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Full Count · 07-17-2009, 11:50 PM

On September 16, 2008 failures of large financial institutions in the United States, due primarily to exposure of securities of packaged sub-prime loans and credit default swaps issued to insure these loans and their issuers, rapidly evolved into a global crisis resulting in a number of bank failures and sharp reductions in the value of equities (stock) and commodities worldwide. The failure of banks in the U.S. resulted in a devaluation of the American Dollar and threatened the country with bankruptcy. The U.S. was able to secure an emergency loan from the IMF in November. Fifteen banks failed in 2008, while several others were rescued through government intervention or acquisitions by other banks. On October 11, 2008, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the world financial system was teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown".

In the Baseball world by this time in 2008, the MLB (Major League Baseball) had been taken over by the rampant steroid scandal. MLB superstar Roger Clemens testified in a Congressional probe into steroid use and Jose Canseco had already outted several other players as 'users' in his book 'Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big'. In fact, Canseco goes on to claim that up to 85% of major league players took steroids, a figure disputed by many in the game.

This was the beginning of the end for Baseball as we knew it. The ongoing steroid scandal infested the league much deeper than originally thought. America's favorite past time had passed.

The failing American economy coupled with the steroid infestation proved to be too much for the MLB to over come. Teams began filing for bankruptcy and would be unable to remain competitive. The MLB had plans to contract the league and save the remaining franchises that were still afloat. This plan would take a turn for the worse when New York Yankees superstar and the games highest paid player Alex Rodriguez, would come up positive in a randomly administered drug test. Many of the league critics would go on to blame Rodriguez for the leagues eventual demise. A-Rod testing positive for steroids was absolute rock bottom for the MLB. They were forced to fold the entire operation as the league's most successful franchise had been tarnished by both A-Rod and the Rocket. Stadiums were left vacant, fans without hope, former players were now jobless and joined the 6 million other Americans in the unemployment line.

In late May 2009, three young business men were brought together by a stroke of good luck. Two brothers, Jarrod and J.T. Tichenor, along with long time baseball enthusiast Dan Hyde, came up with a new concept for a small scale baseball league. The primary goal would be to bring baseball back to it's roots. Back to when it was pure. The league has a zero tolerance for performance enhancing drugs and will be frequent with random testing. The league would field 12 teams for it's inaugural season seeding each team in a market that was able to support a professional sports franchise.

History was made on July 4th, 2009 when the Chicago Southpaws became the first charter team in the then, unnamed league. Shortly after, a second team named the Washington, DC Freedom would join the ranks and pledge to compete in the inaugural 2010 season. Ten more cities (San Diego, New York, San Antonio, Boston, New Orleans, Louisville, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas) would have their bid accepted and be granted franchises in the new league that was quickly taking shape.

The rest is history....in the making.

07-17-2009, 11:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
Full Count Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 37 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	League Backstory / History On September 16, 2008 failures of large financial institutions in the United States, due primarily to exposure of securities of packaged sub-prime loans and credit default swaps issued to insure these loans and their issuers, rapidly evolved into a global crisis resulting in a number of bank failures and sharp reductions in the value of equities (stock) and commodities worldwide. The failure of banks in the U.S. resulted in a devaluation of the American Dollar and threatened the country with bankruptcy. The U.S. was able to secure an emergency loan from the IMF in November. Fifteen banks failed in 2008, while several others were rescued through government intervention or acquisitions by other banks. On October 11, 2008, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the world financial system was teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown". In the Baseball world by this time in 2008, the MLB (Major League Baseball) had been taken over by the rampant steroid scandal. MLB superstar Roger Clemens testified in a Congressional probe into steroid use and Jose Canseco had already outted several other players as 'users' in his book 'Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big'. In fact, Canseco goes on to claim that up to 85% of major league players took steroids, a figure disputed by many in the game. This was the beginning of the end for Baseball as we knew it. The ongoing steroid scandal infested the league much deeper than originally thought. America's favorite past time had passed. The failing American economy coupled with the steroid infestation proved to be too much for the MLB to over come. Teams began filing for bankruptcy and would be unable to remain competitive. The MLB had plans to contract the league and save the remaining franchises that were still afloat. This plan would take a turn for the worse when New York Yankees superstar and the games highest paid player Alex Rodriguez, would come up positive in a randomly administered drug test. Many of the league critics would go on to blame Rodriguez for the leagues eventual demise. A-Rod testing positive for steroids was absolute rock bottom for the MLB. They were forced to fold the entire operation as the league's most successful franchise had been tarnished by both A-Rod and the Rocket. Stadiums were left vacant, fans without hope, former players were now jobless and joined the 6 million other Americans in the unemployment line. In late May 2009, three young business men were brought together by a stroke of good luck. Two brothers, Jarrod and J.T. Tichenor, along with long time baseball enthusiast Dan Hyde, came up with a new concept for a small scale baseball league. The primary goal would be to bring baseball back to it's roots. Back to when it was pure. The league has a zero tolerance for performance enhancing drugs and will be frequent with random testing. The league would field 12 teams for it's inaugural season seeding each team in a market that was able to support a professional sports franchise. History was made on July 4th, 2009 when the Chicago Southpaws became the first charter team in the then, unnamed league. Shortly after, a second team named the Washington, DC Freedom would join the ranks and pledge to compete in the inaugural 2010 season. Ten more cities (San Diego, New York, San Antonio, Boston, New Orleans, Louisville, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas) would have their bid accepted and be granted franchises in the new league that was quickly taking shape. The rest is history....in the making.