Intercounty Baseball League

Infobox sports league
logo=
caption= Intercounty Baseball League logo
sport=Baseball
founded=1919
teams=9
country=CAN
champion=Brantford Red Sox

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is an amateur, semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919.

The Intercounty Baseball League exists so that baseball players who were not signed by a Major or Minor League organization could have a chance at playing competitive men's baseball. Although the level of Intercounty Baseball League play can be categorized as being at the "Semi-pro" level, players in independent baseball are usually not scouted heavily by Major League teams, although in recent years that has changed somewhat.

For example, three London Majors players were drafted by MLB in 2007: catcher Chris Dennis and pitcher Adam Arnold by the Milwaukee Brewers, and first-baseman/third-baseman/outfielder Mitch Delaney by the Chicago White Sox. Colin Buckborough, pitcher with the Brantford Red Sox, was also drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2007.

History

The IBL was founded in 1919 with just four teams—Galt, Guelph, Stratford and Kitchener—and is believed to be the oldest amateur men's league in Canada and also one of the best, regarding quality of play. During the early years, the league expanded to include the cities of London, Brantford, Preston and St. Thomas, Ontario.

The league's first commissioner in the 1950s was John Gillies, a London, Ontario, lawyer and former pitcher in the league for the London Majors.

It was previously known as the Intercounty Major Baseball League and the Senior Intercounty Baseball League. The teams play for the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy, which is awarded to the league champions. Jack and Lynne Dominico are the co-owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club. In June 2006, the league unanimously endorsed establishing an IBL Hall of Fame at Labatt Park in London, Ontario, home to the London Majors. This proposal is still unfolding and may take several years to implement.

On July 8, 2006, in Barrie, Ontario, the league's "New Era IBL All-Star Classic" game between the Barrie Baycats and the IBL all-stars was played with Barrie defeating the IBL all-stars 7–2.

Current member teams

Past teams

League staff

*Commissioner: Jim Rooney
*Secretary: Gloria Coppes
*Treasurer/Statistician: Herb Morell
*Supervisor of Umpires: Chuck Smith
*Media Relations: Aaron Bell

Champions

tandings

Notable past players

*Rich Butler – (Toronto Maple Leafs)
*Rob Butler – (Toronto Maple Leafs)
*Frank Colman – (London Majors)
*Ferguson Jenkins – (London Majors)
*Mike Kilkenny – (London Majors)
*Roy McKay – (London Majors)
*Denny McLain – (London Majors)
*Pete Orr – (Toronto Maple Leafs)
*Dave Rozema - (London Majors)
*Paul Spoljaric - (Toronto Maple Leafs, Barrie Baycats)
*Kirk Sawyers - (Umpire)
*Jesse Orosco - (Galt Terriers)

References

* "Intercounty Major Baseball League's 1998 Record Book" by Editor Herb Morell and Dominico Promotions Inc.

External links

* [http://www.icbaseball.com Intercounty Baseball Official Site]
* [http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Sports/OtherSports/2006/03/01/1467436-sun.html Ron Stead, Intercounty star recognized]