Yuma Selected for new Arizona Winter League

November 17, 2006 - Golden Baseball League (GBL) News Release


(Yuma, AZ) The Arizona Winter League (AWL), a new professional baseball league is now set to play in Yuma, Arizona from January 15th to February 17th of 2007. The four team instructional league will be administered by the independent Golden Baseball League (GBL) and will be staffed with instructors and managers from the GBL summer season that has resulted in over 40 GBL players signing with major league organizations over the last two seasons. The GBL chose Yuma over Phoenix and El Centro, CA as the inaugural site for the AWL.

"Yuma was our first choice and we have been very impressed with the City's support to bring the AWL here," said David Kaval, CEO of the Golden Baseball League. "The weather is fantastic, the Ray Kroc Complex is first class, and I'm excited about bringing pro baseball to the winter visitors who aren't able to see the Yuma Scorpions play in the summer. We are thrilled that the city has recognized the economic and quality of life value of this new league and we hope to make this a permanent part of Yuma's winter calendar."

Arizona Winter League games will be held at the Ray Kroc Complex and Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma where a 21-game season with a Championship Game will be played during the month. The four teams of 25-man rosters will be made up of professional free-agents, independent professional players under contract using this as a development/instructional opportunity to get ready for the 2007 summer season, and collegiate players that were overlooked in the 2006 MLB amateur draft. At the conclusion of the league, the top 24 players that are free agents will be signed to GBL 2007 contracts, in addition scouts from the South Coast League and the New York State independent summer leagues will be part of the instructional staff and will sign players for those leagues as well. Also participating will be the GBL's international scouting partner, Global Scouting Bureau, that will be sourcing players from the AWL for opportunities in the Liga Norte Sonora in Northern Mexico along with Taiwan and Korea.

The teams will include the Yuma Scorpions, managed by the Scorpion's new manager who will be named on Thursday; the Sonora Surf Dawgs who will be managed by Fullerton Flyers manager and former MLB All-Star Garry Templeton, the Canada Miners manager by Reno Silver Sox manager and former 7-year MLB pitcher Les Lancaster, and the Snow Falcons managed by Long Beach Armada skipper and former MLB All-Star and 1984 World Series Champion Darrell Evans. In addition, roving baserunning, fielding, and hitting instructors will work with all the teams during the season at the four-field complex.

"This is a great opportunity for players to improve and demonstrate their skills and receive contracts for the 2007 GBL season and a number of other U.S. and international professional leagues," said AWL Commissioner Kevin Outcalt. "In addition to playing for these managers with a chance to be signed, we have already been contacted by major league organizations that plan to scout the league as well. Like the GBL, the AWL will actively market our top players to MLB teams and we plan to duplicate the success of player placement we have had in the summer."

Players will report on January 14th with four days of training before the teams are drafted and the opening night game kicks off the season on Friday, January 19th. Two games a day will be run with full minor league activities including game day promotions, fan giveaways, entertainment acts, mascots, full concessions, etc. All statistics will be reported to the league's official statistician, Howe SportsData.

Golden Baseball League Commissioner, Kevin Outcalt, will serve as Commissioner of the Arizona Winter League while GBL VP of Operations, Ron Alonso will be the Arizona Winter League Executive Director and will be responsible for all league operations. Yuma Scorpion General Manager Jason Matlock and his front office staff will drive the sales, marketing, and game-day activities for the new league. Sponsors already onboard and supporting the initial AWL season include Del Taco, Best Western Inn Suites, Yuma Title, Country Club Motors, Coca-Cola, Payright Plumbing, and Sergio's House of Carpet.

More information for interested players, sponsors, and fans can be found at www.arizonawinterleague.com.



Golden Baseball League Stories from November 17, 2006


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