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Independent Ball

Where YOU Can Watch Baseball (In Person and Online)

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The Coronavirus pandemic has greatly changed how we will be spending our summer this year. Unfortunately, independent baseball hasn’t been left out of the impact this virus has had on America.

But there IS professional baseball happening all over the country. You just have to know where to look. And if going to a stadium doesn’t sound appealing during a global pandemic, there are plenty of ways to get your baseball fix by watching online.

Atlantic League

While the Atlantic League is not operating for the 2020 season, the Sugar Land Skeeters have created their own 4-team league (The Constellation Energy League) based out of their stadium in Sugar Land, Texas.

The four teams that will be playing are:

Sugar Land Skeeters – Managed by Pete Incaviglia

Team Texas – Managed by Roger and Koby Clemens

Sugar Land Lightning Sloths – Managed by Greg Swindell

Eastern Reyes del Tigre – Managed by Dave Eiland

There will be a total of seven games played at Constellation Field each week from the Opening Day on July 3 through the conclusion of the season on Aug. 23 (56 total games).  The schedule is subject to change, but single games are anticipated to be played on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and doubleheaders will be played on Saturday and Sunday.

Games will be broadcasted by AT&T Sportsnet or streamed online through Meridix.

Tickets can also be purchased HERE.

The Somerset Patriots are another Atlantic League team looking to bring professional baseball to their ballpark this summer. The Patriots will play the New Jersey Blasters on Fridays and Saturdays for a 12-game, six weekend schedule beginning on July 17th at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Games can be seen live on their Youtube Channel HERE.

Tickets can also be purchased HERE.

American Association

The American Association is continuing with a 6-team league based out of “hub cities.”

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Winnipeg Goldeyes are operating out of Fargo, The Sioux Falls Canaries and St. Paul Saints are operating out of Sioux Falls, while the Chicago Dogs and Milwaukee Milkmen will operate out of their own respective stadiums.

The entire 60-game season can be streamed online for $19.99 at: https://www.aabaseball.tv/

Tickets can be purchased at the following links:
Fargo/Winnipeg TICKETS
Sioux Falls/St. Paul TICKETS
Chicago TICKETS
Milwaukee TICKETS

Frontier League

The Frontier League as a whole has canceled their championship season, but multiple teams have created their own leagues to continue play throughout the summer.

Washington has become home to a 4-team league. The Washington Wild Things and Slammin’ Sammies (operated by the Wild Things) and the Baseball Brilliance Sox and Road Warrior Black Sox (operated by Joe Torre and the Black Sox) are playing an 80 game season, consisting of double headers Thursday-Sunday.

Every game can be streamed live for free at: Watch LIVE

Individual game tickets can be purchased HERE.

The Black Sox will also be holding their own games Monday – Wednesday (not open to the public) as a part of a minor league system and a way to get guys a chance to play daily while having the option to “move up” to the big league based on performance and need.
For more information about the Black Sox, check out their official website HERE.

Florence and the Lexington Legends (usually a MiLB team) announced their own 4-team league, the Battle of the Bourbon Trail.

Both cities will form two teams that will play in front of fans every Wednesday through Sunday starting in Florence on July 31st and run for 7 weeks.

Each organization will field two high caliber teams. Florence will host the Y’alls and the return of the Freedom. Lexington will host the Legends and their second identity, Las Leyendas.

Florence tickets can be purchased HERE.

Lexington tickets can be purchased HERE.

Joliet is holding the Champion Cup. Four teams will compete for the Cup, all playing a 27 game schedule each at DuPage Medical Group Field from July 16 through September 6.

Each team will play 3-4 home games per week in a schedule that generally will include night games on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with additional ticketed day games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  

Fans can purchase an online channel ticket to watch the full season for $49.99 HERE, individual games for $5.99 HERE or purchase tickets to attend HERE.

All-American Challenge

A 32-game schedule will feature the New Jersey Jackals and the Jersey Wise Guys playing at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, NJ, Sussex County Miners and Skylands Cardinals at Skylands Stadium in Augusta, NJ; Rockland Boulders (not affiliated with the New York Boulders) and New York Brave Palisades Credit Union Park. All games will be held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Yogi Berra Stadium TICKETS
Skylands Stadium TICKETS
Palisades Credit Union Park TICKETS

United Shore Pro Baseball League

The USPBL has started their 2020 season. The league has always consisted of 4 teams playing at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, Michigan. Games are played Wednesday – Sunday.

Games are shown live through Facebook and Youtube.

A limited number of single game tickets are also available HERE.

Pecos League

The Pecos League is operating with 4 teams for the 2020 season. The Houston Apollos, Roswell Invaders, Salina Stockade and Tucson Saguaros are all playing at Coastal Park in Houston, TX. The games (mostly double headers) will take place Wednesdays – Sundays.

The schedule and links to individual tickets can be found HERE.

Games are also streamed for a cost through Meridix.

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Independent Ball

American Association 2020 Season Plans, Schedule

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On June 12th, the American Association unveiled their plans to play baseball in three hub cities, featuring six teams, for the 2020 season.

Today (June 15th) the league released the full schedule.

Press release from June 12th:

MOORHEAD, MINN. – The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball will begin a six team, 60-game season with fans in attendance on Friday, July 3, the league office announced today. The full schedule will be announced on Monday, June 15.

The American Association will begin the season operating out of three hubs, with games hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Milwaukee Milkmen and Sioux Falls Canaries. The Winnipeg Goldeyes will operate out of the Fargo hub, the Chicago Dogs will operate out of the Milwaukee hub, and the St. Paul Saints will operate out of the Sioux Falls hub. Each team will play 42 of their 60 games in their hub to limit travel. The schedule will allow any of the three road clubs to return home for games if local governmental restrictions allow for games with fans in attendance.

The American Association teams participating in the 2020 season were based on cities allowing for fans in attendance at stadiums, geography, and the COVID-19 restrictions that persist in certain American Association cities.

Each team and stadium will have in place and enforce COVID Readiness Plans, approved by local Health Departments and Government Officials. Stadiums will be configured to return to play with limited capacity in order to allow for safe social distancing while enjoying a live, professional baseball game.

A truncated Spring Training will begin on June 25, with Opening Day scheduled for July 3. The American Association will experiment with new roster rules in 2020, highlighted by the elimination of rookie, LS, and veteran minimums and maximums on rosters, and a draft of players from non-participating clubs to allow the best possible talent available to play this season. The regular season will end on September 10, with a five-game American Association Finals pitting the top two teams from the regular season.

“We are very happy to be able to return professional baseball to our fans, albeit in a different fashion than usual,” said American Association Commissioner Joshua Schaub. “We look forward to opening up our season on July 3 for a summer of high-level professional baseball and bringing America’s Pastime back to the fans.”

According to ESPN, each home team will be ” in position to sell about 25% to 33% of their ballpark’s capacities.”

Schedule and June 15th press release:

MOORHEAD, MINN. – For weeks, sports talk show hosts and baseball fans all believed the perfect time to begin the 2020 baseball season was the Fourth of July Weekend. The holiday, the fireworks, and baseball have always gone together. Fans were looking for a glimmer of hope that the national pastime would return

The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball are providing that optimism with the unveiling of the six team, 60 game schedule that will begin play on July 3 in the hub cities of Fargo-Moorhead (ND/MN), Milwaukee (WI) and Sioux Falls (SD).

The American Association season will run from July 3-September 10 with a Championship Series to follow in a best-of-five format. The league will consist of six teams based in three separate hubs. The Chicago Dogs are paired with the Milwaukee Milkmen at Ballpark Commons, home of the Milkmen. The St. Paul Saints will be grouped with the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium. The Winnipeg Goldeyes are grouped with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field, home of the RedHawks.

Each team will play 30 games as the home team in their pods and 12 games as the visiting team in their hub, meaning 42 of each team’s 60 games will be played at their hub site. The schedule will allow any of the three road clubs to return home for games if local health and governmental restrictions allow for games with fans in attendance.

Each team and stadium will have in place and enforce COVID Readiness Plans, approved by local health and government officials. Stadiums will be configured to return to play with limited capacity to allow for safe social distancing while enjoying live professional baseball.

With players around the country unsure of whether they would have a chance to play baseball this summer, the leaders of the American Association and its clubs were determined to find a way. As teams found ways to keep hope, and their business, alive and players found creative ways to work out on their own, the American Association knew they had to make a 2020 season happen.

Why? For Love of the Game.

This sentiment became so pervasive in the league’s approach that Baseballism, a lifestyle brand devoted to all things baseball and its rich history as America’s pastime, has been brought aboard

to promote the 2020 season with a retail offering commemorating the spirit of the effort via a “For Love of the Game” logo.

“Our goal is to put the best talent possible out on the field, and high-talent players are certainly available,” said American Association Commissioner Joshua Schaub. “There is no shortage of enormously talented athletes who need a place to play. After much patience and perseverance, we can provide an environment in which to play and watch baseball.”

The league will hold a dispersal draft of players from the six clubs not participating in the 2020 season on Tuesday, June 16. An abbreviated Spring Training will commence on June 25 prior to the July 3 Opening Day.

Get ready for the return of live baseball in a safe and fun environment this summer – For Love of the Game!