If you’re a prospective independent league player, don’t be shocked if you’re banned from playing in the Pecos League.
Although there’s been a rule against winter league participation for the last few years, more and more players are emailing me complaining or confused about not being eligible for the Pecos League. This is mainly because the rule isn’t actually listed anywhere that is easily accessible to players looking for information.
In fact, their tryout page says that “any player who is not currently under contract with another Professional Baseball Team may tryout.” However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
In September of 2014, the Pecos League put out a press release that warned players about playing in any winter league that was not affiliated with the Pecos.
9/4/2014– The Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs will not accept players from any winter league. This list includes (California Winter League, Arizona Winter League, Myrtle Beach Winter and Texas Winter League). These leagues are setup to profit off of the players and if you think you are going to get signed out of one of these leagues you should look at the facts. Some of these leagues will get you in Spring Training with a team but you actually are hurting your chances of playing professional baseball by going to these leagues.
The Pecos League only signs players from its tryouts and its Pecos Spring League…
The Pecos League is the place for rookies with no prior professional experience to break in. The only developmental league that the Pecos League will consider players from is Pecos Spring League. There are no guarantees that you will make a team or a spring training spot. But you will have the highest percentage opportunity. If someone is attempting to take money from you for a winter league then it would be wise to ask them what jobs they have for you if you attend the league. Jobs are paying jobs not Spring Training Invites where you will be released.
As of this year, you can add the Puerto Rico Instructional Baseball League to this list of “banned” winter leagues as well. Players who participated in this league have been emailing the site to say that they were informed that they are no longer eligible to play in the Pecos.
The rules put in place ensure that all potential players must either:
- have a recommendation from anyone NOT directly involved from playing in a winter league
- pay to play in the Pecos Fall or Spring leagues
- attend an official Pecos League tryout ($50)
- or pay the league $300 for a guaranteed three day spring training.
What this really boils down to is… if you didn’t give the Pecos League any of your money over the off season, then they’re not willing to pay you $55 a week to play for them.
Is spending $1,250-$2,500 for the fall or spring league worth it?
You can do the math (the regular season runs for about 11 weeks)… but ultimately, it’s up to the players to decide if the potential exposure from playing and getting ABs or IPs is worth it to them.
Indy Ball Island 
Ive never participated any pecos league events and paid anything to them. I was on frontier league tryouts and i’ve got invited spring training for one of the pecos teams. You saying that I have low possibilities to make season roster? Thank you
LikeLike
As long as you didn’t participate in a winter league, you should be okay. Being at a Frontier tryout won’t hurt you.
LikeLike
To me this just days: Pay us your money, don’t pay anyone else…
LikeLike
This is all so very interesting because this 2015 Pecos League player (http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=808031) actually started the championship game of the 2015 Texas Winter League (http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=758267&seasonid=29178).
LikeLike
Apparently exceptions are made for some players… why or how that’s determined, I have no idea. But there have been many players telling me that they were told they are not allowed to play in the Pecos league because of their participation in various winter leagues.
LikeLike
Statistically, more players stuck on Frontier League full season rosters over the last two seasons from the California Winter League than from the Frontier League league-wide tryout or from individual team tryouts. The CWL is probably the best way to stick as a player on a Frontier League team, especially as a rookie. We were happy to hear that from the Frontier League. Unfortunately, we have had a few players over the years who have been offered jobs in the Pecos League and then told later on that those offers had been rescinded because of their participation in the CWL. Andrew Dunn continues to bash us on his website as well. We honestly do try to place as many players as possible with as many organizations as possible, but we would not be comfortable sending any players to the Pecos League given the pay (or lack thereof) and conditions. Plus the fact that they have taxi league players paying to play in that league make it a semi-pro league. Furthermore, we respect the AWL guys and what they do in Yuma (good to see Marky on here too) and we feel that while we are businesses, we do help players earn legitimate opportunities and jobs in professional baseball at all levels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately, your facts are incorrect about pay to play…the Continental League and Pecos League used to have pay to play players which they got from the CWL…up until the 2012 season.
they have not used pay to players from 2013 forward….
Justin you have to realize that virtually none of your players will make opening day Frontier League rosters and by discouraging them to goto Pecos League you are limiting their options…You should attempt to get them into Pecos League.
You have 275 guys that you took money from with no jobs, you don’t return their phone calls….and you cost more people chances at jobs than you got people jobs….
You claim to be an honest operation that is setup to profit off of players that are confused… you the official league of Frontier League pay us $3500 you paid the frontier league a ton to use their name……
I have talked to so many players that like the CWL in season but the facts aren’t disclosed about how it works….you really don’t anywhere to send these guys….there were very good guys in the CWL this year that got no jobs, no phone calls, no looks nothing…. They could have easily went to camp in Frontier but it didn’t happen… now where do they go???
Bad situations?
-4 star hotel in Garden City and Train,
-every player and coach was paid via direct deposit….
-you keep telling people how bad the league is…
Call the coaches and ask them how many of their players weren’t paid…they will tell you 0…
Call Bill Moore or Jd Droddy..
There were no pay to players, players that got cut tried to pay to play and the league wouldn’t allow them…I always keep hearing how terrible the league is and we don’t see it…
The quality of the player in the CWL has drastically improved since 2010. Improved so much that many very good players didn’t get jobs this year and are stranded with no where to go… I saw how bad it was in 2010 in the CBL, the Pecos League is light years ahead of them now…
Frontier League Tryout Ratio is much better California Winter League for a fraction of cost and money.
California Winter League needs to do something with the 100’s of players they leave without jobs… If they are banned then the CWL needs to disclose this before players get money…
If the California Winter League is going to be the entry point for all professional players they need to have somewhere to send players… 24 players to the frontier league and 10 to pacific association is no good….
Or pay another league other than the Pecos League to take some of them….But right now they are leaving the players out in the sun….and it is not right…
LikeLike
Andrew Dunn provides a place for people to play. Everyone continues to bash his league, yes it may be low pay, yes it may be harsh conditions at times, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about playing baseball. Most of you that Bash the Pecos have Zero playing experience and NEVER had a dream. There are guys out there that Love the game and want to play. They have to turn to Pecos, because as a True rookie it’s tough to get into the Frontier, AA, can am, etc. unless you are a Stud it’s hard getting into this leagues as a true rookie And without Prior Pro experience. The CWL is a great opportunity to get picked up IF YOU HAVE PRIOR PRO EXPERIENCE, don’t get me wrong a lot of True Rookies got spring training invites, but we will see where the true rookies end up after spring training. One guy that signed with a frontier team out of CWL was traded within a week of the end of cwl to an AA team. Let’s see where he is after spring training. He will be Gone. Stop bashing the Pecos. There’s so much more to it, it’s about PLAYING BASEBALL with the opportunity of being seen by scouts and possibly promoted. No one cares about the money you dummies. i understand you have to live, but just bc the Pecos pays low doesn’t mean you can’t go out and get money on your own ? Figure it out. The situations are what they are. Who sits there and says gee, I only make “X” amount, well I’m screwed…. NO ONE SAYS THAT. They figure it out, and make it work! The Pecos is the the BEST option for a true rookie that doesn’t run a 6.6, throw 93 off bumb, or hit 10 jacks in bp. The guy that does that is a stud and can get picked up in a one day showcase. MOST of the population is not like that, but there are guys with tools that have a dream and want to keep playing. If they can use there Brain, make a little extra money to make ends meet, Pecos is a great place to be. If it means going through some tough times to play ball, meet some new people, gain connections, GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR, and just play the game we all love, So be it. Quit bashing Dunn, he has kept this league running for 5 going on 6 years. Don’t most indy leagues fold? Why is his still around ? Because people Want to play. He offers that.
LikeLike
The thing about this whole article is that guys DO want to play. You say Dunn gives them an opportunity. No. He doesn’t give everyone an opportunity. There are plenty of guys who want to play and can’t because of this rule. They went to a winter league which they thought could better their game. Now they WANT to play in the Pecos and aren’t allowed. All I did on this post was list the rules because players do not understand them and told players how they CAN play in the Pecos. Did I say it’s not worth it? No. I said it’s up to the players.
LikeLike
dont listen to this article! The players must learn to promote themselves in pro ball. I was Junior College All – American and a 3 state gold glove winner and ALL BIG WEST for division 1 Cal State Notthridge. Thought I was to be drafted and didn’t. Thought I was to be a senior sign to affiliated, but I wasn’t. I had no other option but the Pecos. Idk where this guy got you pay $300 to be in spring training for 3 days?? What so untrue. I had 2 weeks of spring training in Roswell and they help set you up in hotels with other teammates. I made the team signed.. Hit .316 with 26 stolen bases, and around 16 doubles, 0 home runs and around a .985 ish fielding percentage at shortstop. I was promoted to the American Association- Sioux Falls Canaries. I started every game to finish the year with them hitting around .250 and .988 fielding percentage in the infield.. Now I am signed on and in Spring Training for the Fronteir defending champion Traverse City Beach Bums. Pecos maybe poorly run, crappy fields, low pay, mostly high school umpires, but other then that.. The Pecos League has kept my dream alive.. I love this game and hate to see someone post something negative about a League that changed my life. Come on man!
LikeLike
Did you bother to click the link where I said about the $300 for spring training? Since you clearly didn’t… it goes directly to the tryouts page from the official Pecos League site – where you can in fact pay $300 to participate in spring training. Not one thing in this article is false. I used a quote directly from their website as well as a link directly to the tryout page. I am not bashing the league. I’m saying what their rules are to clear up confusion players have. Have I written negative posts years ago? Yes. Are they the only league I’ve written about negatively? No.
Best of luck to you in the Frontier League.
LikeLike
“Many players do not want to waste time traveling to tryout camps and have just asked for a chance in spring training. We offering a guaranteed three day spring training. (Report Date is May 10th) The cost is $300 per player. Not all teams are accepting players. $300.00”
This is not “so untrue.” I check my facts before posting. Thanks.
LikeLike
Brett Balkan is top quality ballplayer who people forget spent time with Raton Osos
LikeLike
Sure I understand what your saying. The way your write your articles on the Pecos seem to degrade the league though. Your very negative at times. Not sure how old you are, but if you havnt got it by now, positivity is the key to life. Can your write some positive things about it which would maybe help build the league more? Anyways, all these indy league charge some sort of money. Even if it’s 50 bucks for a tryout. Someone’s still Paying. How about you write about all the 50-75$ tryouts that individual frontier teams run, I bet that for every tryout there’s at least 40 guys there( that’s probably low #) and maybe one guy gets picked up ? They are just money makers haha. So what’s the difference. Every indy team has to make money somehow to stay afloat geeze. It just seems like you only talk trash on the Pecos and show the negatives. That’s not right. I thought your site is supposed to promote indy ball. Empire league charges to tryout ? Why not bash them. That’s a fee to new players.. I was a true rookie and tried out for the Lake Erie crushers. It cost me 50 bucks, is that not a fee? They all charge some sort of money. It’s just how it works.
LikeLike
I have an entire page dedicated to tryouts and the money that it costs each player. My other posts on the Pecos League are well over a year old. I write my posts based on what players come to be about with concerns. I’m here to help players, not any league. There are positive posts such as how much fun the guys had on the TV show, a follow-up on many of them that was in no way negative, and a player who was signed to affiliated ball (who never managed to play BTW but I never mentioned that). I also do a post all throughout the season of how the guys who paid for the Frontier League tryout do after being drafted. Trust me, it’s not a good look for them either.
Side note… the Empire League isn’t charging for their spring training once you are invited only their mandatory housing according to their website.
LikeLike
Kayla, it is obvious the other leagues are paying you to write negative PR about Pecos…keep up the work Kayla
LikeLike
NO ONE PAYS ME A THING TO WRITE WHAT I WANT ON MY OWN SITE. I don’t get a dime for writing this site from any league that I cover. NOTHING I HAVE SAID IN THIS POST IS FALSE. Are you telling me that the Pecos League OFFICIAL WEBSITE is lying about players being allowed to pay $300 for spring training? Are you telling me that they did not in fact post the above quoted article. You can click on the link that is highlighted there to verify it yourself. Every post that shows the Pecos League in a negative way was at the end of 2014. Read the dates. I will not tolerate you saying false things against ME saying that I get paid from other leagues when you know NOTHING about me.
LikeLike
I wrote this… tell me how everything I write on the league is negative?
So why would these guys play in the Pecos League if this is what they have to go through? To them, the answer is simple: They love baseball, and they love each other. Obviously here it is not about the money or fame. It is about true heart and dedication to the sport that they have loved since they were young. This single dream brings every player together as one. Over those 72 days, the players become a family. The one word that is said in every episode is “brotherhood.” From the clips of the guys partying, hanging out, chasing mule deer, and trying to swim in a reservoir on their only off day, the viewers can see the true bond these guys have with each other. Throughout the season, the guys go through a lot of ups and downs, but they are all in it together. Even though this reality show is about baseball, it is about so much more than just a game.
LikeLike
Kayla thank you for your clarification. the $300 is for spring training tryout… there are no pay to play options in the league..
LikeLike
Will all my friends in the baseball universe send up a prayer for my son to find a way to play in the Pecos league . His name is DUSTY WARD of Goodrich MI. He plays 2nd Base. God Bless you! Long live baseball in the United States of America!
LikeLike
Pecos League is a joke. Banning players from playing in the league simply because they attended other winter leagues that they spent their own money on to attend?? Are you joking? So in order to play you must attend a Pecos League event. What has the pecos league done to deem themselves as a worthy and credible source for player advancement? Look at the staff that works the various events compared to the pecos league. It’s night and day. The Pecos league has very few if any managers and coaches with credible established backgrounds. In the end it shows the pecos league does not put the players best interest first by alienating these players. The league should be trying to promote the best talent available. Period.
LikeLike