Deutsche Baseball Liga

Last updated

Deutsche Baseball Liga
Current season, competition or edition:
Baseball current event.svg 2025 Deutsche Baseball Liga
Sport Baseball
Founded1984
No. of teams11
CountryGermany
Most recent
champion(s)
Bonn Capitals
(3rd title)
Most titles Mannheim Tornados
(10 titles)
Official website baseball.de

The Deutsche Baseball Liga (English: German Baseball League) or DBL is the professional elite competition for baseball in Germany. Until 2024, the league was called Baseball-Bundesliga. The winner is awarded the German championship. Like most European sports leagues, the league uses a system of promotion and relegation and currently consists of eleven teams in two divisions, with each team playing six games against each other team in the division. 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 an 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 played out as a single-track Bundesliga
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990 Cologne Cardinals Mannheim Tornados Berlin Challengers
1991 Mannheim Tornados
1992 Mannheim Amigos Cologne Cardinals
1993 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Amigos Lokstedt Stealers
1994
1995 Trier Cardinals Trier Cardinals
1996
1997 Mannheim Tornados Mannheim Tornados Bonn Capitals
1998 Cologne Dodgers Cologne Dodgers
1999 Paderborn Untouchables Mainz Athletics Paderborn Untouchables
2000 Lokstedt Stealers Cologne Dodgers
2001 Paderborn Untouchables Mannheim Tornados
2002 Regensburg Legionäre Paderborn Untouchables
2003 Mannheim Tornados
2004 Mainz Athletics
2005 Regensburg Legionäre
2006 Solingen Alligators Solingen Alligators
2007 Mainz Athletics
2008 Buchbinder Legionäre Heidenheim Heideköpfe
2009 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Buchbinder Legionäre
2010 Buchbinder Legionäre
2011 Paderborn Untouchables
2012
2013 Solingen Alligators
2014 Solingen Alligators Heidenheim Heideköpfe
2015 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Buchbinder Legionäre Bonn Capitals
2016 Mainz Athletics Mainz Athletics
2017 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Heidenheim Heideköpfe
2018 Bonn Capitals
2019 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Mainz Athletics Solingen Alligators
2020 Buchbinder Legionäre Bonn Capitals
2021 Heidenheim Heideköpfe
2022 Bonn Capitals Buchbinder Legionäre
2023 Heidenheim Heideköpfe Heidenheim Heideköpfe
2024 Bonn Capitals Guggenberger Legionäre

Current teams

DivisionTeamLocationFieldFounded
North Bonn Capitals Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Bonn Stadion Rheinaue1989
Cologne Cardinals Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Cologne Circlewood Stadium, Köln 1983
Hamburg Stealers Flag of Hamburg.svg Hamburg Baseballfeld Langenhorst1985
Hünstetten Storm Flag of Hesse.svg Hünstetten Dickman Field2003
Paderborn Untouchables Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia.svg Paderborn Ahorn-Ballpark1990
South Gauting Indians Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg Gauting Würmtal Baseball Platz1991
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
Mainz Athletics Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg Mainz Baseballstadion Hartmühlenweg1988
München-Haar Disciples Flag of Bavaria (lozengy).svg Haar Ballpark Eglfing1990
Stuttgart Reds Flag of Baden-Wurttemberg.svg Stuttgart TVC-Ballpark1986

See also

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/