Tag Archives: Canada

Independent Ball

The Intercounty Baseball League in Canada Turns Professional

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A New Era for Independent Professional Baseball in Canada Begins

Official Press Release Announced November 24th:

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), which has been in operation since 1919, is pleased to announce that it is now a fully professional league that will hereafter be known as the Canadian Baseball League (CBL.ca). These changes reflect the significant growth of its fan base over the last three years, which culminated in a record 249,590 fans attending games in 2025.

The Canadian Baseball League is, simply put, the best professional baseball league in Canada.  Last season, 64 players with either MLB or Minor League Baseball experience suited up to play in the League, including former MLB All-Star and World Series champion Fernando Rodney who pitched for the Hamilton Cardinals.  Last year also witnessed former Guelph Royals player, Liam Hicks, make the Major League roster of, and become an integral player for, the Miami Marlins.

“Fan interest in our League has exploded to historic levels,” said CBL Commissioner Ted Kalnins. “The quality of baseball has always been top-rate, with players drawn from across Canada, Latin America and Japan, but the main engine of our growth has been significantly enhanced fan experience, with fun in-game entertainment, contests, unique theme nights, and accessible players, all at a very affordable price for an entire family.”

In addition to the name change, there will be numerous changes in store for the Canadian Baseball League in 2026, some of which will be announced in the coming weeks.   The CBL’s regular season will increase from 42 to 48 games, commencing the second week of May 2026.  Only five teams will qualify for the playoffs, thereby raising the competitive stakes of the regular season.  The fourth-place team will face the fifth-place team in a one-game playoff, followed by two best-of-seven series to determine the Dominico Cup champion.

All CBL games will continue to be streamed live on YouTube, but will now also be available, along with other League content, via Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, iOS and Android apps.

The history of the Intercounty Baseball League will continue to be carried forward in every respect.  For the last year, numerous efforts were undertaken to research and consolidate historical information, photos and artifacts associated with the IBL’s lengthy history.  Among other partners, the Hanlan’s Point Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has been assisting with this project, which shall continue to be a League priority.

“Our history is what made our future possible,” Kalnins said.  “Now, the Canadian Baseball League is ready to write the next chapter in the Canadian baseball story – one that will create an even better, more engaging, more memorable experience for our players, our communities, and most of all, our fans.” 

The Canadian Baseball League (CBL) is the top independent professional baseball league in Canada, boasting ex-MLB, MiLB and elite graduating NCAA college baseball players, including players from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama and Japan.  The 2026 season will mark the CBL’s 108th year in operation. The CBL is one of the longest continuously operated baseball leagues in the world and serves as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff.  More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the CBL following their MLB careers. The league is comprised of teams from Barrie, Brantford, Chatham-Kent, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Toronto and Welland. For more information, visit http://www.cbl.ca or @cbl1919 on Instagram and Twitter. 

Indy Ball Island will have further information and updates as they become avaliable!

Independent Ball

Frontier League’s “Top Goal” is Bringing Baseball Back to Montreal

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Quebec is hosting the 2024 Frontier League All-Star game, and the Frontier League commisioner, Steve Tahsler, has some goals to expand the league even further in Canada.

During an interview with Le Journal De Quebec, Tahsler was quoted as saying it is his “top goal is Montreal.” He wants the Frontier League to be the league that brings baseball back to the city and people of Montreal.

The following is an English translation of the article originally posted on Le Journal De Quebec. (The original article can be found HERE).

They want to be the ones who “bring professional baseball back to Montreal”

The Frontier League commissioner reiterated his desire on Monday, during the All-Star game taking place in Quebec.

The Frontier League commissioner has already spoken in the past of his interest in having a baseball franchise from the circuit set up in Montreal and he reiterated his desire on Monday: “We want to be the ones who bring professional baseball back” to the Quebec metropolis, Steve Tahsler told TVA Quebec.

Of course, Mr. Tahsler was only talking about his league in his statement, not the return of the Expos. And even then, there is still work to be done before the Quebec-Montreal rivalry is transferred to a baseball diamond.

But the commissioner was very convincing in his desire to make his wish come true on Monday, when the best players in the Frontier League, as well as its dignitaries, will be in Quebec until Wednesday as part of the All-Star Game festivities.

“This is our highest priority […]. We are working really hard on this,” Mr. Tahsler also said.

In the coming months?

Charles Demers, vice-president of the Quebec Capitals, is of the opinion that “fairly major” developments in this matter could occur “in the next year, or even in the next few months.”

But obviously, he specifies, it will first be necessary to “build a stadium capable of hosting a Frontier League team” in the Montreal region.

“We are close to something”

In an interview with Le Journal last year, the commissioner had already stated that he did not want a new team to set up in a temporary stadium while waiting for the construction of a permanent venue, because he wanted the potential unveiling of a new club to be “as big as possible” (read here ) .

“You lose a lot of impact by establishing a team in a temporary location first,” he said. “You lose all the magic surrounding the arrival of a club in a new stadium.

“It takes the contribution of Baseball Québec, it takes an owner ready to invest,” added Mr. Demers on Monday. “There are a lot of factors that have to come together, but we’re close to something.”

– With the collaboration of TVA Québec, Stéphane Turcot