Bundesliga (baseball)

Last updated

Bundesliga (baseball)
Current season, competition or edition:
Baseball current event.svg 2023 Baseball-Bundesliga
Baseball-Bundesliga logo.svg
Sport Baseball
Founded1984
No. of teams13
CountryGermany
Most recent
champion(s)		 Heidenheim Heideköpfe
(7th title)
Most titles Mannheim Tornados
(10 titles)
Official website baseball-bundesliga.de

The Baseball-Bundesliga is the professional elite competition for the sport of baseball in Germany. In it, the men's German championship is determined annually. Like most European sports leagues, the Bundesliga uses a system of promotion and relegation. The highest division of the Bundesliga currently consists of thirteen teams in two divisions, with each team playing four games against each other team. The league is regulated by the German Baseball and Softball Federation (DBV).

Contents

History

A precursor to the Baseball-Bundesliga was founded between 1951, with the Stuttgart Phillies winning the inaugural national championship. [1] However, the league disbanded following the 1970 season, leaving Germany without a national league for 11 years. [2]

The Baseball-Bundesliga, in its current incarnation, was established in 1982. [3] Two teams produced dynasties during the league's first two decades of operation: the Mannheim Tornados won every championship from 1984 to 1989, and the Paderborn Untouchables won every championship from 2001 to 2005. The league claims that in 1990, there were 2000 baseball players in Germany, while that number has grown to exceed 30,000 today. [4]

In 2010, the league promoted the Dohren Wild Farmers and the Neuenburg Atomics. [5] At the end of the season, the Neuenburg Atomics were relegated with the worst record in the Southern Division (1–27). The Saarlouis Hornets voluntarily relegated themselves for financial reasons, despite posting the best record (19–21) in a ten-year history in the first division, causing the Southern Division to contract from eight to seven teams. [6] The two teams were replaced by the Bad Homburg Hornets. In the Northern Division, the Cologne Cardinals were relegated at the end the season and replaced by the champions of the second division, the Berlin Sluggers. [7] [8]

A motion to reduce the league from 16 to 12 teams was denied by a Competition Commission established by the DBV prior to a general meeting of all the baseball clubs in Germany in Frankfurt am Main on 13 November 2010. At the meeting itself, it was agreed to add an All Star Game for the 2012 season. [9]

Season format

The regular season for the 1st Bundesliga is split into two different sub-divisions, Nord (North) and Süd (South) each having 8 teams. The season has a total of 28 games with each team playing every other team in two games which are normally hosted on the weekends. The game format is the same as The MLB with a 9-inning format and extra-innings after if the game is still a tie. Unlike The MLB the 1. Bundesliga also has a mercy rule if one of the 2 teams is leading by 10 runs or more before the last 2 innings of the game, they will stop playing and give a automatic win to the team that is winning by 10 or more runs.

The four best-placed teams in each group/sub-divisions of the 1. Bundesliga play in an interleague round with subsequent play-offs for the German championship, while the other teams in each group determine possible relegation in the play-downs.

In the interleague round, the top four of each group play in a match against the top four of the other league, with teams playing back-to-back double-header matches in a ballpark on the same day, giving each team a chance to play at home and away.

After the interleague round, the seeding list for the playoffs is determined, this only includes the games of the regular season and the interleague round, between the eight teams involved in the interleague round. 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th and so on.

The play-off rounds are a little bit different to the inner-league round although they have a similar concept. All rounds are best of 5 games with the quarter and semi-finals being in a double header format over 2 weekends and on Saturdays. If a game 5 is necessary then the final game will be played on the Sunday after game 3 and 4. The final series is played in individual games instead of the double header format and games are divided up between the teams. Game 1 and 2 are played at the team who did better in the regular season and game 3 and 4 are played in the worse teams home field. Game 5 is played at the better regular season team again if needed which crowns the German Champions (Deutscher Meister).

Champions

See: German champions (baseball) § 1982-present
YearGerman ChampionsSouthern League WinnersNorthern League Winners
1984 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Tornados Cologne Dodgers
1985 Mannheim Tornados played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1986 Mannheim Tornados played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1987 Mannheim Tornados played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1988 Mannheim Tornados played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1989 Mannheim Tornados played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1990 Cologne Cardinals Mannheim Tornados Berlin Challengers
1991 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Tornados Berlin Challengers
1992 Mannheim Amigos Mannheim Tornados Cologne Cardinals
1993 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Amigos Lokstedt Stealers
1994 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Amigos Lokstedt Stealers
1995 Trier Cardinals Trier Cardinals Lokstedt Stealers
1996 Trier Cardinals Trier Cardinals Lokstedt Stealers
1997 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Tornados Bonn Capitals
1998 Cologne Dodgers Mannheim Tornados Cologne Dodgers
1999 Paderborn Untouchables Mainz Athletics Paderborn Untouchables
2000 Lokstedt Stealers Mainz Athletics Cologne Dodgers
2001 Paderborn Untouchables Mannheim Tornados Cologne Dodgers
2002 Paderborn Untouchables Regensburg Legionäre Paderborn Untouchables
2003 Paderborn Untouchables Mannheim Tornados Paderborn Untouchables
2004 Paderborn Untouchables Mainz Athletics Paderborn Untouchables
2005 Paderborn Untouchables Regensburg Legionäre Paderborn Untouchables
2006 Solingen Alligators Regensburg Legionäre Solingen Alligators
2007 Mainz Athletics Regensburg Legionäre Solingen Alligators
2008 Buchbinder Legionäre Heidenheim Heideköpfe Solingen Alligators
2009 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Buchbinder Legionäre Solingen Alligators
2010 Buchbinder Legionäre Buchbinder Legionäre Solingen Alligators
2011 Buchbinder Legionäre Buchbinder Legionäre Paderborn Untouchables
2012 Buchbinder Legionäre Buchbinder Legionäre Paderborn Untouchables
2013 Buchbinder Legionäre Buchbinder Legionäre Solingen Alligators
2014 Solingen Alligators Heidenheim Heideköpfe Solingen Alligators
2015 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Buchbinder Legionäre Bonn Capitals
2016 Mainz Athletics Mainz Athletics Bonn Capitals
2017 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Heidenheim Heideköpfe Bonn Capitals
2018 Bonn Capitals Heidenheim Heideköpfe Bonn Capitals
2019 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Mainz Athletics Solingen Alligators
2020 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Buchbinder Legionäre Bonn Capitals
2021 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Heidenheim Heideköpfe Bonn Capitals
2022 Bonn Capitals Buchbinder Legionäre Bonn Capitals
2023 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Heidenheim Heideköpfe Bonn Capitals

Current teams

DivisionTeamLocationFieldFounded
North Berlin Flamingos Flag of Berlin.svg Berlin Flamingo Park1990
Bonn Capitals Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Bonn Stadion Rheinaue1989
Cologne Cardinals Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Cologne Baseballstadion Köln1983
Dohren Wild Farmers Flag of Lower Saxony.svg Dohren Baseballfeld Wild Farmers1990
Hamburg Stealers Flag of Hamburg.svg Hamburg Baseballfeld Langenhorst1985
Paderborn Untouchables Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Paderborn Ahorn-Ballpark1990
South Regensburg Legionäre Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg Regensburg Armin-Wolf-Arena 1987
Heidenheim Heideköpfe Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg.svg Heidenheim an der Brenz HellensteinEnergie Ballpark1992
Hünstetten Storm Flag of Hesse.svg Hünstetten Dickman Field
Mainz Athletics Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg Mainz Baseballstadion Hartmühlenweg1988
Mannheim Tornados Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg.svg Mannheim Roberto-Clemente-Field1975
München-Haar Disciples Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg Haar Ballpark Eglfing1990
Stuttgart Reds Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg.svg Stuttgart TVC-Ballpark1986
Germany adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
2023 Bundesliga teams (North Division Red pog.svg and South Division Blue pog.svg )

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "German Baseball-Bundesliga: History". baseballgermany.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "German Baseball-Bundesliga: Past Champions". baseballgermany.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  3. ↑ all time club records: http://www.baseball-softball.de/bundesliga/index.php?id=00000117 (link does not work)
  4. ↑ Baseball-bundesliga Official Website, English. http://www.baseballgermany.com/index.php?id=33
  5. ↑ Baseball-bundesliga Official Website, English. http://www.baseballgermany.com/index.php?id=7&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=123&tx_ttnews[backPid]=9&cHash=e4963c48b7
  6. ↑ Mister-Baseball: Baseball and Softball in Europe. "Saarlouis Hornets withdraw from Baseball-Bundesliga." 20 October 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2011. http://www.mister-baseball.com/saarlouis-hornets-withdraw-baseballbundesliga/
  7. ↑ Mister-Baseball: Baseball and Softball in Europe. "Berlin Challengers win Game 1 of German Relegation Series." 10 October 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2011. http://www.mister-baseball.com/berlin-challengers-win-game-1-german-relegation-series/
  8. ↑ Mister-Baseball: Baseball and Softball in Europe. "German Federation releases 2011 Baseball and Softball Schedules." 23 December 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2011. http://www.mister-baseball.com/german-federation-releases-2011-baseball-softball-schedules/
  9. ↑ Mister-Baseball: Baseball and Softball in Europe. "No reformation of German Baseball Bundesliga." 16 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010. http://www.mister-baseball.com/reformation-german-baseball-bundesliga/
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