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Newsletters>
2008 Arizona Winter League Launch
August 3, 2007
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kevin Outcalt
Phone: 925-226-2896
Email: KOutcalt@GoldenBaseball.com
Arizona Winter League Announced for 2008
4-Team Pro Baseball League to Return to Yuma
(Yuma, AZ. August 2, 2007) The Arizona Winter League (AWL),
a professional instructional baseball league that launched
last year is set to play in Yuma, Arizona from January 28th
to March 2nd of 2008. The four team developmental 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 50 GBL players signing with major league organizations
over the last two seasons.
Serving as a developmental league for pro players seeking
professional contracts for 2008, the AWL had 51 players
from the 2007 rosters signed by professional teams last
year. Three players went to major league farm systems of
the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Kansas
City Royals while the rest received 2007 contracts from the
independent professional Golden Baseball League, Northern
League, New York State League, CanAm League, United League,
and the American Association.
“The first year of the AWL was a tremendous success for the
players and was very well supported by the fans of Yuma and
the business community," said David Kaval, CEO of the
Golden Baseball League. “Although we had overtures from a
number of other cities in the southwest, we are committed
to the AWL being in Yuma for the longterm and are pleased
to announce the second season as the league becomes 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 at the conclusion. Last
year's dramatic come from behind win by the Yuma Scorpions
over the Canada Miners was witnessed by over 3500 fans. The
four teams of 22-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 2008 summer season, and
collegiate players that were overlooked in the 2007 MLB
amateur draft. At the conclusion of the league, the top 20
players that are free agents will be signed to GBL 2007
contracts, in addition scouts from major league
organizations and most of the independent leagues will be
evaluating players of 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.
“This is a great opportunity for players to improve and
demonstrate their skills and receive contracts for the 2008
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 28th with four days of
training before the teams are drafted and the opening night
game kicks off the season on Friday, February 1st. Games
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.
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