American West Baseball League

[Evad]

I love minor league sports. When I found out this league was planning a team for San Diego, I thought I'd check it out. We shall see what happens. I know this league has been mentioned in the NAL thread, but I thought why not give it its own place.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...e-to-rival-nal

"Independent baseball is a funny thing. When you go to a game, you are going to get legitimately good baseball. The prices are second to none, and you might get to see some former major leaguers in the process.

Except indy baseball is cursed or doomed—I’m not quite sure which.

The American Association, Atlantic League, Frontier League and Can-Am League are the big four. The North American League on the other hand, could only try to play with the big boys.

And now entering its second season, it won't be able to anymore.

When was the last time an organization’s champion was not able to defend their championship? Not because they lost, but because they’re not even part of the league anymore?"

[Lunkhead]

MISSION VIEJO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 06/26/12 -- Godfather Media, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GFMD) is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement between its subsidiary American West Baseball League (AWBL) and Albie Lopez, former MLB player, and Eddie Marin, a local businessman and sports agent for the Mesa, Arizona Territory.

[Lunkhead]

http://www.ballparkdigest.com/201206265104/independent-baseball/news/awbl-expands-to-mesa-albie-lopez-will-own-team

[Colonel]

I do hope that they do better than the Miners did in 05 (as far as attendance)-- or better than the new Freedom Pro League is doing... in 4 cities in Arizona. If you are going to go anyplace, tho, why not Phoenix? The stadium that the Oakland A's use will be empty-- the As are moving to Mesa - and Phoenix Muni has had teams since the Phoenix Giants (and is close to home),,,,,

Just saying

Colonel
Phoenix

[pilots13]

This league is going to have problems. To start with the West has been a tough place to make Indy baseball work. For whatever reason, leagues fail out there. The Western League, the Golden League, the United League, maybe others I'm forgetting off the top of my head all failed. And now we have the North American (which is really two leagues the "North" and "United" leagues), the Pecos League, and the Freedom League. All of which most likely won't be around next year.

If that wasn't a bad enough sign, then it's the fact that Cummings is running the show. He has destroied everything Indy thing he's touched thus far, including a major reason the NAL is the disaster it is. I have little faith for this league to make it. To be honest, I have more faith in the San Rafael owner guy somehow piecing together the remnants of the NAL than Cummings scam of a league.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by pilots13

This league is going to have problems. To start with the West has been a tough place to make Indy baseball work. For whatever reason, leagues fail out there. The Western League, the Golden League, the United League, maybe others I'm forgetting off the top of my head all failed. And now we have the North American (which is really two leagues the "North" and "United" leagues), the Pecos League, and the Freedom League. All of which most likely won't be around next year.

If that wasn't a bad enough sign, then it's the fact that Cummings is running the show. He has destroied everything Indy thing he's touched thus far, including a major reason the NAL is the disaster it is. I have little faith for this league to make it. To be honest, I have more faith in the San Rafael owner guy somehow piecing together the remnants of the NAL than Cummings scam of a league.

Faith in the San Rafael guy? I would have never went in with 800 seats in a ballpark and the Hawaii teams don't even post attendance so they must be averaging nothing.

Golden League was flawed from the start. United League was never in the west.

Western League was the best of them all but they didn't seem to try to move upward, seemed like they lost ballparks left and right, etc. I would have to assume the owners were undercapitalized.

North American League was combining failing leagues into one so that was bound to have issues.

Pecos League and Freedom League? Sorry but those cannot be considered. I believe the Pecos League is the one where players get $50 a month. Freedom League doesn't even give you info on teams, locations, tickets, etc. Only one team had ticket info on the site. These were not done right from the beginning. And that Andrew Dunn guy...no comment.

It could be done if it was done right. Even this AWBL is running into issues with the ballparks they want to use and what they will be able to actually use. The old debts don't just go away and no matter what they say they're the NAL. Cummings ran Hawaii into the ground. And while 1 failure doesn't mean you will always fail, he should not be the guy leading the charge.

[Pounder]

What's "done right"?

I can guess it, and I can diagnose issues based on it-

-the main one... not a lot of intermediate markets in the West, so the majors will dominate the news cycle, the ad rates are higher because of the size of the markets, those few that have good media and are smaller are otherwise occupied or may not buy into what you're selling-

but perhaps I need a reset.

There's a theory I've come back to of late... I'm reading about fan demand for better promotions for the Washington Wild Things back east. People there want to see more promotions? I think the attitude out here begs for more "authenticity," and if you're bringing up the minors or independent pro to be about "everything but the baseball," people here see through that. The economy doesn't help, California prices its way out of many things because people still want to be there when the jobs aren't necessarily there. However, I do run into that authenticity issue more than randomly in this region. The problem: California is still a trend-setter. Just food for thought.

[Lunkhead]

Originally Posted by pilots13

This league is going to have problems. To start with the West has been a tough place to make Indy baseball work. For whatever reason, leagues fail out there. The Western League, the Golden League, the United League, maybe others I'm forgetting off the top of my head all failed. And now we have the North American (which is really two leagues the "North" and "United" leagues), the Pecos League, and the Freedom League. All of which most likely won't be around next year.

If that wasn't a bad enough sign, then it's the fact that Cummings is running the show. He has destroied everything Indy thing he's touched thus far, including a major reason the NAL is the disaster it is. I have little faith for this league to make it. To be honest, I have more faith in the San Rafael owner guy somehow piecing together the remnants of the NAL than Cummings scam of a league.

This is intertesting that you would post this non-sense Indy ball has nothing to do with the failures on the west, it is how are the leagues ran. 1st off the Kaval/Outcalt team was out to get as much money from franchises as they could that was their business model, the freedom, pecos and united league own and operate all teams which is a very expensive this model does not work just look at what history tells us. Then you say Cummings destroys everything he touches in Indy ball from my research he has only touched Maui and from my understanding when he sold the team the new group was to take over bills which happens all the time when selling a business (not unusual) and then you blame him for the NAL, which is the funniest and most ridiculous post I have seen, we all no they have been hurting for the past few years, Edmonton went dark leaving 3 operating teams and 1 travel team which is not a league no matter how you describe it. Then the AWL leaves Yuma with 100's of thosand dollars owed to vendors and employees, after all that they call it quits and cummings along with the others try to keep the league going and then he makes the best business decision out of all of them and goes dark, to recoup. Yes it is his fault and you should have faith in the San Rafael guy who operates a travel team and a team with 800 seats, which plays against an owner that says he is leaving to play agaisnt Japan next year.

[Lunkhead]

Originally Posted by Eddie

Faith in the San Rafael guy? I would have never went in with 800 seats in a ballpark and the Hawaii teams don't even post attendance so they must be averaging nothing.

Golden League was flawed from the start. United League was never in the west.

Western League was the best of them all but they didn't seem to try to move upward, seemed like they lost ballparks left and right, etc. I would have to assume the owners were undercapitalized.

North American League was combining failing leagues into one so that was bound to have issues.

Pecos League and Freedom League? Sorry but those cannot be considered. I believe the Pecos League is the one where players get $50 a month. Freedom League doesn't even give you info on teams, locations, tickets, etc. Only one team had ticket info on the site. These were not done right from the beginning. And that Andrew Dunn guy...no comment.

It could be done if it was done right. Even this AWBL is running into issues with the ballparks they want to use and what they will be able to actually use. The old debts don't just go away and no matter what they say they're the NAL. Cummings ran Hawaii into the ground. And while 1 failure doesn't mean you will always fail, he should not be the guy leading the charge.

What issues are they running into on Stadiums and is there proof or just your opinion? And they are not the NAL I thought that was the San Rafael, Maui, their travel teams and the United the last time I checked the website. Also, in business new corporations do not assume anothers debt, remember minor laegue ball is a business not a charity. And again, did you sit in on the meeting with cummings and young on the deal for Maui? If not I think posting assumptions should be left within your own mind.

[Evad]

More info about the AWBL. Long Beach team name and logo.

http://www.gazettes.com/sports/baseb...9bb2963f4.html



"We have a name and logo for the team launching next season in the independent American West Baseball League: the Long Beach Splash."