Baseball Challenge League: Difference between revisions
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The Baseball Challenge League has two divisions, Future—East and Advance—West, with five teams in each division. Not every team has a home stadium; instead, the team travels around its home [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture]], playing in different stadiums, each one called "home” for that game.<ref>Ryo. [http://www.npbtracker.com/2009/05/independent-leagues-in-japan/ "Independent Leagues in Japan,"] NPB Tracker: Baseball in Japan & Around the World (May 26, 2009).</ref> |
The Baseball Challenge League has two divisions, Future—East and Advance—West, with five teams in each division. Not every team has a home stadium; instead, the team travels around its home [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture]], playing in different stadiums, each one called "home” for that game.<ref>Ryo. [http://www.npbtracker.com/2009/05/independent-leagues-in-japan/ "Independent Leagues in Japan,"] NPB Tracker: Baseball in Japan & Around the World (May 26, 2009).</ref> |
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The 72-game season runs from April–October, split into two half-terms, with the division champion from each half-term meeting in a playoff at the end of the year to determine which two teams compete for the league championship. Each team carries 27 players.<ref>[http://www.westernbaseballassociation.com/images/SDSA_Japan_Pro_Tryout_Nov_3_4_2012.pdf "Professional Baseball Tryout,"] San Diego Sports Authority (2012). Archived on the Western Baseball Association website. Accessed April 7, 2015.</ref> |
The 72-game season runs from April–October, split into two half-terms, with the division champion from each half-term meeting in a playoff at the end of the year to determine which two teams compete for the league championship. Each team carries 27 players.<ref>[http://www.westernbaseballassociation.com/images/SDSA_Japan_Pro_Tryout_Nov_3_4_2012.pdf "Professional Baseball Tryout,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413143243/http://www.westernbaseballassociation.com/images/SDSA_Japan_Pro_Tryout_Nov_3_4_2012.pdf |date=2015-04-13 }} San Diego Sports Authority (2012). Archived on the Western Baseball Association website. Accessed April 7, 2015.</ref> |
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Typically, players earn 150,000 [[yen]] (c. U.S. $2,000) per month, with another 50,000 yen in potential bonuses.<ref name=Patrick>Patrick. [http://www.npbtracker.com/2014/02/japans-independent-leagues-2014/ "Japan’s Independent Leagues 2014,"] NPB Tracker (09 February 2014).</ref> The league imposes a 7.2 million [[yen]] (c. U.S. $60,600) salary limit for team managers.<ref name="jhongo">Jun Hongo, [https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/02/09/former-texas-ranger-julio-franco-joins-a-japan-team-as-player-manager/ "Julio Franco, 56 Years Old, Joins a Japan Team as Player-Manager,"] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', February 9, 2015.</ref> |
Typically, players earn 150,000 [[yen]] (c. U.S. $2,000) per month, with another 50,000 yen in potential bonuses.<ref name=Patrick>Patrick. [http://www.npbtracker.com/2014/02/japans-independent-leagues-2014/ "Japan’s Independent Leagues 2014,"] NPB Tracker (09 February 2014).</ref> The league imposes a 7.2 million [[yen]] (c. U.S. $60,600) salary limit for team managers.<ref name="jhongo">Jun Hongo, [https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/02/09/former-texas-ranger-julio-franco-joins-a-japan-team-as-player-manager/ "Julio Franco, 56 Years Old, Joins a Japan Team as Player-Manager,"] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', February 9, 2015.</ref> |
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Revision as of 10:54, 11 October 2019
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| First season | 2007 |
| President | Murayama Tetsuji |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Country | Japan |
| Most recent champion(s) | Gunma Diamond Pegasus (2018) |
| Most titles | Gunma Diamond Pegasus, Ishikawa Million Stars (4) |
| Official website | http://www.bc-l.jp/ |
The Route Inn BCL, formerly known as the Baseball Challenge League (ベースボール・チャレンジ・リーグ, Bēsubōru Charenji Rīgu), is an independent minor baseball league in Japan. The league's abbreviated designation is "BC League (BCリーグ)."
League structure
The Baseball Challenge League has two divisions, Future—East and Advance—West, with five teams in each division. Not every team has a home stadium; instead, the team travels around its home prefecture, playing in different stadiums, each one called "home” for that game.[1]
The 72-game season runs from April–October, split into two half-terms, with the division champion from each half-term meeting in a playoff at the end of the year to determine which two teams compete for the league championship. Each team carries 27 players.[2]
Typically, players earn 150,000 yen (c. U.S. $2,000) per month, with another 50,000 yen in potential bonuses.[3] The league imposes a 7.2 million yen (c. U.S. $60,600) salary limit for team managers.[4]
History
The BC League began play in 2007 as the Hokushinestu Baseball Challenge League. It originally consisted of four teams based in the Hokuriku region: the Ishikawa Million Stars, the Niigata Albirex Baseball Club, the Shinano Grandserows, and the Toyama Thunderbirds. In 2008 the league added two teams, Gunma Diamond Pegasus and the Fukui Miracle Elephants, and split into two divisions, Jōshin'etsu (Gunma, Shinano, and Niigata) and Hokuriku (Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama).
Ishikawa Million Stars Infielder Kensuke Uchimura led the league in steals in 2007, which led to him being drafted by Nippon Professional Baseball's Rakuten Golden Eagles. In 2008, he became the first player to reach NPB after playing in the BC League.
In February 2014, the league agreed to a naming rights deal with Route Inn Group, becoming the Route Inn BC League.[5]
That same month, it was announced that a new team, the Musashi Heat Bears, based out of Saitama Prefecture, would join the league in time for the 2015 season.[5] In July 2014, it was announced that a second new team, the Fukushima Hopes, would also join the league for the 2015 season.[6]
Late in the summer of 2014, along with the Shikoku Island League Plus, the Route Inn BCL formed the Japan Independent Baseball League Organization.[7]
With the addition of two new teams, in 2015 the league realigned and renamed its divisions, replacing the previous divisions Jōshin'etsu and Hokuriku with Future—East and Advance—West.
Teams
Franchise locations
Yearly standings
| Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Ishikawa | Toyama | Shinano | Niigata |
| Joshin'etsu Division | Hokuriku Division | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First | Second | Third | Year | First | Second | Third | ||
| 2008 | First half | Niigata | Gunma | Shinano | 2008 | First half | Toyama | Ishikawa | Fukui |
| Second half | Gunma | Niigata | Shinano | Second half | Toyama | Ishikawa | Fukui | ||
| 2009 | First half | Gunma | Niigata | Shinano | 2009 | First half | Ishikawa | Toyama | Fukui |
| Second half | Gunma | Niigata | Shinano | Second half | Ishikawa | Toyama | Fukui | ||
| 2010 | First half | Gunma | Shinano | Niigata | 2010 | First half | Ishikawa | Fukui | Toyama |
| Second half | Gunma | Niigata | Shinano | Second half | Fukui | Ishikawa | Toyama | ||
| 2011 | First half | Gunma | Shinano | Niigata | 2011 | First half | Ishikawa | Toyama | Fukui |
| Second half | Niigata | Shinano | Gunma | Second half | Fukui | Ishikawa | Toyama | ||
| 2012 | First half | Niigata | Shinano | Gunma | 2012 | First half | Ishikawa | Fukui | Toyama |
| Second half | Niigata | Shinano | Gunma | Second half | Fukui | Toyama | Ishikawa | ||
| 2013 | First half | Niigata | Gunma | Shinano | 2013 | First half | Ishikawa | Toyama | Fukui |
| Second half | Niigata | Shinano | Gunma | Second half | Fukui | Toyama | Ishikawa | ||
| 2014 | First half | Gunma | Niigata | Shinano | 2014 | First half | Toyama | Fukui | Ishikawa |
| Second half | Niigata | Gunma | Shinano | Second half | Ishikawa | Toyama | Fukui | ||
| Future-East | Advance-West | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | ||
| 2015 | First half | Niigata | Musashi | Gunma | Fukushima | - | 2015 | First half | Fukui | Shinano | Ishikawa | Toyama | - |
| Second half | Fukushima | Niigata | Gunma | Musashi | - | Second half | Toyama | Fukui | Ishikawa | Shinano | - | ||
| 2016 | First half | Gunma | Fukushima | Niigata | Musashi | - | 2016 | First half | Ishikawa | Fukui | Shinano | Toyama | - |
| Second half | Gunma | Fukushima | Niigata | Musashi | - | Second half | Ishikawa | Shinano | Toyama | Fukui | - | ||
| 2017 | First half | Gunma | Niigata | Fukushima | Musashi | Tochigi | 2017 | First half | Toyama | Shinano | Fukui | Shiga | Ishikawa |
| Second half | Gunma | Fukushima | Niigata | Tochigi | Musashi | Second half | Shinano | Toyama | Fukui | Ishikawa | Shiga | ||
References
- ^ Ryo. "Independent Leagues in Japan," NPB Tracker: Baseball in Japan & Around the World (May 26, 2009).
- ^ "Professional Baseball Tryout," Archived 2015-04-13 at the Wayback Machine San Diego Sports Authority (2012). Archived on the Western Baseball Association website. Accessed April 7, 2015.
- ^ Patrick. "Japan’s Independent Leagues 2014," NPB Tracker (09 February 2014).
- ^ Jun Hongo, "Julio Franco, 56 Years Old, Joins a Japan Team as Player-Manager," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2015.
- ^ a b Gen. "BC League agrees to naming rights deal with Route Inn Group," Yakyubaka.com (Feb. 25, 2014).
- ^ Gen. "New BC League team from Fukushima will be named the Fukushima Hopes," Yakyubaka.com (July 18, 2014).
- ^ Gen. "Island League, BC League to establish Japan Independent Baseball League Organization," Yakyubaka.com (Aug.30, 2014 ).