European Baseball League To Begin
December 7th 1980 - With football crowds across the continent down due in no small part to a hooligan element, a number of enterprising businessmen have struck a deal to bank roll a new Europe-wide professional baseball league involving only European players.
Twenty-four franchises have been established in twenty-two countries (with Germany and Spain having two teams each) and the first season is due to kick off on April 1st next year.
Following the example of the American Major League, each franchise has also been assigned a number of feeder teams based in leagues in the larger European countries, which will allow younger players the chance to develop and also hopefully encourage grass-roots development of the sport. The league will also adapt the rules regarding free-agency and player movement from MLB and will use US Dollars as the currency of the league (
The Euro doesn't exist yet, anyway).
The franchises will hold an inaugural draft to distribute the available players, with each team limited to the number of none home grown players they can have in their active roster at any one time. They will then do battle over a 162 game season with inaugural champions due to be crowned in October.
It promises to be an exciting time ahead for baseball fans in Europe.
Stats and Facts:- League Structure -
- European League (EBL) - 2 leagues, 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- British League (BBL, AAA) - 2 leagues, 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- German League (GBL, AA) - 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- French League (FBL, AA) - 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- Spanish League (SBL, A) - 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- Italian League (IBL, A) - 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- European Rookie League (ERBL, R) - 2 leagues, 2 divisions of 6 teams each
- Limit of 7 foreign pitchers and 10 foreign hitters per EBL squad. No limits on minor league teams.
- No Designated Hitter in any league.
Franchises:
WL North Sea Division (L to R) - Amsterdam Selects, Brussels Hitmen, Glasgow Stallions, London Crocs, Dublin Wolfpack, Paris Cyclones.
WL Meditteranean Division (L to R) - Zurich Jesters, Lisbon Renegades, Milan Mud Cats, Madrid Hawks, Vienna Armageddon, Barcelona Iguanas.
EL Baltic Division (L to R) - Berlin Dragons, Stockholm Lumberjacks, Copenhagen Armada, Hamburg Heat, Helsinki Diesel, Oslo Metros.
EL Black Sea Division (L to R) - Athens Avalanche, Budapest Smoke, Moscow Blue Sox, Prague Eliminators, Warsaw Wild, Sofia Sting.
