Irish Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The Irish Baseball League (IBL) is the men's league in Ireland
. It started play in 1997 and continues to this day. The season runs from April to September (which usually includes a mid-summer break ) and games are played on the weekends.
, West Dublin are the main home of Irish Baseball. The majority of league games are held at the fields along with Ireland National Team games. The Black Sox play at Shanganagh Park which is yet to be developed into a "Real" baseball field. The Greystones Mariners home field is completed and will host adult games for the first time this year. The Northstars have played at the playing fields of Queen's University
and Victoria Park, Belfast, and are currently resident at Henry Jones Playing Fields in Castlereagh. They are currently in negotiations with a number of landowners with a view to having a dedicated baseball field.
For the 2011 season the following teams are participating at the associated venues:
(* The Dukes are no longer in existence, they were made defunct in 1998 when the league started from scratch with an 'all-players draft' and total reformat of all teams.)
from County Cavan
, was the only Irish-born member of the "First Boys of Summer": the 1869 World Champion Cincinnati Red Stockings - Baseballs First Professional Team. He also helped create and sustain the original Boston Red Stockings championship dynasty from 1872 through 1876 and again in 1878, competing in six world championships. He had the joint 2nd best career average for an Irish player of .299. He was said to be the finest left fielder of his generation. He took particular delight in returning in 1874 during an exhibition tour of the Red Stockings and the runner-up Philadelphia Athletics. In his diary and press clippings of that year, Andy and his life-long friend Harry Wright were the leading batsmen as the Yanks beat the then reigning Marybone champions in London at their own game, cricket.
Previous winners of The 'Andy Leonard' League MVP
Award include:
(** Dublin Panthers is now a defunct franchise. Most of their players left to join either the Dublin Blacksox or retire in 2004.)
was born in Granard in County Longford
in 1856. He became the first Triple Crown
pitcher
when he led the National League
with 40 wins, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.11 ERA
for Boston in 1877.
Previous winners of The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award include:
Silver Slugger Award and the Patsy Donovan
Batting Champion Award. (Other awards are listed on the official Baseball Ireland site).
The other game in the opening round was the 4-3 victory for the Hurricanes over the Mariners. The next round had the two heavyweights in the league against each other and it was the Spartans who were to come out top with a 6-5 victory over the Hurricanes. The other game in the 2nd round was the Mariners 3-1 victory over the Black Sox. The next round featured one of the most exciting games of the last few years. The Mariners were playing the Black Sox again in Shankhill. Having let a 4-0 lead slip in typical Mariners fashion the Greystones Mariners were 8-5 down in the bottom of the 7th inning with 2 outs. Jack Fairbairn
amazingly bunts his way to first (with two outs!) which sets up one of the greatest comebacks ever recorded in the Irish League. The Mariners managed to tie the game into extra innings where the Black Sox scored another run to make the score 9-8 to the Black Sox. Cian O' Riordan stole home to tie up the game. Steven Hayes took a walk to 1st and stole 2nd. Jack Fairbairn
steps up to the plate and once again bunts his way to success. An overthrow from the Black Sox catcher past 1st allowed Steven Hayes to score the winning run. A truly great game.
The Mariners were the first team to qualify for the playoffs after the Warriors gave them a double walk-over which ensured they finished in the top two. They're also a pretty sound team so you should probably check them out. - (Very questionable content!!)
The Irish Baseball League has two levels for 2007, A and B. The A level consists of the Spartans, the Hurricanes, the Twins, the Greystones Mariners, the Blacksox and the Belfast Northstars.
The B level is for player and club development and consists of B teams from the Spartans, Hurricanes, Blacksox and Greystones Mariners.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It started play in 1997 and continues to this day. The season runs from April to September (which usually includes a mid-summer break ) and games are played on the weekends.
Club sides and fields
The O'Malley Fields at Corkagh Park in ClondalkinClondalkin
-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...
, West Dublin are the main home of Irish Baseball. The majority of league games are held at the fields along with Ireland National Team games. The Black Sox play at Shanganagh Park which is yet to be developed into a "Real" baseball field. The Greystones Mariners home field is completed and will host adult games for the first time this year. The Northstars have played at the playing fields of Queen's University
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
and Victoria Park, Belfast, and are currently resident at Henry Jones Playing Fields in Castlereagh. They are currently in negotiations with a number of landowners with a view to having a dedicated baseball field.
For the 2011 season the following teams are participating at the associated venues:
| Team | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast North Stars | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... |
Henry Jones Playing Fields |
| Cavan Comets | Cavan Cavan Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland... |
Cavan Rugby Club Park |
| Dublin Black Soxs | Dublin | Shanganagh Park |
| Dublin Hurricanes | Dublin | O'Malley Fields |
| Dublin Spartans | Dublin | Corkagh Park Corkagh Park Corkagh Park is a park near Clondalkin in Dublin and the N7 road. The River Camac flows through it, and there are fishing ponds. Near the N7 entrance to the park is a caravan park. The area, once Corkagh Demesne, contained two large houses, and historically also featured mills.... |
| Greystones Mariners | Greystones Greystones Greystones is a coastal town and small seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000.... |
Mariners Park |
| Munster Warriors | Limerick Limerick Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the... |
University of Limerick University of Limerick The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989... |
| West Clare Dolphins | Kilrush Kilrush Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:... |
Kilrush Community Centre |
Irish league history
Previous Irish League Champions 1997 - 2010- 2011 - Spartans
- 2010 - Spartans
- 2009 - Spartans
- 2008 - Spartans
- 2007 - Spartans
- 2006 - Spartans
- 2005 - Hurricanes
- 2004 - Spartans
- 2003 - Hurricanes
- 2002 - Spartans
- 2001 - Panthers
- 2000 - Spartans
- 1999 - Spartans
- 1998 - Panthers
- 1997 - The Dukes *
(* The Dukes are no longer in existence, they were made defunct in 1998 when the league started from scratch with an 'all-players draft' and total reformat of all teams.)
Irish League individual awards and winners
The individual Irish League awards given out annually have an Irish Flavour in an effort to pay homage to the great Irish players who played in the Major Leagues from years gone by. For example, instead of the traditional Cy Young Award being given to the League's Top Pitcher, recipients are presented with the 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award.The 'Andy Leonard' League MVP award
Andy LeonardAndy Leonard
Andrew Jackson Leonard played left field for the original Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully professional baseball team. He was one of five men to play regularly for both the Cincinnati and the Boston Red Stockings, the latter winning six championships during his seven seasons...
from County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, was the only Irish-born member of the "First Boys of Summer": the 1869 World Champion Cincinnati Red Stockings - Baseballs First Professional Team. He also helped create and sustain the original Boston Red Stockings championship dynasty from 1872 through 1876 and again in 1878, competing in six world championships. He had the joint 2nd best career average for an Irish player of .299. He was said to be the finest left fielder of his generation. He took particular delight in returning in 1874 during an exhibition tour of the Red Stockings and the runner-up Philadelphia Athletics. In his diary and press clippings of that year, Andy and his life-long friend Harry Wright were the leading batsmen as the Yanks beat the then reigning Marybone champions in London at their own game, cricket.
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
Award include:
- 2010 - Jimmy Pita (Dublin Spartans)
- 2009 - Cristi Hutnav (Dublin Spartans)
- 2006 - Darran O'Connor (Dublin Spartans)
- 2005 - Steve Divito (Dublin Hurricanes)
- 2004 - Darragh Jones (Greystones Mariners)
- 2003 - Tom Kelley (Dublin Hurricanes)
- 2002 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
- 2001 - None given
- 2000 - None given
- 1999 - Tom Kelley (Dublin Hurricanes)
- 1998 - Ken McCarthy (Dublin Panthers) **
- 1997 - None given
(** Dublin Panthers is now a defunct franchise. Most of their players left to join either the Dublin Blacksox or retire in 2004.)
The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award
Tommy BondTommy Bond (baseball)
Thomas Henry Bond was a Major League Baseball player who was a pitcher and a right fielder a total of ten seasons. A native of Granard, Ireland, he is the first person born in Ireland to play Major League Baseball. Bond was also the last survivor of the National League's first season...
was born in Granard in County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1856. He became the first Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
when he led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with 40 wins, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.11 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
for Boston in 1877.
Previous winners of The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award include:
- 2009 - Cormac Eklof (Dublin Hurricanes)
- 2008 - Niall Rowen (Dublin Blacksox)
- 2007 - Andre (Dublin Spartans)
- 2006 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
- 2005 - Shawn Miskiman (Greystones Mariners)
- 2004 - Cormac Eklof (Dublin Hurricanes)
- 2003 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
- 2002 - Eoin O'Connor (Dublin Blacksox)
- 2001 - None given
- 2000 - None given
- 1999 - Greg Modaro (Dublin Panthers)
- 1998 - Noel Mitchell (Dublin Spartans)
- 1997 - None given
Other awards
Other awards given are the 'Dirty' Jack DoyleJack Doyle (baseball)
John Joseph "Jack" Doyle was an Irish-American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned 17 seasons, mainly in the National League.He was born in Killorglin, Ireland, and emigrated to the U.S...
Silver Slugger Award and the Patsy Donovan
Patsy Donovan
Patrick Joseph "Patsy" Donovan was an Irish-American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from to , most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates and St...
Batting Champion Award. (Other awards are listed on the official Baseball Ireland site).
2010 season
The 2010 season opened with newcomers to the league "Munster Warriors" beating the Spartans twice. 1-0 and 8-5.The other game in the opening round was the 4-3 victory for the Hurricanes over the Mariners. The next round had the two heavyweights in the league against each other and it was the Spartans who were to come out top with a 6-5 victory over the Hurricanes. The other game in the 2nd round was the Mariners 3-1 victory over the Black Sox. The next round featured one of the most exciting games of the last few years. The Mariners were playing the Black Sox again in Shankhill. Having let a 4-0 lead slip in typical Mariners fashion the Greystones Mariners were 8-5 down in the bottom of the 7th inning with 2 outs. Jack Fairbairn
Kini's Cool Cat Jazz Hour
Kini's Cool Cat Jazz Hour is a popular Dublin radio show featured on Belfield FM every Tuesday night from 9-10. It is presented by Jack Fairbairn , who relishes talking in a "jazzy" way, and giving "shout outs" to Simon Bird. Ken is well known in the Dublin Radio circuit for pioneering the use of...
amazingly bunts his way to first (with two outs!) which sets up one of the greatest comebacks ever recorded in the Irish League. The Mariners managed to tie the game into extra innings where the Black Sox scored another run to make the score 9-8 to the Black Sox. Cian O' Riordan stole home to tie up the game. Steven Hayes took a walk to 1st and stole 2nd. Jack Fairbairn
Kini's Cool Cat Jazz Hour
Kini's Cool Cat Jazz Hour is a popular Dublin radio show featured on Belfield FM every Tuesday night from 9-10. It is presented by Jack Fairbairn , who relishes talking in a "jazzy" way, and giving "shout outs" to Simon Bird. Ken is well known in the Dublin Radio circuit for pioneering the use of...
steps up to the plate and once again bunts his way to success. An overthrow from the Black Sox catcher past 1st allowed Steven Hayes to score the winning run. A truly great game.
The Mariners were the first team to qualify for the playoffs after the Warriors gave them a double walk-over which ensured they finished in the top two. They're also a pretty sound team so you should probably check them out. - (Very questionable content!!)
2007 season
The 2007 Irish Adult Baseball League started with the Belfast Northstars defeating the Dublin Twins 12-7 and 13-7. The Dublin Black Sox also defeated the Greystones Mariners 16-7.The Irish Baseball League has two levels for 2007, A and B. The A level consists of the Spartans, the Hurricanes, the Twins, the Greystones Mariners, the Blacksox and the Belfast Northstars.
The B level is for player and club development and consists of B teams from the Spartans, Hurricanes, Blacksox and Greystones Mariners.