Valley Baseball League

Last updated

Valley Baseball League
ClassificationCollegiate
Sport Baseball
Founded1923
PresidentR.W. "Porky" Bowman, Jr.
CommissionerR.W. "Porky" Bowman, Jr.
Motto"Gateway to the majors"
No. of teams12
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Most recent
champion(s)
Harrisonburg Turks
(2023)
Official website Valley Baseball League

The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA and MLB-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. [1]

Contents

The league was started in 1923 and sanctioned by the NCAA in 1961. It has been a wooden bat league since 1993. It is one of almost a dozen leagues in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. The VBL is funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball. The Valley League has produced well over 1,000 professional baseball players, including a record 79 former players drafted in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

In 2007, the Valley Baseball League expanded to include one new team with the addition of the Fauquier Gators. Another team was planned to be added in Lexington, Virginia but difficulties with the lighting system delayed the team's addition to the league. The VBL announced in July 2008 that the Rockbridge Rapids would start play in the 2009 season, but the team folded a couple years later. In 2011 the Strasburg Express entered the league and in 2015 the Charlottesville Tom Sox entered the league. [2]

The league canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] [4]

The Culpeper Cavaliers joined as the league's 12th team in 2023. [5]

The Harrisonburg Turks host the Winchester Royals in a Valley Baseball League game in June 2022. Harrisonburg Turks game.jpg
The Harrisonburg Turks host the Winchester Royals in a Valley Baseball League game in June 2022.

Current teams

John Moxie Memorial Stadium, home of the Staunton Braves since the Valley League's inception in 1923. John Moxie Stadium.jpg
John Moxie Memorial Stadium, home of the Staunton Braves since the Valley League's inception in 1923.
TeamCityStadiumCapacity
Charlottesville Tom Sox Charlottesville CHO Airport Field 1,200
Covington Lumberjacks Covington Casey Field 2,000
Culpeper Cavaliers Culpeper Culpeper County High School
Front Royal Cardinals Front Royal Bing Crosby Stadium1,500
Harrisonburg Turks Harrisonburg Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park 1,200
New Market Rebels New Market Rebel Park550
Purcellville Cannons Purcellville Fireman's Field2,000
Staunton Braves Staunton John Moxie Stadium
Strasburg Express Strasburg First Bank Park
Winchester Royals Winchester Bridgeforth Field1,200
Woodstock River Bandits Woodstock Central High School Field 796
Waynesboro Generals Waynesboro Kate Collins Field at Union Home Mortgage Park350

Former teams

TeamCityYears Active
Aldie Senators Aldie 2013-2015
Charles Town Cannons Charles Town, WV 2013-2015
Charlottesville Hornets Charlottesville 1967-1974
Elkton Blue Sox Elkton 1954-1957
Fauquier Gators Warrenton 2007-2009
Haymarket Battle Cats Haymarket 2005
Haymarket Senators Haymarket 2006-2012
Loudoun Rangers Middleburg 2004
Luray Colonials Luray 1963-1969
Luray Wranglers Luray 2001-2012
Madison Blue Jays Madison 1969-1988
Rockbridge Rapids Lexington 2009-2013
Shenandoah Indians Shenandoah 1958-1975

Season structure

The regular season consists of 44 games played beginning the first week of June and continuing until late July. Through the 2019 season, teams played all inter-division opponents 3 times and intra-division opponents 5 or 6 times. Beginning in 2021, teams no longer travel to every other ballpark in a single season: rather, all inter-division meetings were scheduled as a single, 7-inning weekend doubleheader. This format was continued in 2022 but with the home teams reversed.

In 2023, the league eliminated divisions and moved to a scheduling model where each team played each other four times for an expanded 44-game schedule, an addition of two games from the previous 42.

In 2024, the league again adopted a new scheduling model where teams play games within their respective divisions for the entirety of the season. The league also reverted to a 40-game season with a change of playoff formatting.

Playoff format

Playoffs begin immediately following the regular season and continue into early August. In all series, the higher seeded team hosts games 1 and 3. No off-days are taken except for rain-outs and while waiting on other series' to finish.

First Round
#1 vs. #8 (Best 2 of 3 games)
#2 vs. #7 (Best 2 of 3 games)
#3 vs. #6 (Best 2 of 3 games)
#4 vs. #5 (Best 2 of 3 games)
Semifinals
#1/#8 vs. #4/#5 (Best 2 of 3 games)
#2/#7 vs. #3/#6 (Best 2 of 3 games)
Championship
Matchup of semifinal series winners (Best 2 of 3 games)

VBL champions

YearVBL ChampionRunner-upSeries
2023Harrisonburg TurksCharlottesville Tom Sox2-0
2022Charlottesville Tom SoxWoodstock River Bandits2-0
2021Strasburg ExpressWaynesboro Generals2-0
2020None [lower-alpha 1] NoneN/A
2019Charlottesville Tom SoxStrasburg Express2-0
2018New Market RebelsCharlottesville Tom Sox2-0
2017Charlottesville Tom SoxStrasburg Express2-1
2016Strasburg ExpressWaynesboro Generals2-0
2015Strasburg ExpressStaunton Braves2-1
2014Waynesboro GeneralsCharles Town Cannons2-1
2013Waynesboro GeneralsStrasburg Express2-1
2012Harrisonburg TurksWinchester Royals3-1
2011Covington LumberjacksRockbridge Rapids2-1
2010Luray WranglersFront Royal Cardinals2-0
2009Haymarket SenatorsCovington Lumberjacks3-1
2008Luray WranglersCovington Lumberjacks3-0
2007Waynesboro GeneralsLuray Wranglers4-1
2006Luray WranglersStaunton Braves3-2
2005Covington LumberjacksNew Market Rebels2-1
2004Winchester RoyalsStaunton Braves2-0
2003Winchester RoyalsNew Market Rebels3-2
2002New Market RebelsCovington Lumberjacks3-1
2001Winchester RoyalsCovington Lumberjacks3-2
2000Harrisonburg TurksStaunton Braves3-0
1999Staunton BravesWinchester Royals3-0
1998Waynesboro GeneralsStaunton Braves3-0
1997Winchester RoyalsFront Royal CardinalsForfeit
1996Staunton BravesHarrisonburg Turks3-1
1995Staunton BravesWaynesboro Generals3-0
1994New Market RebelsHarrisonburg Turks3-2
1993Winchester RoyalsStaunton Braves3-2
1992Winchester RoyalsHarrisonburg Turks3-1
1991Harrisonburg TurksFront Royal Cardinals3-1
1990Winchester RoyalsStaunton Braves3-2
1989New Market RebelsHarrisonburg Turks3-1
1988Waynesboro GeneralsMadison Blue Jays3-2
1987Winchester RoyalsWaynesboro Generals3-0
1986Front Royal CardinalsHarrisonburg Turks3-1
1985Staunton BravesNew Market Rebels3-0
1984Waynesboro GeneralsHarrisonburg Turks3-0
1983Winchester RoyalsStaunton Braves4-3
1982Winchester RoyalsNew Market Rebels3-0
1981Winchester RoyalsNew Market Rebels4-0
1980Winchester RoyalsNew Market Rebels3-1
1979Winchester RoyalsMadison Blue Jays4-3
1978Madison Blue JaysHarrisonburg Turks4-1
1977Harrisonburg TurksWaynesboro Generals4-0
1976Staunton BravesHarrisonburg Turks4-0
1975Madison Blue JaysHarrisonburg Turks4-2
1974Shenandoah IndiansWaynesboro Generals4-2
1973Shenandoah IndiansMadison Blue Jays4-2
1972 Shenandoah IndiansCharlottesville Hornets4-2
1971Harrisonburg TurksShenandoah Indians4-0
1970Harrisonburg TurksNew Market Rebels4-1
1969Harrisonburg TurksStaunton Braves4-0
1968Luray ColonialsHarrisonburg Turks4-0
1967Luray ColonialsHarrisonburg Turks2-0
1966Luray ColonialsShenandoah Indians4-1
1965Luray ColonialsNew Market Rebels4-2
1964Harrisonburg TurksShenandoah Indians4-0
1963Shenandoah IndiansNew Market Rebels4-1
1962Harrisonburg TurksShenandoah Indians4-2
1961Shenandoah IndiansHarrisonburg Turks4-0
1960Shenandoah IndiansStaunton Braves4-3
1959Harrisonburg TurksNew Market Rebels4-2
1958Harrisonburg TurksNew Market Rebels4-3
1957Staunton BravesHarrisonburg Turks4-3
1956Staunton BravesShenandoah Indians4-2
1955Harrisonburg TurksShenandoah Indians4-3
1954Staunton BravesElkton Blue Sox4-1
  1. Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Championships per team

Not all teams have been with VBL since 1954. Throughout its history, teams have been removed and added.

The summer of 2008 was highlighted by a promotion called Around the Valley in 60 Days. This promotion was started by Crystal Clear Delivery and S. Carter Studios and encouraged patrons to visit all 11 parks in the 60-day season. The program was deemed a huge success as some fifty fans completed the program and attended all 11 ballparks.

Notable players

Related Research Articles

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The Shenandoah Valley is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, to the north by the Potomac River, to the south by the James River, and to the Southwest by the New River Valley. The cultural region covers a larger area that includes all of the Valley plus the Virginia Highlands to the west and the Roanoke Valley to the south. It is physiographically located within the Ridge and Valley Province and is a portion of the Great Appalachian Valley.

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References

  1. Fisher, Marc (June 16, 2004). "Perfect Pitch". The Washington Post . Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  2. Hudtloff, Marty (February 5, 2015). "Tom Sox Chosen as Name of Charlottesville's New VBL Team". WVIR-TV. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  3. "The 2020 Valley League Has Been Cancelled". ValleyLeagueBaseball.com (Press release). Valley Baseball League. April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  4. Hite, Patrick (April 2, 2020). "Valley Baseball League season canceled". The News Leader . Staunton, Virginia . Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  5. Payne, Devin. "Summer college baseball coming to Culpeper in 2023". Culpeper Star-Exponent . Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. "Cardinals That Made it to The Show". Front Royal Cardinals . Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  7. "Eddy Rodríguez". Miami Hurricanes . Retrieved March 27, 2018.