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Independent Ball

The Pecos and Empire Leagues Were Built For This

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We are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Sports as we know it are canceling and changing.  Who is going to save us from a summer without baseball?

Look no further than the lowest levels of independent baseball… the Pecos and Empire Leagues.

You may be wondering how these two leagues, that I just classified as the “lowest levels” of indy ball will be able to continue playing when even major league baseball is having difficulty figuring out their game plan.

It’s simple really… the Pecos League and Empire League were both built for this…  Barely (or not at all) paying players and playing in front of minimal crowds is what they are infamous for.

Prospective players pay hundreds of dollars to play in these leagues when they attend training camps and tryouts in the spring. Every year, this is where a substantial amount of revenue for the leagues is made.

It’s also where a good amount of the labor comes from as well.  The fields these leagues play on aren’t state-of-the-art facilities that require a grounds crew and workers to maintain. Most teams use their own players to take care of field and ballpark maintenance.

As for playing in front of no crowds with no gate revenue, during a “normal” season, crowds usually range in the very low hundreds if that. It won’t be too much of a change overall. 

Don’t get me wrong, I along with many Americans, will be very happy to still have baseball to follow. I will watch and support the players.  I hope that they will be able to have the recognition that they deserve for grinding through some of the roughest conditions in baseball, especially with the current world situation going on all around us.

Here are the official statements from the Pecos League and Empire League about their seasons: 

Pecos League

4/16/2020- The Pecos League is aware of the rapidly changing developments regarding COVID-19. The Pecos League was originally scheduled to have a 64 game regular season start on 5/27/2020 and end on 8/1/2020 with 12 teams in 6 states. This will not happen.

The Pecos League has adjusted its season to a 48 game season with a start date to July 1, 2020 with an end date August 16, 2020 assuming it is deemed safe by local governments to play with fans at this time.

The other option the Pecos League may have to consider is to have four teams play in one location. No travel, no hotels and likely limited fan interaction would occur. But the players who need to play in the 2020 season would be able to play.

“There are 12 cities in the Pecos League and there are 12 different opinions, two of the cities have said no baseball in 2020. We will adjust and if possible play a 48 game season beginning July 1.”

Empire League

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I do commend the Pecos League and the Empire League for attempting to play and bring baseball to players and fans who are greatly missing it.  The sacrifices these teams are all making to play at a time of such uncertainty should be recognized if they do indeed have a 2020 season.

Independent Ball

Western Association Announces First Team For Inaugural Season

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In July, Indy Ball Island did a Q & A with the Western Association of Professional Baseball. 

At the time of the interview, the league wasn’t ready to announce any information about locations or teams.  That changed today.

The Western Association of Professional Baseball announced their first team, the Henderson Hoo, today.

THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION WELCOMES THE HENDERSON HOO

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by Western Association

The Western Association Welcomes The Henderson Hoo

Newport Beach, CA, September 26, 2019 – The Western Association of Professional Baseball Clubs (“WAPB”) is proud to announce that it has accepted an application for membership to place a charter franchise in Henderson, Nevada.

The franchise will be known as the Henderson Hoo, which will begin play in 2020 as part of the planned inaugural season. The Hoo will play their home games at Morse Field on the campus of the College of Southern Nevada where it has come to terms on a multi-year lease agreement. The franchise has been awarded to Minneapolis based business owner, Nick Sperides who is a widely respected Architect and Founding Partner of Sperides Reiners Architects, Inc., a full-service architectural design firm.

“it’s an honor to welcome the inaugural franchise to the Western Association”, said Peter Young, Vice President of Business Operations for the league. “Henderson is a vibrant area of Nevada and this level of professional baseball will definitively appeal to families, especially those with young children.”

Principal owner, Nick Sperides established his architecture business in 1998 and it is headquartered in the heart of the Twin Cities. They maintain a dedicated staff of professional, architectural, interior design and administrative support team members as a full-service design firm. Seen throughout the industry as experts in creating innovative, and high-quality healthcare and wellness centers along with corporate, retail, professional and amateur sports venues and mixed-use housing environments. Over the years Sperides Reiners Architects (“SRA”) has developed a leading name within the industry.

“We are excited to be a part of the WAPB and for the opportunity to establish the first franchise of the league in Henderson. We are eager to create a “hometown team” for the City and to engage in the community to create a baseball team for Henderson to truly call their own.” Said Team Owner, Nick Sperides. “In the formation of the Western Association we have been impressed with the mission of the league and the integrity of the group of owners and operators that will be involved. This announcement of the Henderson baseball club is the culmination of several years of hard work and research to design a business that will represent and serve the community, the players, and most important the great game of baseball well”.

The Henderson franchise is the first of several forthcoming announcements for the Western Association leading up to the New Year and in preparation of Opening Day 2020. To learn more about the team and to follow the development of the Henderson Hoo, please visit us at www.hoobaseball.com. A formal press conference is being planned by the organization and details about the event will be made public in the near future.