regular season. The FCBL comprises the Seacoast Mavericks and three other teams...
Rochester, NH area - Torrington TitansTorrington TitansThe Torrington Titans are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league...
Opening day for the 2011 season is scheduled for Thursday, June 9. The season will run through early August.