Quartet of National Team Stars Inducted to British Baseball Hall

LONDON, U.K., 30 December 2021 — The British Baseball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the Class of 2021, which includes four Great Britain players spanning 112 years of national team competition. Maikel Azcuy, Julian Dodwell, and Martyn Dutton were elected by the Modern Committee, with Azcuy and Dutton earning the honour in their first year on the ballot. Meanwhile, the Historic Committee selected J.G. Lee, who played for England in its first national team game. Forty-four men and women are now enshrined in the BBHOF for their superlative contributions to baseball in Britain.

Maikel Azcuy
Over a 12-season career (2006-2017) in British baseball’s top league, Maikel Azcuy was a record-setting hitter who led five teams to national championships. He holds the modern career records at the national league level for home runs (45), base hits (322), and runs batted in (273), is second all-time in doubles (68) and triples (13), and third in runs (258). Azcuy delivered a career .444 batting average, .517 on-base percentage, and a .750 slugging average. The third baseman also recorded a career average above .300 in six major tournaments for Great Britain.

Azcuy earned the Triple Crown in 2015, leading the National Baseball League in batting average (.467), home runs (6), and RBI (28), taking home MVP honours for the Herts Falcons. The infielder was named the league’s most valuable player a second time in 2017. He won two batting titles (2015, 2017) and tied or held the circuit lead in home runs four times (2010, 2012, 2015–16). He also topped the circuit in RBI in five seasons, including four consecutively (2012, 2014–17).

His performances helped five different clubs win national championships: Southern Nationals in 2011, Harlow Nationals in 2012 and 2013, Essex Arrows in 2014, and Southampton Mustangs in 2016.

Julian Dodwell
Dodwell was a national team mainstay and one of the top players in the south of Britain from 1987–92. He was arguably the best hitter in the semi-professional Scottish Amicable Baseball League, winning the top circuit’s batting title twice, first in 1988—when he put up a .529 average—and again in 1989. From 1982–91, Dodwell represented GB internationally with distinction.

In the 1986 European B-Pool Championship, Dodwell smacked a two-run home run in the ninth inning to lead the national side to a 9-8 victory over Finland. In the 1989 Euros, he was one of the team’s top hitters, registering a .333 average in 24 AB. Among his highlights at the event: posting three base hits, including a double, and knocking in four in GB’s 8-7 victory over Germany. In an exhibition game against the MLB Alumni All-Star team that year, Dodwell went 1-for-3 with an RBI as GB’s clean-up hitter, also pitching a scoreless seventh, striking out two and surrendering only one hit.

Dodwell managed the Southern Tigers in 1987 in the SANL, spinning two shutouts that year. In 1988, he hit three home runs and scored 18 runs for the Tigers as the league’s Best Batter. In the club’s thrilling comeback in the 1989 final, he doubled, walked, and stole a base. In 1992 and 1993, he won the Independent National League crown with the London Warriors.

Dodwell was also a trailblazer as one of the first of his generation to travel abroad to improve his baseball skills. In 1987, he played for Blackburn in Australia, where he put up a very respectable .317 batting average. Two years later, he also pitched for a New York club named the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Martyn Dutton
Martyn Dutton was a regular on the Great Britain national team in from 1994–2001 and a key two-way player for the Brighton Buccaneers dynasty of that era. Beginning in 1994, the pitcher, outfielder, and first baseman represented GB in 14 events, including four European Championships.

In 1994, Dutton tuned up for the European Championship B-Pool by pitching England past Scotland in the annual matchup, then allowed only two hits against Norway in the Euros. He pitched four innings of one-run ball, striking out seven batters for the British side that won the 1996 European B-Pool gold medal. At the plate, he registered a .345 batting average in 15 GB games at major events.

Dutton burst on the scene in the 1994 BBF Knockout Cup, where he seemingly willed his Birmingham Braves to victory, inducing the final out of the 8-7 final with the tying run 90-feet away. The two-way star had already lashed a double and two singles in four at bats, scored twice, and driven in a run. He turned in another good performance on the continent in 1997, scoring the Bandits’ opening run in a pivotal game at the European Club Championship B-Pool. Dutton then held the Copenhagen Fighters hitless until the seventh, punching out eight in a 9-3 win. A day later, Dutton homered in a semi-final loss.

Domestically, Dutton then became a key cog for the Brighton club. Dutton secured the key up-the-middle position of centre field and was a strong middle order bat for Brighton for three national championships in 1999, 2001, and 2002. In 1998, Dutton slashed .522/.537/.739, and his total available statistics credit him with a .404 batting average and 52 RBI over four seasons.

J.G. Lee
John Gibson Lee (c. 1886–c. 1960) was an important figure in early British baseball. A former player for Tottenham Hotspur in the short-lived London Baseball League, Lee won the 1908 title with Spurs. He twice suited up for England, including in its first international game. He was also the organising secretary of the British Baseball Association and a key baseball figure during WWI. The American Baseball Magazine proclaimed him ‘the Father of Baseball in England’, noting, ‘[he] has labored for years…to instill, in England, [a] love of baseball…’.

In 1916, Lee formed the eight-team Military Baseball League, which included his London Americans club, with a championship trophy donated by Viscountess Nancy Astor, soon to become the first female MP in the House of Commons. ‘Baseball has gripped England and is now being played in many parts of the country before big crowds,’ noted the New York Times on July 11. Those crowds included Princess Louise, at least two lord mayors that threw out a first pitch, and many other nobility and celebrities.

By August 3 of the following year, Lee had ‘arranged about 150 games around London’ and, by season’s end, had hosted three games at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Included among them was a ‘United States’ team captained by Lee—who hit second behind 17-year MLB veteran Arlie Latham (then 57)—against ‘Canada’. One game even attracted HRH King George V, Queen Mary, and three princesses on the recommendation of Princess Mary, who had taken in a game a week prior. In October that year, Lee took the London Americans and a Canadian squad to play in Ireland, the proceeds of ticket sales benefiting wounded troops.

The tour continued Lee’s international-themed exploits, as the infielder suited up at third base for the ‘English-born’ side against an ‘American-born’ squad in London in 1907. That event, for which the score is unknown, is regarded as the first game played by an English or British national team. In 1911, Lee was one of only three players to once more represent England against ‘America’, making a ‘fine catch’ to end the game.

Full candidate biographies are appended below. Details of the 2021 British Baseball Hall of Fame induction festivities, if possible, will be released at a later date, in accordance with government guidelines for public health. Biographies, statistical highlights, and photos for the previous 11 classes of inductees can be found at www.bbhof.org.uk.

Official Comments on the Announcement
Gabriel Fidler, BBHOF Chair
‘The quality of the candidates on the British Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is clear, given that this year’s inductees include the all-time home run leader, Maikel Azcuy, a two-way star of a professional league in Julian Dodwell, a clutch-hitting pitcher in Martyn Dutton, and J.G. Lee, an England player who raised large sums in support of injured soldiers in WWI.

‘Moreover, the four selections highlight the rich history of baseball in Britain as they cover 12 decades and 35 separate competitions for the English and British national teams. They include members of 12 British Championship-winning teams, from Tottenham Hotspur in 1908 to Southampton Mustangs in 2016.

‘As research continues into the almost 300-year history of baseball in Britain, we look forward to telling the stories of other baseball stars and pioneers and honouring local heroes from grassroots organisers to British sporting legends.’

BBHOF by the Numbers

• There are three categories for induction: Baseball Players, Coaches, Manages, Umpires, and Other Officials, and Game Builders. Election is through the selection on a simple majority of the ballots.
• In 2021, the Board of Electors added three new members, bringing the total to 15. The full list of electors is available on the BBHOF homepage.
• Five criteria are considered for induction, with election to the Hall of Fame reserved for “superlative contributions to and/or performances in the game of baseball in Great Britain”.
• Categories and criteria may be viewed at: http://www.bbhof.org.uk/files/bbhof_induction.pdf.
• This ballot marks the sixth consecutive year with at least two candidates elected.
• The latest group of inductees continues a trend of player-dominated classes, with 17 of the last 19 successful nominees entering under the “Baseball Players” category. Of the first 25 men and women enshrined, almost half (12) were from the other two classifications.
• The modern and historical committees consider an average of 15 candidates and make an average of 4 selections per ballot. In 2020, 16 nominees were listed, 11 on the modern ballot.

 About the British Baseball Hall of Fame (BBHOF)
In 2019, only a few weeks after the historic London Series, the sport celebrated the 270^th Anniversary of the first recorded baseball game in history, which took place on 12 Sep. 1749 in Walton-on-Thames. The rich history of the sport since then—including a total of 92 known national champions between 1890 and 2021—led to the formation of the BBHOF by Project COBB founder Joe Gray, for the purpose of ‘honouring our history, inspiring the future’. Its Board of Electors includes 15 members, all distinguished members of the British baseball community. Nominees may be proposed by members of the public, while electors and a panel of Regional Experts also recommend, research, and compose biographies of potential inductees. The Hall is endorsed by the national governing body of the sport, the British Baseball Federation.

About Project COBB
Project COBB is the archive for baseball in the UK, including the official archival resource for Great Britain Baseball national teams. Those interested in the broader history of baseball in Britain—including a list of all known national champions between 1890-2020, a wide variety of historical documents, statistics, published research, and much more—should visit www.projectcobb.org.uk. If you have any records, statistics, clippings, programmes, or other items of interest not already featured in the archive that you are willing to scan, loan, or donate, you are encouraged to write to info@projectcobb.org.uk.

Photos courtesy of the Project COBB Photo Archive and Joe Gray. 

British Baseball Weeks 5 & 6: Baseball in Wales, Cardiff with No-No; Capitals Toss Consecutive Shutouts, End Mets’ Run at Eight

The second fortnight in May was a good one for the London Capitals, as the team received a pair of impressive shutouts from its pitching staff and split a two-game set with the first-place London Mets. It was the Welsh capital’s Merlins, however, that stole the show on the final game day of the month, as Cardiff’s Taka Kano was on batter away from a perfect game in the second contest of the club’s Opening Day. The first weekend in June then saw Opening Day celebrated across the country, with five circuits hearing ‘Play Ball’ for the first time.

NBL Week 5: Lancashire Legends at London Capitals (0-1, 0-8)
On Saturday, the London Capitals accomplished the rare feat of consecutive shutouts in a sweep of the Lancashire Legends. In Game One, David Bedard and Alex Deacon matched up for a nail-biting pitching duel. In fact, it was not until 14-year-old Travis Harfield stepped up with two outs in the sixth that Bedard gave up his first hit. Harfield must be one of the youngest leadoff hitters in a European national league, but his safety to right center ended a streak of six consecutive outs by Bedard, who struck out five of those players en route to 13 strikeouts in the game.

Entering the bottom of the final frame, the score was still 0-0. Leo Cedeño led off with a double and, after an out and two free passes, one intentional, Deacon induced a groundball to third that 3B fired home for the second out. The count went full to Louis Wampler before a fourth ball forced in a run as the Capitals celebrated a hard-fought victory. Deacon (0-3) was unlucky in defeat, allowing only four hits, while Bedard’s first start of the year, a two-hitter, is one he will not quickly forget.

In the second game, the Capitals got the offence going earlier and Masa Hashiguchi picked up where Bedard left off, punching out 10 in five scoreless, with only three hits and no free passes. Hashiguchi (2-0) has yet to allow a run in 12 innings this year.

The London Mets blew open a 4-1 game through three with 17 runs in the fourth, coasting to a 22-3 win. The never-ending inning had several remarkable feats, including Drake Yoshioka doubling to start the fourth-inning explosion, later drawing a walk, and then singling. Zachary Stroman had two of his three doubles in the inning.

Overall, the club had 13 hits in five innings, while the youthful London Legends committed 10 errors, walked eight, and hit five batters. Yoshioka was a one-man wrecking ball, giving up only Conner Brown’s round-tripper and striking out 9 in four frames, finishing a triple short of the cycle in the leadoff spot.

The Mets were kind enough to spread out their 15 runs over six frames in Game Two. The red-hot Stroman, who concluded his NAIA baseball career at St. Ambrose University in 2019, went yard twice, while Jamie Dix was 3-for-3 with a walk. Freddy Mosier, who played at Middlebury College in Stroman’s final university year, spun four no-hit frames with five Ks as he moved to 2-0.

NBL Week 5: London Mets at London Legends (22-3, 15-1)
No wrap written.

NBL Week 5: Essex Arrows at Herts Falcons (31-7, 14-3)
No wrap written.

NBL Week 6: Lancashire Legends at Essex Arrows (5-15, 8-9)
No wrap written.

NBL Week 6: London Mets at London Capitals (2-4, 6-10)
The Mets ran their NBL-best winning streak to eight before the Capitals proved that they are a force to be reckoned with as well.

BBF National Baseball League Standings

Box scores are available here [link]. All games contested in or immediately outside Greater London, regardless of team name.

Results
Home team listed second.
Week 5 (May 30)
Lancs. Legends 0 – Capitals 1 (29/5)
Lancs. Legends 0 – Capitals 8 (29/5)
Mets 22 – Lon. Legends 3 (5)
Arrows 31 – Falcons 7
Mets 15 – Lon. Legends 1 (6)
Arrows 14 – Falcons 3

Week 6 (June 6)
Lancs. Legends 5 – Arrows 15
Mets 2 – Capitals 4
Lancs. Legends 8 – Arrows 9
Mets 6 – Capitals 0

League Leaders in Lower Leagues
Five more British Baseball leagues began play as the calendar turned to June, with the three-tier British Baseball League commencing play, along with Single-A independent circuits West Midlands Baseball League and Westcountry Baseball League. In the upper divisions, the Sidewinders remain the only undefeated team, while two organizations feature league-leading squads at multiple levels. The newly formed Westcountry League finally opened after two weeks of play were wiped out by precipitation, and Britain’s other southwestern circuit – the freshly renamed South West and Wales Baseball League – finally managed to play a full spate of games.

When it did, the Cardiff Merlins provided the fireworks, as Pat Anthony brought back memories of Wilson Alvarez’ wild 1991 no-hitter[1] (or A.J. Burnett in 2001, for slightly younger readers) in Game One of the May 30 doubleheader. Cardiff’s opening starter flirted with a no-hitter in a 14-4 victory, permitting only a single safety in a rollercoaster performance that saw him punch out seven in four frames, but also issue seven free passes.

The Merlins’ Kano would, however, etch his name in the record books in the nightcap with a dominant performance. Well aware of the field conditions in British baseball, the crafty moundsman made it virtually impossible for the hapless Bristol Brunels – two weeks into their first season – to connect, striking out 11 without walking a batter in four frames. Only a fielding miscue denied Kano the perfect game.

Baseball in Wales
The 22-0 victory – shortened three innings by mercy rule – gave Wales’ only non-university team a sweep on Opening Day. As we reported previously, the Merlins had already made history before Anthony toed the rubber, as the inclusion this year of ‘Wales’ in the former South West Baseball League’s (SWBL) name made it the first time since British baseball began league play in 1890 that a circuit outside of Wales referenced the country or any of its cities in a league name.

Wales, of course, did not feature any known baseball teams between 1952-2016, when Swansea University began play. The new appellation for the southwestern circuit reflects the recent growth of the sport in the Celtic country, as Cardiff University fielded a team in 2018-19, while the Merlins joined the SWBL in 2019.

Baseball in…Britain
Winning a single league is tricky, but two British baseball clubs feature table-toppers in two circuits. Milton Keynes – a city not far north of London – sits in first place in the BBF Double-A Central and the independent Single-A East of England. Meanwhile, the Essex Redbacks – one of three baseball organizations representing the county to the east of England’s capital – are tied for the pole position in the BBF’s Triple-A South and Single-A Central circuits. In the Northern League’s Single-A Division, the Sheffield Cubs started with a sweep and a no-hitter of their own, as two pitchers held Halton hitless in a 15-4 win, certainly in the running for most runs allowed in a no-no.

With the start of play in the five independent leagues – plus the historic launch of the Women’s Baseball UK League and Opening Day in the Scottish National League – all but one of British baseball’s 18 leagues have activated. The only exception is BSUK Universities – a five-conference, 24-team league – which lost a second-consecutive season to COVID-19, a real disappointment after BaseballSoftballUK’s successful efforts*[2] to have the sport recognised by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS[3]). Women’s baseball and Baseball Scotland will be reported on separately, but June 6 also marked the first baseball west of Bristol and north of East Anglia in the 2021 season.

See fortnight’s full results and league tables here [British Baseball 2021, Weeks 05-06].

If you know the results (including a postponement) of any these games, please do leave a comment. If any clubs would like to submit box scores, statistics, or game feats, we welcome them to extrainningsbb@gmail.com.

If the various leagues and classifications are new to you, or if you follow British baseball and are—understandably—confused anyway, check out out primer here [link].

Notes and Key
Footnoted player accomplishments do not denote special interest to a certain team, merely that our staff visited the team’s website or Facebook page in its quest for scores.
Red font: make-up games required.
Yellow highlight: results unknown, likely postponed.

Team names in special colours denote only their place in our internal multi-year archive (which is particularly strong for the 1930s-70s (thanks to Project COBB and, to a lesser extent, the British Newspaper Archive) and 2003-present. We welcome any schedules, results, clippings, statistics, or other information for any league in any year.

[1] Which featured the exact same line as Anthony, but over nine innings.

[2] It is worth noting for transparency purposes that the author helped launch of BSUK Universities during his summer leading communications for BaseballSoftballUK during the London Series and GB Softball’s Olympic qualification run. He would have continued to play a role had the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons not been cancelled.

[3] For readers outside Britain, BUCS is the equivalent of the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA all rolled into one. The inclusion of baseball and softball in the organisation was a significant move, as it recognises the title-winner of the National University Baseball Championship as a true ‘varsity’ national champion, rather than the winner being equivalent of club baseball in the U.S. The inclusion also brings baseball and softball more into the national spotlight and opens up possibilities for funding, as BUCS—like the NCAA—is a well-known entity. Furthermore, universities’ sport and students’ unions will now be much likely to recognise clubs and offer them assistance, with some becoming eligible for grants, facilities, and transportation for the first time. In short, the change is significant, along the lines of, for example, rugby being accepted as a NCAA sports.

Updates to Active National and Independent Leagues List

This year, as with last, we have offered a master list of most national and major independent baseball leagues around the world, with the majority all delaying their 2021 seasons. This weekend marks the last major checkpoint, as most leagues that had announced a start date planned to begin by June 6 at the latest.

As of today, 50 of the 72 leagues we surveyed (see chart below) are now active, which amounts to 69 percent. Europe continues to be the most affected, with 10 of its leagues—including six national leagues—yet to announce plans for their 2021 seasons, while the Americas and Asia have mostly long since resumed. In fact, one of Europe’s top leagues, France’s Division I, has still to start its season, with its postponed date of June 5 pushed back another week. The same goes for Belgium, another European country with an established circuit, which also begins June 12. Only two other announced start dates remain globally: Puerto Rico (June 27) and the Empire League in the U.S., which normally has a summer start date.

Joining the list of active leagues this weekend were the national leagues of Finland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland, plus Great Britain’s three-tiered Northern League (see our primer on the complex British baseball scene here [link]). The Pecos League, an independent circuit in the U.S., celebrated opening day this past Wednesday (June 2).

The penultimate weekend in May (22-23) was also a big one for Opening Day around the world. The full 33-team Serie A in Italy finally took the field, with a partial commencement a fortnight prior. Joining the Italians were Estonia, Women’s Baseball UK (the national women’s baseball league in Great Britain), and Russia. The Atlantic League and United Shore League, U.S. indy circuits, played their first games of 2021 a few days later.

The full list of leagues surveyed is available here [link].

Continent	Leagues	N/A*	Active	Pct.
Africa	4	4	0	N/A
Americas	16	1	12	80%
Asia	11	1	7	70%
Europe	41	0	31	73%

*No spring season. Percentage is of leagues normally active in the spring and/or summer.

British Baseball Weeks 3 & 4: Relentless Offense for London Mets Breaks NBL Logjam

Our last update featured a four-way tie for first place in British Baseball’s National Baseball League. A fortnight later and the London Mets are once more on top as the juggernaut seeks its fourth consecutive title. The middle of the table is now a lot more complicated, with three clubs with three or four wins, while the debutant London Legends are now in the win column. In the lower tiers, five league leaders are still undefeated.

Week 3: London Mets at Essex Arrows (11-0, 13-1)
The Mets romped to two easy wins in Essex, with Brian Lainoff and Jordan Edmonds shutting down the Arrows’ offense. Lainoff (3-0) chucked three of the five innings in Game One, striking out three. The Mets collected only six hits, but walked nine times.

In Game Two, Edmonds (1-1) almost duplicated Lainoff’s start, with two hits and two Ks. This time, the Metros pounded out 12 hits, including a three-run jack from Zach Stroman and a double and two singles from Jamie Dix. The venerable Grant del Zoppo—who made his debut in 1995—also made his season debut, driving in three with a double and a sacrifice fly.

Week 3: London Capitals at Lancashire Legends (13-3, postponed)
After dropping the first game of the season, the Capitals’ winning streak reached four with a mercy rule smashing of the Lancashire Legends. Julio Figueroa drove in six with a pair of three-run dingers, and Kyle Randall also went yard. Louis Wampler was 3-for-3 with a walk, four runs, and three stolen bases in the mercy rule-shortened game.

Week 4: London Mets at Lancashire Legends (13-2, 13-0)
The three-time defending national champions swept its Week 4 twinbill as well, running its winning streak to six. The Mets twice posted 13 runs, with pitchers Freddy Mosier and Thomas Flaherty both pitching gems. Sparkplug Drake Yoshioka laced a double and a single to drive in four from the leadoff spot, adding two walks and a stolen base. Yoshioka has a .520/.639/.760 average through the Mets’ first eight games.

Mosier (1-0) punched out seven with only a single unearned run in four frames in the 13-2 win, his first start of the season. Flaherty (1-0), also starting his first game on the bump in 2021, was just as good, permitting two hits and three walks and sending down five on strikes. Edmonds backed up his fellow moundsman with a two-bagger, a single, and a free pass, scoring three times. Brendan Power had three hits in Game One and two more in the nightcap.

Week 4: Essex Arrows at London Legends (4-14, 14-0)
The London Legends earned the club’s first victory of the year in the fortnight’s only split. A developmental club in the four-team Legends system, the London club may very well have the youngest average age of any national league team in Europe. Daniel González had a massive game from the cleanup spot, earning the win and backing himself up with a 4-for-4 effort that included a walk-off two-run shot. Long-time Great Britain utility player Miguel Rodríguez was 3-for-4 with three ribbies.

In Game Two, Essex took its revenge, piling up 14 runs as Mario Escobedo and Luis Ramey tossed a seven-inning shutout. Escobedo K’d eight and allowed only three hits and a walk in the first six frames, backed up by a three-hit game with two swipes for Juan Díaz, who had two safeties in the opener. Ambiorix Hurtado was 3-for-3 with two free passes.

BBF National Baseball League Standings
Box scores are available here [link]. All games contested in or immediately outside Greater London, regardless of team name.

Results
Week 3 (May 16)
Mets 11 – Arrows 0 (5)
Capitals 13 – Lanc. Legends 3 (5)
Mets 13 – Arrows 1 (6)
Capitals – Lancs. Legends (PP)

Week 4 (May 23)
Mets 13 – Lancs. Legends 2 (5)
Falcons – Capitals (PP)
Arrows 4 – Lon. Legends 14 (5)
Mets 13 – Lancs. Legends 0 (5)
Falcons – Capitals (PP)
Arrows 14 – Lon. Legends 0
Home team listed second.

League Leaders in Lower Leagues
See fortnight’s full results and league tables here [British Baseball 2021, Weeks 03-04].

If you know the results (including a postponement) of any these games, please do leave a comment. If any clubs would like to submit box scores, statistics, or game feats, we welcome them to extrainningsbb@gmail.com.

If the various leagues and classifications are new to you, or if you follow British baseball and are—understandably—confused anyway, check out out primer here [link].

Notes and Key
Footnoted player accomplishments do not denote special interest to a certain team, merely that our staff visited the team’s website or Facebook page in its quest for scores.
Red font: make-up games required.
Yellow highlight: results unknown, likely postponed.

Team names in special colours denote only their place in our internal multi-year archive (which is particularly strong for the 1930s-70s (thanks to Project COBB and, to a lesser extent, the British Newspaper Archive) and 2003-present. We welcome any schedules, results, clippings, statistics, or other information for any league in any year.

Americas Olympic Baseball Qualifier Preview and Rosters

The final continental qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics begins one week from today in Florida. Eight teams will compete for a single guaranteed berth to Japan, while the second- and third-place teams will head to Mexico shortly thereafter for the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament. Those two teams will face Australia, the Netherlands, and Taiwan for the final place in the Olympiad.

The Americas Olympic Baseball Qualifier is split into eight groups. Group A features the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Meanwhile, Group B has Canada, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela. The top two teams in each round move to the Super Round, in which each of the teams plays those from the other pool. The relevant pool result from Round 1 also carries over for a third result in the round. No Championship game is set.

Seven key prospects stand out on the rosters: Cesar Prieto, Simeon Woods Richardson, Julio Rodríguez, Triston Casas, Jeter Downs, Jarren Duran, and Matthew Liberatore. Well-known internationals and big leaguers expected in Florida include Frederich Cepeda, Alfredo Despaigne, José Bautista, Ervin Santana, Matt Kemp, David Robertson, Matt Wieters, Anibal Sánchez, Robinson Chiriños, Homer Bailey, and John Axford.

The schedule is below, with rosters for each of the eight teams, divided by group, following.

Exhibitions
May 25, 4 p.m., West Palm Beach: USA – Canada
May 26, 1 p.m., Lawnwood Complex (Ft. Pierce): Dominican Republic 4 – Venezuela 2
May 26, 7 p.m., Vero Beach: USA – Canada
May 26, 7 p.m., Lawnwood Complex (Ft. Pierce): Cuba 9  – Dominican Republic 4
May 27, 7 p.m., Vero Beach: USA – Venezuela
May 28, 1 p.m., Lawnwood Complex (Ft. Pierce): Dominican Republic – Venezuela

 

 

Group A
Dominican Republic
Key veterans: José Bautista, Melky Cabrera, Emilio Bonifacio
Key prospects: Jeison Guzman, Luis Liberato, Julio Rodriguez

Nicaragua
Key veterans: Isaac Benard, Dwight Britton, Ofilio Castro, Wuillians Vasquez
Key prospects: Dilmer Mejía, Ismael Munguia

Puerto Rico
Key veterans: Iván De Jesús, Osvaldo Martínez, Rey Navarro, Jesmuel Valentín
Key prospects: None.

United States (Preliminary)
Key veterans: Homer Bailey, Logan Forsythe, Todd Frazier, Anthony Gose, Edwin Jackson (also eligible for Germany), Jon Jay, Matt Kemp, David Robertson, Matt Wieters
Key prospects: Jonathan Bowlan, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, Matthew Liberatore, Joe Ryan, Simeon Woods Richardson

Group B
Canada
Key veterans: John Axford, Scott Richmond
Key prospects: Trevor Brigden, Brendan McGuigan, J.D. Osborne

Colombia
Key veterans: Sugar Ray Marimon
Key prospects: Jerry Downs, Jeter Downs

Cuba [Preview]
Key veterans: Yosvani Alarcon, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Frederich Cepeda, Alfredo Despaigne, Yadir Drake
Key prospects: Cesar Prieto

Venezuela
Key veterans: Robinson Chiriños, Andrés Machado, Hernán Pérez, Jose Rondón, Anibal Sánchez
Key prospects: Jhonathan Díaz

British Baseball Weeks 1 & 2: Hamilton Sets British Homer Record; Four NBL Teams Tied

The British baseball regular season started on May 2, with action in seven of its 17 leagues. We will primarily cover the top circuit, the National Baseball League (NBL), while highlighting noteworthy feats in the lower tiers. For more on the exceptionally complex structure of British baseball, we recently published a primer [link]. The NBL looks primed for some excitement as the London Mets aim for their fourth straight title and eighth consecutive championship series appearance.

The highlights start with Jessica Vernon, a long-time Bracknell player and coach, who became the first known woman to pitch in a NBL game for Herts. That alone would be impressive enough, but Vernon was the only person to toe the mound and record a 1-2-3 inning on either team. Moreover, she did not do it alone, as Marianna Casal suited up at second base, almost certainly making the Falcons the first-ever national league team with two women between the lines at the same time.

Some noteworthy performances from Game One of the season include a rollicking 23-22 final at Herts, where a 5-for-5 with five runs and five RBI effort for Essex Arrows’ Giovanni Escalona led the team to victory despite a longball, two doubles, and a single by Chris Hiche, who drove in seven for the Falcons and three doubles and a single with four RBI for Phil Clark. Also in an NBL opener, the London Capitals’ Masa Hisaguchi spun a rare shutout (7IP, 7H, 1BB, 8K). 14-year-old Travis Harfield’s 8-for-10 performance helped the Lancashire Legends to an Opening Day sweep before “slipping” to a 3-for-7 effort on the second weekend.

BBF National Baseball League Standings

Box scores are available here [link]. All games contested in or immediately outside Greater London, regardless of team name.

Results
Home team listed second.

Week 1 (May 2)
Lancs. Legends 10 – Lon. Legends 8
Capitals 10 – Mets 11
Arrows 23 – Falcons 22
Lancs. Legends 18 – Lon. Legends 6
Capitals 6 – Mets 0
Arrows 16 – Falcons 13

Week 2 (May 9)
Arrows 18 – Lancs. Legends 3
Capitals 7 – Lon. Legends 3
Mets 22 – Falcons 2
Arrows 8 – Lancs. Legends 9
Capitals 12 – Lon. Legends 2
Mets 22 – Falcons 3

League Leaders in Lower Leagues
Highlights of the first fortnight of play include a four-homer game for Martyn Hamilton in an 18-11 Single-A win for Essex Redbacks on May 9. Hamilton is believed to be the first player ever to hit four round-trippers in a British baseball games. Alex Sencion hit a grand slam and a three-run homer for Milton Keynes Bucks in an 18-11 win over the Cambridge Monarchs in BBF Double-A play on May 2. The Monarchs had a grand slam of their own.

See fortnight’s full results and league tables here [British Baseball 2021, Weeks 01-02]. If you know the results (including a postponement) of any these games, please do leave a comment. If any clubs would like to submit box scores, statistics, or game feats, we welcome them to extrainningsbb@gmail.com.

If the various leagues and classifications are new to you, or if you follow British baseball and are—understandably—confused anyway, check out out primer here [link].

Notes and Key
Footnoted player accomplishments do not denote special interest to a certain team, merely that our staff visited the team’s website or Facebook page in its quest for scores.
Red font: make-up games required.
Yellow highlight: results unknown, likely postponed.

Team names in special colours denote only their place in our internal multi-year archive (which is particularly strong for the 1930s-70s (thanks to Project COBB and, to a lesser extent, the British Newspaper Archive) and 2003-present. We welcome any schedules, results, clippings, statistics, or other information for any league in any year.

League	No. Teams	Leader	W-L	Pct.
BBF Triple-A South	7	Essex Redbacks	3-1	.750
BBF Triple-A South West	4	Bournemouth Bears	2-0	1.000
BBL Triple-A North	4	Opening Day	June 6
BBF Double-A Central	6	Oxford Kings	4-0	1.000
BBF Double-A South East	6	Croydon/Sidewinders	3-0	1.000
BBL Double-A North	4	Opening Day	June 6
BBF Single-A Central	6	Essex Redbacks	4-0	1.000
BBF Single-A South	6	Brighton Jets	3-1	.750
BBF Single-A South East	6	Tonbridge Wildcats	2-0	1.000
BBF Single-A Severn	4	Opening Day	May 30
BBF Single-A Wessex	4	Opening Day	May 16
Single-A East of England	8	Three teams tied	2-0	1.000
BBL Single-A North	7	Opening Day	June 6
Single-A Westcountry	5	Opening Day	May 16
Single-A West Midlands	7	Opening Day	June 6

 

WBSC Final Qualifier for Tokyo 2020 Moved from Taiwan to Mexico

Press release and photo by WBSC.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced that the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier to the Olympic Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 has been moved from Taichung (TPE) to Mexico.

The decision was forced by new restrictions the local authorities imposed in Taiwan due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. In particular, travellers without resident visas will not be allowed to enter the island until Friday, 18 June, and the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier was due to start at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on 16 June.

Following consultations with medical and governmental authorities and the host Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) and the Chinese (Taipei) Professional Baseball League (CPBL), the WBSC Executive Board, in its meeting via video conference on Wednesday, confirmed the decision to move the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier from Taichung to Mexico.

“The WBSC and entire international baseball community wish to thank our great hosts in Mexico for ‘stepping up to the plate’ to stage this important tournament and welcome the teams on such short notice,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “I would especially like to recognise the efforts of Director General of the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (Comision Nacional de Cultura Fisica y Deporte-CONADE) Ana Guevara and Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is also a WBSC Global Ambassador, in staging this important Olympic qualifier. Mexico has already qualified for Tokyo 2020 in baseball and softball, so they are doing this as a great baseball-loving nation and as a service to our sport — and in honour of the Olympic Games and global baseball family.

“We also wish to thank the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association and authorities in Taiwan for doing everything possible to stage the event there. Taiwan remains one of the elite international baseball hosts in the world, and we will return there at the next possible opportunity.”

The dates and venues of the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier in Mexico will be confirmed very soon.

Three teams have already earned their right to participate in the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier: World No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 6 Australia and No. 9 the Netherlands. The other two participants will be the runner-up and the third-place finisher of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier, held from 31 May to 5 June in Florida.

Explaining the Structure of British Baseball

Following baseball in Great Britain can be a rather confusing endeavor, with a myriad of different organisations and leagues. This primer aims to make clear what the various entities are and how they correspond to each other. It avoids any discussion of the local politics to focus simply on the layout of the sport in the U.K.

British Baseball Organisations
Four organisations play broader roles in British baseball. They fit into several different categories and currently only two have any affiliation to each other. There are several other much smaller organisations in addition. The next section discusses Baseball Scotland and Baseball Ireland in Northern Ireland.

BaseballSoftballUK
One could easily be confused about which organisation actually administrates British baseball. BaseballSoftballUK, also founded in 2007, is the “development agency” for the sport, as well as slowpitch and fastpitch softball, which means its job—from a baseball perspective—is to grow the game at the grassroots level, increase participation, and development talent. It is funded by the British government through U.K. Sport.

It does not operate any adult or youth baseball leagues, but it does run BSUK Universities, which organises play in four-to-five leagues for the roughly two dozen university baseball clubs (slightly more in slowpitch softball). It also supports various tournaments, including the Battle for Britain Baseball Tournament every year in late May (also founded by Carter).

British Baseball Federation
As stated earlier, the BBF is the NGB for baseball in Britain and, as such, is responsible for the WBSC-sanctioned leagues and the national team, Great Britain Baseball. Its league structure is divided into four levels, with NBL at the top. The remaining tiers follow the structure of MLB’s minor leagues: Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A. It also provides operational support for UK Little League, which is otherwise a separate organisation. The BBF is self-funded.

British Baseball League
The BBL is also known as the Northern League and was founded in 2017 as a result of all but one northern team leaving the BBF. Containing two of the three historic hotbeds of British baseball—Hull and Liverpool—the teams had competed in “northern conferences” for decades, including at the National Premier League level from 1992-2008. The following three seasons saw all northern teams at the Triple-A level, while Double-A was instituted in 2012. It maintained the same divisions from 2017.

Since the independence of its 12 clubs, the BBL has added six more teams and an additional tier, Single-A, which began play in 2018. Only two teams have been lost. One of those folded into another, while Nottingham, the only club south of Yorkshire, returned to the BBF and a Midlands league after 2018.

The league also helped launch at least two university teams, including two-time national champions Durham University. The BBL recently founded the British Baseball Council, which aims to support and unite all clubs, regardless of affiliation.

Women’s Baseball UK
The newest entrant to the scene, Women’s Baseball UK (WBUK) was founded in 2018 to get more women playing baseball and to support those that do. Its first two years included a women’s baseball championship and two women’s university all-star games, but the organisation took a major step forward last year. WBUK was ‘incorporated under the British Baseball Federation umbrella as the UK’s official representative for women’s baseball’[1]. Since then, a women’s national team has been announced and begun practicing, 10 teams have been founded, and tomorrow, the BBF WBUK League opens.

Independent Leagues
There are, however, more organisations than just these four (and their subsidiaries) and there have been very few seasons in the UK in which there was only one governing body. There are three additional unaffiliated regional leagues that are currently active, all founded in the last three years: the East of England Baseball League (EEBL), Westcountry Baseball League (WBL), and West Midlands Baseball League (WMBL).

A fourth unaffiliated circuit, the East Midlands Baseball League (EMBL), may have just been a one-year response to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it is possible it will return as a three-team circuit. There was also talk of a Southern Marucci Baseball League to enter in 2021 at an NBL or Triple-A equivalent level, though this did not come to fruition.

All three active leagues consider themselves Single-A and, beginning with the Northern League, one new circuit has appeared every year but one since 2017. The Westcountry League is 2021’s entrant and is the first to denote an affiliation to the BBL’s British Baseball Council specifically. There are 20 squads in the three active leagues, which when combined with the 16 BBL clubs make for three dozen indies.

The Organization of Baseball in Britain

For decades, the top level of play has been the National Baseball League (NBL), though it includes only teams from England. It is nominally mixed gender, but has traditionally been contested only by men, while women are more common at other levels. This circuit is run by the British Baseball Federation (BBF), the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport, as recognised by the WBSC. Its English nature is not an organisational rule, but due to the local context in the three other countries of the U.K.

Wales
There were no teams in Wales between 1951-2016 (possibly even since 1939), when Swansea University Green Sox began play. The following year, Cardiff Merlins and Cardiff University Cubs were founded. The two university sides play in BSUK Universities, now part of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the equivalent to the NCAA or NAIA in the U.S. Also worth noting is the amazing work of RBI Wales, which has worked with Welsh children since 2012.

An entirely separate sport, Welsh Baseball, has been played since the start of the 20^th century, including an annual Wales-England match, which the former have dominated. Although the sport has lost 90 percent of its teams and players, it is still contested in South Wales.

Northern Ireland
Although it was a Kentish baseball legend that helped galvanize the sport in Northern Ireland (Jon Carter), Belfast clubs have always been more closely connected with Baseball Ireland. Although the Belfast club of the 1990s played games in England, the two current squads in Northern Ireland’s capital have always been part of the Irish circuit. The annual Ulster Baseball Tournament regularly features clubs from all levels of England and Scottish baseball.

Scotland
This brings us to the most northerly of the four constituent parts of the U.K. The first known game in Scotland was 1870, and there was a league in 1891, won by the first university side to exist in Britain, Edinburgh University. Little more is known until USAF presence between 1956-61 led to friendlies and then a league. Another period of silence greets the historian until 1986, when the current Edinburgh Diamond Devils (then Royals) formed, the Edinburgh Reivers commencing a year later and joining the BBF.

From 1989, Scottish clubs competed in various BBF leagues at different levels, with 1993 the only year in which teams north of Hadrian’s Wall competed in the National Premier League (now NBL). The two clubs that year both folded mid-season as the six-to-seven hundred mile round trips just to Nottingham must have been quite draining (and expensive). Given this, in 1994 the BBF created a Scotland Region that played at the equivalent of today’s Triple-A level through the 1998 season.

The Diamond Devils worked their way through a series of promotions (as with European football), playing in the Premier League North in 2000 and from 2002-06 while other clubs played in lower tier northern divisions. In 2007, the clubs reverted to a Scottish league, declaring independence and founding Baseball Scotland. Since then, Scottish adult teams—of which there are now eight—have played only in the Scottish National League, while two universities compete in BSUK Universities.

Scotland has a long history of competing as a national team as well, with the first game in 1934 a win over England. From at least 1990-2002, there was a yearly Scotland-England game, with England taking six-straight from 1990-95 before the Blue-and-White claimed four wins between 1996-2001 (with several results missing). Its national team is not recognised by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) or WBSC.

Making Sense of the British Baseball Landscape
The shift in clubs has dwindled since the Northern League and the WMBL separated. For 2021, three BBF clubs became independent (joining the WMBL) and five joined the BBF (all from the SWBL, now a BBF league). Furthermore, several clubs have teams affiliated to both the BBF and an independent league.

Although seven new leagues in the past five years—counting the BBL’s three levels separately and ignoring the South West Baseball League (SWBL), independent from 2012-19—suggests serious splintering, this is not the interesting part of the story. While it is the case that 59 percent[2] of British clubs and exactly half of the non-university sides are not members of the NGB, it appears from the expansion of leagues and changes in teams that a different factor is, instead, causing a dramatic growth in the number of clubs, rather than a shift from the BBF to other leagues, though this certainly has happened.

This factor is what we might call the regional approach, which includes harder-to-measure factors like local club outreach, BSUK grassroots development, BSUK and BBL investment in university programmes, and the London Series. Take the Northern League, for example. In 2017, there was a single team in Sheffield. For 2021, six teams from the Steel City will take the field. Elsewhere, the London Mets and Herts organisations seem to be always expanding. And, university baseball has also exploded—and been a leader in women’s baseball—in the past six years. From 2011-13, there was an average of five teams at HEIs, but has averaged just under 24 in the past four seasons.

Most of this growth has come at the lower levels, which are aimed at beginners and casual players and reinforces the idea of regional growth regardless of affiliation. Bristol has recently added a fourth team to the club and Cambridge a third, both additions at the Single-A level, plus each will field a WBUK nine. New clubs also popped up over the winter in Harwich (Essex), Wellington (Somerset), and Croydon (London Legends).

This year, the BBF Double-A and Single-A South and South East divisions will feature six clubs fielding at least two teams: Bracknell, Brighton, Guildford (three), Richmond, South Coast, and Tonbridge (not counting Kent Buccaneers, which will field Triple-A and Single-A sides).

Where does this leave the casually interested fan, or even someone with a desire to grasp the full picture? In short, with a lot of options. You could pick a team name that appeals to you, and with the following options and some more traditional ones, there are plenty of choices: Birmingham Metalheads, Bristol Brunels, Cambridge Valkyries, Cardiff Merlins, Guildford Gold Cats, Lancashire Legends, London Minotaurs, Newcastle Nighthawks, Northampton Centurions, Sheffield Bladerunners, Wellington Khaki Sox.

You could follow baseball in a certain region, with all the leagues broken down by geography. Or, you can choose between one of three national teams to support. Either way, baseball started in the U.K.[3] and there is more baseball being played now than at any other time since World War II[4]. Stay up-to-date with our fortnightly summaries available at mister-baseball.com and be sure to follow us on Twitter, where we cover British baseball with regular frequency.

By: Gabriel Fidler. The author was employed by BaseballSoftballUK to assist with the London Series and GB Softball Olympic run in 2019. He has, at times, done work for GB Baseball and the BBL and co-founded Durham University’s national champion team, for whom he hit over .400.

[1] ‘About us,’ WBUK, wbuk.co.uk.
[2] 79 of 134 clubs; 54 percent (65 of 120 clubs) in England.
[3] The first recorded game of baseball was on 12 September 1749, in Ashley Park, Walton-on-Thames. HRH Frederick, the Prince of Wales, was a participant.
[4] More than a thousand hours going over historic documents and the hundreds of pages of archives we created have us feeling confident in this statement!

Cepeda, Despaigne, Prieto Highlight Cuba Olympic, Caribbean Rosters

Cuba has released rosters for two early summer competitions, the third Caribbean Cup and the Americas Olympic Baseball Qualification Tournament. The Copa del Caribe is set for May 8-15 after a postponement from a scheduled start this past weekend and the final roster has been announced (below). From May 31-June 5, a full Cuban team is likely to travel to Florida for a shot at an Olympic berth, with several of its top stars in NPB listed on the preliminary roster.  Both squads are notable in that they feature the veteran talent for which Cuba is known, but each contains several highly regarded players in their early 20s. We break down the rosters, which include several of the most famous Cuban béisboleros ever and one of the top international prospects.

Cuba’s Murderers’ Row Returns

The big three still remain: Frederich Cepeda, Alfredo Despaigne, and Yosvani Alarcón. Undoubtedly one of international baseball’s greatest pure hitters of all time, Cepeda drew a mind-boggling 98 walks (against only 21 strikeouts) in 320 plate appearances in the 60th Cuban National Series, which concluded recently. He hit .369/.563/.607 in his age-40 season, raising his career line to .325/.474/.556 over 24 seasons. Cepeda has, of course, been a driving force in Cuba’s success since the last millennium.

Unlike Cepeda, Despaigne has spent a fair portion of his career in Japan, hitting .261/.350/.498 in parts of eight NPB seasons. Combined with his absurd CNS numbers, he has a .313/.408/.582 mark in 18 seasons. He returned for another year with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks this spring and is in a race with Cepeda (who has three more safeties to his name) for hit No. 2000. Despaigne currently has more than 1,900 professional hits and over 400 homers.

Alarcón has been behind the plate for many of Cuba’s victories in the past 15 years and, like Cepeda, has mostly remained in Cuba. The Lenadores de Las Tunas star had a normal season by his standards this year, slashing .328/.375/.507, virtually identical to his career line through 16 seasons.

Erisbel Arruebarrena is a final name that will sound quite familiar after the Dodgers signed “The Flea” following an exhilarating 2013 World Baseball Classic performance. He is the only player on either roster with MLB experience, albeit only 41 at bats in 2014. Arruebarrena is one of a number of high profile defectors to return to the CNS and thrive.

Yurisbel Garcia, who has also played on the grass for NPB’s Hawks the past four seasons, also returns to the roster, as does Yadir Drake. Garcia is a .302/.353/.520 hitter in Japan, similar to his overall numbers in 13 professional seasons. Drake has plied his trade in Cuba, the U.S. minor leagues, Mexico, Venezuela, and Japan, hitting .307 as a rightfielder with discipline since the Dodgers granted him his release.

Prospects to Watchcepeda
There are several names you may not know, but should. César Prieto is arguably the top prospect in Cuba and, indeed, one of the most exciting young Cubanos in recent memory.  This year, he shattered the CNS record by hitting in 45 consecutive games, which ties Wee Willie Keeler for the second-longest of any top league worldwide. In fact, in the last 99 seasons, only Prieto and Joe DiMaggio have streaks of 40 or more games in any top league. Even including the minors, only 13 other hitters have reached that number, while the previous Cuban mark of 37 came with a metal bat [link].

Prieto led in hitting this season at .403, the only player to top the four-hundred plateau. He had 31 walks and only 11 strikeouts in 360 plate appearances, and had 27 percent more hits (128) than the second-place finisher (101). After hitting .370/.443/.520 in his first 157 CNS games, the middle infielder—only 21 years old—became one of the rare Cubans to sign with the Mexican League, inking a contract with the Tabasco Olmecas for the 2021 season [link].

Loidel Chapellí Jr. was the 59th CNS Rookie of the Year after hitting .288/.390/.366 in 2019-20, adding the award to his 2016 WBSC Baseball Player of the Year nod, his 2016 U15 Baseball World Cup MVP award, and his 2017 U18 World Cup appearance [link]. Only 19, the leftfielder upped his numbers to .317/.442/.496 this year.

It is rare to strike out more than a batter per inning in the Serie Nacional, but Yunior Tur Pozo claimed the CNS 60 Reliever of the Year at age 22 after punching out 45 in 38.1 frames with a 2.11 ERA. After not permitting even an unearned run in 22 innings in 2019-20, his career 1.51 run prevention mark and 10.7 K/9 are eye-popping.

Chapelli has signed to play in Panamá’s professional league this year, along with heralded Camagüey teammate Yosimar Cousín, who it was believed would be named to one of the rosters. Prieto, Tur, and Geyser Cepeda (see below) will also play in the Central American country.

Mid-Career Veterans to Remember
Although past the prospect age, Rafael Viñales is young enough that he could still develop into a national team star. The catcher-first baseman was second in the league in average (.387), home runs (19), and slugging percentage (.659). Viñales has a .517 slugging percentage in this last five CNS campaigns.

Those power numbers were second only to Lisbán Correa, who returned to Cuba after defecting and has taken his game to another level. This year, he became the first defector to win National Series MVP after a monster season in which he led the league in roundtrippers (28) and slashed .320/.457/.692, slightly behind his .408/.539/.708 mark in only 18 games the year before. He has also signed in Mexico for 2021.

Frank Madán threw the 60th no-hitter in 60 seasons of the Cuban National Series on Dec. 29, one of five shutouts in the 2020-21 campaign. The burly right-hander (listed at 5-10, 248 at age 29) was named Pitcher of the Year after going 13-5 with a league-leading 109 strikeouts in 141.2 innings.

Other pitchers that could make a start include Yoennis (“Yoanni”) Yera, who looked good in five starts in the Mexican Winter League (2.93 ERA and 4.17 K/BB in 27.2IP), Carlos Viera, and Yoen Socarrás.

Olympic Qualifier Pre-Selection
Catchers (4): Yosvani Alarcón (LTU), Luis Gomez (CMG), Ariel Martinez (MTZ), Rafael Viñales (LTU).
Infielders (14): Erisbel Arruebarrena (MTZ), Guillermo Avilés (GRA), Alexander Ayala (CMG), Humberto Bravo (CMG), Lisbán Correa (IND), Jeferson Delgado (MTZ), Dayán García (ART), Raúl González (CAV), Yurisbel Gracial (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks), Yordan Manduley (HOL), Yadil Mujica (MTZ), César Prieto (CFG), Yordanis Samon (CMG), Luis Sánchez (GTM)*.
Outfielders (7): Frederich Cepeda (SSP), Alfredo Despaigne (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks), Yadir Drake (Leónes de Yucatán), Yhosvani Peñalver (IND), Raico Santos (GRA), Roel Santos (GRA), Loidel Chapellí Jr. (CMG).
Pitchers (14): Lázaro Blanco (GRA), Bryan Chi (IND), Carlos Font (SCU), Pavel Hernández (IND), Frank Madan (CMG), Raidel Martínez (PRI), Liván Moinelo (PRI), Andy Rodriguez (IND), Yariel Rodriguez (Chunichi Dragons and CMG), Yudier Rodriguez (LTU), Yuen Socarrás (SSP), Yunior Tur (SCU), Carlos Viera (LTU), Yoanni Yera (MTZ).
Technical Corps: Manager: Armando Ferrer (MTZ); Carlos Martí (GRA), Ricardo Eizmendiz (CNB), José Hernández (CAV), Alexander Ramos (IJV), Raicel Sánchez (PRI), Jesús Salgado (MTZ).
*Late addition.

Caribbean Cup Final Roster
There are a handful of fairly interesting players on the roster for the Caribbean Cup and the squad is a representative “Cuba B” team, as it has sent to so many tournaments. It is scheduled to face Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Panamá, and then Puerto Rico in the “Elite Group”.

Geyser Cepeda is the top prospect on this list, as he hit above .350 for the second year in-a-row. Cousin of the more famous Cepeda, the 23-year old plays centre and combines great plate discipline (51 walks and 15 strikeouts in 317 PA in 2020-21) with speed and increasing power (.504 slugging in the 60th CNS).

Pablo Luis Guillén is a moderately intriguing right-handed pitching prospect. Debuting at 18, the now 22-year-old has a 2.73 ERA as a starter across five professional seasons, including three starts in the 2020-21 Venezuelan Winter League. Marlon Vega earned Rookie of the Year honours for Mayabeque with a 4.36 ERA and 8.0 K/9 in relief, though he did walk 6.6 per nine.

Luis Mateo had a breakout season this winter, slashing .361/.438/.469 as a 24-year old and was tabbed as the league’s All-Star SS and “Best All-Around SS”. He had 37 walks and only 18 strikeouts in 325 plate appearances and is a .313 career hitter in 278 games. Yasniel González and Dennis Laza both had very good campaigns for Mayabeque and joined Geyser Cepeda as All-Stars and “Best All-Around” outfielders. González (age 29) hit .338/.481/.565 as the Huracánes’ rightfielder, while the 35-year old Laza manned the opposite corner and slashed .321/.450/.571.

Manager: Pablo Civil
Catchers (3): Iván Prieto González (GRA), Andrys Pérez García (MTZ), Osvaldo Vázquez (CAV)*.
Infielders (7): Osvaldo Abreu (GRA)*, Juan Carlos Arencibia (PRI), Guillermo Garcia (GRA), Luis Vicente Mateo (CFG), Daniel Pérez Pérez (CFG), Pavel Quesada Pedroso (CFG), Santiago Torres Baena (SCU).
Outfielders (4): Geyser Cepeda Lima (SSP), Yasniel González Vega (MAY), Yoelkis Guibert Stevens (SCU), Dennis Laza Spencer (MAY).
Pitchers (10): Frank Alvarez Díaz (PRI), Naykel Cruz Saldívar (MTZ), Dariel Fernández Baz (PRI), Cesar Garcia (GRA)*, Yander Guevara (CAV)*, Pablo Luis Guillén (VCL), Yankiel Mauri Gutiérrez (SSP), Yadián Martínez (MAY), Reinier Rivero Estrada (MTZ), Marlon Vega Travieso (MAY).
*Not on preliminary roster.

Cut from Preliminary Roster
Catchers (2): Rafael Viñales Álvarez (LTU), Yosvani Alarcón Tardío (LTU).
Infielders (7): Guillermo Avilés Difurnó (GRA), Lisbán Correa Sánchez (IND), Dayán García Ortega (ART), Andrés Hernández Díaz (IND), Yordan Manduley Escalona (HOL), Yadil Mujica Díaz (MTZ),  César Prieto Echevarría (CFG).
Outfielders (3): Yadir Drake Domínguez (MTZ), Raico Santos Almeida (GRA), Roel Santos Martínez (GRA).
Pitchers (7): Lázaro Blanco Matos (GRA), Bryan Chi Montoya (IND), Carlos Font Mustelier (SCU), Frank Madan Montejo (CMG), Yunior Tur Pozo (SCU), Carlos Juan Viera Álvarez (LTU), Yoanni Yera Montalvo (MTZ).

Start Dates for 2021 National and Independent Leagues

With another year of baseball affected by COVID-19, many leagues around the world have delayed the start of the 2021 season. In fact, of the 72 leagues surveyed here—most of them national leagues—only 13 were active on April 1, the traditional start date for the baseball season in the northern hemisphere, and just 24 by May 2. It is not until June 6 that most leagues will have begun play, when 50 will have started their seasons (and another doing so the following weekend).

Asia is the continent that is least affected, while several notable circuits in the Americas (the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol and MLB’s minor league teams) and Europe (Italy’s leagues, the Netherlands’ Hoofdlkasse, and French hardball) are all delayed, the latter indefinitely. Eleven other leagues—all but one a national league—had yet to even comment on the possibility of a campaign this summer as of April 8 and six remained uncommitted on May 15. We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available.

Updated: April 15, April 28, May 1, May 15, May 27,  June 6.

Africa
No spring league: 4/4
The only known leagues—Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda—do not play at this time of year.

Americas
Active as of April 1: 6/16
Active as of April 25: 6/16
Active as of June 6: 12/16
No spring league: 1/16
Cuba: No delay to 2020-21 National Series
Curaçao: TBD
El Salvador: February 10
Mexico (LMB): May 20
Nicaragua (Germán Pomares): February 19
Puerto Rico: June 27
USA (Atlantic League, MLB Partner): May 28
USA (American Association): May 18
USA (Empire League): After June 10
USA (MLB): Apr. 1
USA (MLB minor leagues): May 4
USA (NAIA): No delay.
USA (NCAA): No delay.
USA (Pecos League): June 2
USA (United Shore League): May 28
No reports on a 2021 season: USA (Pacific Association)
No spring season: Panamá.

Asia
Active as of April 1: 6/11
Active as of April 25: 7/11
Active as of June 6: 7/11
No spring league: 1/11
Japan (NPB): March 26
Japan (Shikoku Island League Plus): March 27
Laos (men): Jan. 16
Laos (women): Jan. 16
Philippines (UAAP*): Cancelled
South Korea (KBO): April 6 (delayed a day due to rain)
Taiwan (CPBL): March 13
Vietnam: Jan. 8-11 (National Championship)
No reports on a 2021 championship: Pakistan, Sri Lanka
No spring season: Thailand (no national league, youth leagues over winter)
*University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The Philippine Baseball League is defunct again.

Europe
Active as of April 1: 2/41
Active as of April 25: 11/41
Active as of June 6: 31/41
Austria: April 9
Belgium: June 12
Bulgaria: May 8
Croatia: April 9
Czech Republic (Extraliga): April 9
Denmark: May 1
Estonia: May 24
European Super League: TBD
Finland: June 2
France: June 12
Germany: April 1 (South), May 9 (North)
Great Britain (BBF, all leagues): May 2 (except South West: May 16)
Great Britain (East of England): May 9
Great Britain (Herts Spring League): April 24-25
Great Britain (Northern League): June 6
Great Britain (West Country): May 16
Great Britain (West Midlands): May 16
Great Britain (Women’s Baseball UK): May 22
Hungary: March 21
Italy: May 8 (Group C only), May 22 (full Serie A)
Lithuania: April 17
Netherlands: April 30
Norway: June 6 (was April 24)
Poland: April 25 (was April 2, then April 18)
Russia: May 24
Scotland: June 6
Serbia: April 11
Slovakia: May 15
Slovenia: April 24
Spain: April 10
Sweden: June 5 (was early May)
Switzerland: June 5 (was April 10)
Ukraine: May 8
No reports on a 2021 season: Belarus, Euro Inter League, Great Britain (BSUK Universities; East Midlands, may have folded), Ireland, Latvia, Moldova, Romania.