American West Baseball League

Last updated

The American West Baseball League was a proposed independent baseball league formed in 2012 and was to start playing in 2013. Sean Smock, a former general manager in minor league baseball, was to be the commissioner of the league.

Numerous teams joined or were set to join within the first few months of the league's creation. The Yuma Desert Rats, who were to be managed by Hal Lanier but withdrew from the league in January 2013, were one. Others included the Orange County Flyers, [1] Long Beach Splash, Fullerton Flyers (to be managed by Evert Renteria), North County Cannons and a squad from Mesa, Arizona, which was to be co-owned by former major league baseball pitcher Albie Lopez. [2] After the Desert Rats withdrew, the league had only Fullerton, San Diego, Orange County and North County among its ranks. Later in January, the circuit added a team in Las Cruces, New Mexico, which was to be managed by Kelly Stinnett and called the Las Cruces Sun Rays. In late February, Nogales, Arizona joined with a team, to be called the Nogales Desert Ghosts and managed by Jolbert Cabrera. [3] In March, North County dropped out of the league. [4] The Bisbee Copperheads (to be managed by Danny DiPace) joined in May, but later that month it stated it would postpone its start to 2014. The league never resurfaced. One source says there was an attempt to put a team in Douglas, Arizona, as well.

Édgar Rentería and Edinson Renteria were investors. [5] [6]

There was also going to be an AWBL winter league, but it, too, was canceled.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Fall League</span> Off-season baseball league in the United States

The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled by many of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) who are assigned by their parent clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesa Community College</span> Community college in Mesa, Arizona

Mesa Community College (MCC) is a public community college in Mesa, Arizona. It is the largest of the 10 community colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District, the largest community college district in the United States in terms of enrollment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Baseball League</span>

The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Surf Dawgs</span> Former independent pro baseball team

The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that played for two seasons in the Golden Baseball League, based out of San Ramon, California, and then later in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League, based out of Yuma, Arizona, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. They were owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment, previous owners of the GBL and primary investors in the North American League. In November 2022, it was announced the Surf Dawgs franchise will be revived as part of a west coast expansion of the Federal Baseball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuma Desert Rats</span> Former professional baseball team in Arizona

The Yuma Desert Rats were a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. From the 2005 season to the 2011 season, they were known as the Yuma Scorpions and played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the Ray Kroc Complex, former spring training home of the San Diego Padres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesa Miners</span> Baseball team

The Mesa Miners were an independent professional baseball team based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005. The original team became known as the Reno Silver Sox in 2006, and then the Tucson Toros in 2009, but the league could bring the Miners back as an expansion team should they decide to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surprise Fightin' Falcons</span> Baseball team

The Surprise Fightin' Falcons are an inactive professional baseball team based in Surprise, Arizona. They played in the Arizona Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. They played their homes games at the Surprise Recreation Campus athletic facility, which includes a spring training ballpark called Surprise Stadium.

Albert Anthony "Albie" Lopez is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated from Mesa Community College. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 20th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Lopez spent five years with the Indians, compiling a record of 12-14 with a 5.99 ERA between 1993 and 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reno Silver Sox (Golden Baseball League)</span>

The Reno Silver Sox were a professional baseball team based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. They were a member of the North Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. From 2006 to 2008, they played their home games at William Peccole Park, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Renteria</span> American baseball player and manager

Richard Avina Renteria is a Mexican-American former professional baseball infielder and former manager of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Renteria played in parts of five seasons between 1986 and 1994 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and Florida Marlins. He then coached and managed in the Marlins organization until 2001, and in the San Diego Padres organization until 2013. He was the manager of the Chicago Cubs in 2014. Renteria was also the bench coach for the Chicago White Sox in 2016.

The Arizona–Texas League was a Class D level American minor league baseball league that existed for nine seasons, from 1931–32, 1937–41, 1947–50 and 1952-54. In 1951, the Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwest International League. However, the Arizona and Texas clubs played only that one season (1951) in the new circuit before seceding and reforming the A-TL in 1952. From 1928 to 1930, it was known as the Arizona State League.

The Southern California Collegiate Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league, formerly the SCCBA (Association). Founded in 2007, the SCCBL is a member of the National Baseball Congress. The SCCBL League Champion represents the league annually at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas. The 2012 SCCBA champions are the Palm Springs POWER of Palm Springs, California, the most successful team to date, by defeating the East L.A. Dodgers. The Power was the Pacific Southwest Baseball League (PSWBL) champions in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pecos League</span> US professional baseball league

The Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs is an independent professional baseball league headquartered in Houston, which operates in cities in desert mountain regions throughout California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The league plays in cities that do not have Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henderson RoadRunners</span>

The Henderson RoadRunners were an independent professional baseball team based out of Henderson, Nevada. They were members of the Western Division in the North American League and were scheduled to begin play in 2011 at Lied Field at Morse Stadium on the campus of the College of Southern Nevada in Henderson. But they would forgo their inaugural season as Lied Field will not be ready in time for the start of the season. The franchise folded in 2012 after failing to attract attention and secure new ownership. They would've been the second professional franchise to play in the Las Vegas area. The first is the Las Vegas 51s of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

The Arizona State League was a minor league baseball league that existed from 1928 to 1930. It operated as a six–team Class D-level league, and consisted of teams based in Arizona and Texas, evolving into the Arizona-Texas League in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuma Scorpions (Arizona Winter League baseball team)</span> Former developmental baseball team

The Yuma Scorpions were a professional developmental baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona. They were members of the Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional league run by the North American League. They are owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment LLC and are 3-time AWL Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fullerton Flyers</span>

The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. The team played from 2005 to 2010 and their home stadium was at "The Station" at Goodwin Field, which is also the home field for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Orange County, California</span>

Sports in Orange County, California includes a number of sports teams and sports competitions. Within Orange County, the city of Anaheim currently hosts two major league sports teams — MLB's Los Angeles Angels and the NHL's Anaheim Ducks — and used to host two others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elgin Bryce Holt</span> American geologist, mine owner, engineer

Elgin Bryce Holt was an American geologist, mine owner and engineer, amateur scientist, anthropologist and entrepreneur who reorganized and managed the Cerro de Plata Mining Company in Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico.

The El Paso Mackmen were a minor league baseball team based in El Paso, Texas. In 1915, the Mackmen played as members of the short–lived Class D level Rio Grande Association, with El Paso finishing in second place, as the league permanently folded during the season. The Mackmen hosted minor league home games at Rio Grande Park.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.