North American League

The North American League is an independent league formed in 2011 when teams from the Golden Baseball League, United League Baseball and Northern League joined to form a single league. Within weeks of opening the league's inaugural season, there was still uncertainty about its line-up of teams. The league faced financial problems from the beginning. The Lake County Fielders were accused of not paying players and coaches for most of the season and in the middle of the season released all but two players and the coaches to replace them with cheaper options. The league decided to end their season a week early after the Na Koa Ikaika Maui folded.

As the league headed into its second season in 2012, it still had ambitious plans. 9 of the 10 original teams were expected back, with Lake County the sole holdout, as well as up to four new franchises. The Henderson Roadrunners and Fullerton Flyers had both been listed in plans for the 2011 season, but were set to begin play a year later, while new franchises were planned for untapped markets in San Rafael, CA and Fort McMurray, AB, the latter a city that had never hosted professional teams before that. The additions confirmed the circuit as the farthest flung geographically in all of baseball, with Fort McMurray the northernmost city to ever field a team, Maui the westernmost, and Yuma being almost on the Mexican border. Problems for the league continued as it was announced that the Chico Outlaws, Edmonton Capitals and Calgary Vipers would not return to the league. With the addition of the Abilene Prairie Dogs and the future of the Fullerton Flyers in question, this left just three teams in the Northern Division and a six team all Texas based Southern Division.

[edit] Current Teams, Managers, and Cities Represented

[edit] 2011

[edit] Playoffs

• Semifinals Edmonton defeated Calgary 4 games to 2; Rio Grande Valley defeated San Angelo 4 games to 0
• Finals Edmonton defeated Rio Grande Valley 4 games to 1

[edit] Cities Represented

• Calgary, AB:
  • Calgary Vipers 2011 , moved from Golden Baseball League
• Chico, CA:
  • Chico Outlaws 2011 , moved from Golden Baseball League
• Edinburg, TX:
  • Edinburg Roadrunners 2011- , moved from United League
• Edmonton, AB:
  • Edmonton Capitals 2011 , moved from Golden Baseball League
• Fort Worth, TX
  • Fort Worth Cats 2012- , moved from American Association
• Fullerton, CA
  • Fullerton Flyers 2012-
• Harlingen, TX
  • Rio Grande Valley White Wings 2011- , moved from United League
• Maui, HI:
  • Na Koa Ikaika Maui 2011- , moved from Golden Baseball League
• McAllen, TX:
  • McAllen Thunder 2011-
• San Angelo, TX:
  • San Angelo Colts 2011- , moved from United League
• San Rafael, CA:
  • San Rafael Pacifics 2012-
• Yuma, AZ:
  • Yuma Scorpions 2011- , moved from Golden Baseball League
• Zion, IL:
  • Lake County Fielders 2011, moved from Northern League

[edit] Related Sites

• Official site