Black Sox Baseball | Indy Ball Island

Baseball season is over. The Atlanta Braves are the 2021 MLB World Series champions. 2022 schedules are starting to be released. And it’s time to officially wrap up the 2021 Independent baseball season.

2021 Season Champions:

MLB Partner Leagues

Atlantic League – Lexington Legends (Win in their first year in the league)
Atlantic League Official Press Release

American Association – Kansas City Monarchs (2^nd championship in 4 years)
American Association Official Press Release

Frontier League – Schaumburg Boomers (4^th championship – the most in league history)
Frontier League Official Press Release

Pioneer League – Missoula Puddleheads (Win the first championship as a Partner league)
Pioneer League Official Press Release

Other Independent Leagues

United Shore Pro Baseball League – Utica Unicorns (Win third straight championship)
USPBL Official Press Release

Pecos League – Tucson Saguaros (Win back-to-back championships)
Tucson News Press Release

Empire League – Saranac Lake Surge (First championship in franchise history)
Empire League Official Press Release

Yinzer League – Killer B’s (win back-to-back championships – the only winners in the league’s two year existence in Washington, PA)

Southern Shores Pro League – S. Carolina Yankees (Inaugural season for the league)

2022 News

Atlantic League Adds a 10th Team

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) announced it has added a 10th team for 2022. Referred to as the Kentucky team (KY), the club will be listed on the league’s official 24th Championship Series Season schedule.

The club is owned by Lexington-based Stands LLC, which plans to announce a team name shortly. The club will play a full Atlantic League schedule while co-occupying the home of the defending ALPB Champion Lexington Legends. The two clubs will also play each other in select matchups.

The Kentucky team will provide a 10th team and balanced schedule in the year in which a Staten Island club will join the eight existing Atlantic League clubs. A 10th city will join the league in 2023 when Hagerstown, Maryland, fields an Atlantic League club.

CLICK HERE to read more.

American Association Releases 2022 Schedule

The American Association of Professional Baseball has released the 2022 league schedule which includes the debut of a new member, division realignment, and a new playoff format. The American Association will play a 100-game season in 116 days. Opening Day is Friday, May 13 and the regular season will conclude on Monday, September 5 (Labor Day).

DOWNLOAD THE 2022 SCHEDULE HERE

The 2022 season will kick off with a full six-game slate on Friday, May 13 and will feature the first-ever game of the Lake Country DockHounds, who will face their cross-town rival Milwaukee Milkmen at the Milkmen’s home stadium in Franklin, Wisc. The DockHounds, based in Oconomowoc, Wisc., will open the newly-constructed Wisconsin Brewing Company Field on Friday, May 20 and host the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Pioneer League Releases 2022 Schedule, Add Two Teams

The Pioneer Baseball League (“PBL”) today announced its schedule for the 2022 Championship Season. The PBL expands to 10 teams in 2022 with the return of the Northern Colorado Owlz (formerly Orem Owlz) and the addition of a new team in Flathead Valley, MT.

“We’re very excited to begin the 2022 season after the historic year we just completed,” said Pioneer League Commissioner Jim McCurdy. “By adding two new teams in two new ballparks, the league is poised to build on its promise to sensibly expand throughout the Mountain States region.

CLICK HERE to read more and view entire schedule.

Yinzer League off-season

The Black Sox/Yinzer League are continuing their usual off season training including tryouts and scout days in Florida. The Black Sox Pro Baseball League will once again be having a barnstorming tour playing spring training games in various indy leagues around the country before the 2022 Yinzer League starts.

CLICK HERE for more info on the Black Sox.

In an effort to save the 2020 baseball season, the Empire League sent two teams to Washington, PA to play two teams fielded by the BlackSox baseball organization. The one month series ended with a two day playoff series to determine a champion.

The regular season series ended on September 25th with the Road Warrior Black Sox taking the number one seed for the two day playoffs.

The Brilliance Sox ended up as the second seed, with the Empire teams the Tupper Lake Riverpigs and Saranac Lake Surge taking third and fourth respectfully.

On Monday, the Brilliance Sox defeated the Tupper Lake Riverpigs in the first game of the series to move on to the championship game.

And in an upset, the fourth seeded Surge defeated the Black Sox in extra innings to advance to the finals.

Tuesday, the Riverpigs defeated the Black Sox in the consolation game to finish the finals in third place.

The championship game between the Brilliance Sox and Surge was a pitchers duel that went into extra innings. After a homerun by the Sox in the first, the game went scoreless until the Surge were able to answer with one run of their own in the 8th. In the end, the Brilliance Sox were able to walk it off in the bottom of the 12th inning to become the 2020 Empire League Series Champions.

Other awards given out at the conclusion of the season included:

In addition, multiple players from the series were able to sign contracts to higher independent leagues for the 2021 season.

Looking ahead to next season, the Empire League is hoping to return to their usual season in the Northeast of the country. The league, which focuses on developing rookie level talent, is looking forward to being able to have a full season again. Check out more information about the Empire League HERE.

The BlackSox will once again be moving ahead with their development of players through exposure events, spring training games and the newly established Yinzer Baseball Confederacy.

This league will consist of 4-6 teams playing 50-60 games at a Frontier League ballpark (at Wildthings Park in Washington, PA) from June-September in front of professional managers and scouts. The Black Sox Organization plans to continue being the feeder system for all of independent baseball.

This season, the league provided 72 opportunities to play among their two teams. Since 2018, the Black Sox have helped promote 188 players.

More information can be found on the Black Sox official website HERE.

On behalf of myself and the players, I would like to give a shout out and thank you to the Washington Wild Things organization for the use of their facilities, Eddie Gonzalez with the Empire League and Joe Torre with the Black Sox for giving these players a safe chance to play baseball during a summer of cancellations and concerns surrounding the pandemic. I know the players will be forever grateful for the opportunities given to them this season.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Eddie and Joe for being so welcoming to me whenever I was at the ballpark.

To the Black Sox boys… many of whom I’ve known for the majority of your careers, congratulations on finishing up this season. I am so proud of you all and love your drive, determination and dedication to the game of baseball. Thank you for always welcoming me in as part of the team. You made an otherwise boring summer a lot of fun. Best of luck in the future! You guys know you always have a home on Indy Ball Island.

Writing and sharing stories about Independent Baseball.

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2021 Season Wrap-Up and a Look Ahead