Florida Winter Baseball League
The Florida Winter Baseball League, based in Miami, Florida, is a professional baseball organization located in Florida. It is based in Pompano Beach, Florida.
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country | USA |
| Official website | fwbl.comThis domain is not valid in USA. (controversy) |
History
The Florida Winter Baseball League (FWBL) was a professional sports league, which began its inaugural season in October 2009.
The FWBL was a four team league which planned to play a 60-game schedule through the winter months in various Floridian markets. It was planned to feature players from the low levels of the minors, rookie leagues and A ball.[1] The league featured teams from Cocoa, Miami, Lake County and Seminole County.
The FWBL suspended operations on November 18, 2009 after completing 25% of its inaugural season, or 15 games. The organization did not raise all of the initial startup capital it required.[2][3] The poorly run league had trouble paying the players and reports existed of player paychecks bouncing.[4]
A separate league, called Florida Winter League Baseball, featuring overlooked college players or released pro players is scheduled to open in January 2012. It is unclear if the leagues have any connection other than similar names.[5]
A league by this name resurfaced in 2015 and featured four teams: The Broward Waverunners, the Collier County Loggerheads, the Miami-Dade Red Snappers and the Palm Beach Spoonbills. It is based in Pompano Beach, Florida.
League commissioner Jamie Siragusa had been a player in the independent Empire State League in 1987 and reorganized the FWBL in 2015, following the Empire State League's single complex format.
Teams
| Team | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Diamantes | Miami, Florida | University Park Stadium |
| Lake County Black Bears | Leesburg, Florida | Pat Thomas Stadium |
| Seminole County Naturals | Sanford, Florida | Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium |
| Space Coast Surge | Cocoa, Florida | Cocoa Expo Sports Center |
2015-2016 Season
The season was completed. Miami-Dale Red Snappers Won FWBL Championship 2015
| Team | Win | Loss | Ties | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dade Red Snappers | 11 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Broward Waverunners | 6 | 8 | 1 | 15 |
| Collier County Loggerheads | 6 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
| Palm Beach Spoonbills | 5 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
2009-2010 Season
The season was incomplete and interrupted after 30 games played
| Team | Win | Loss | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County Black Bears | 11 | 4 | W3 |
| Seminole County Naturals | 9 | 6 | W5 |
| Miami Diamantes | 8 | 7 | L3 |
| Space Coast Surge | 2 | 13 | L5 |
References
- LET’S PLAY TWO: Winter Baseball League to bring 2nd attraction to Memorial Stadium Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- Black Bears hibernate as the Florida Winter Baseball League suspends its inaugural season
- Florida Winter Baseball League Suspends Operations
- The FWBL Flop
- Florida Winter League Baseball