Valley Baseball League
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 |
| Motto | "Gateway to the majors" |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Strasburg Express |
| Official website | Valley Baseball League |
The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA and MLB-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.[1] Each Valley Baseball League season consists of 44 games played during summer. Many Valley Baseball League players have continued on to play in Major League Baseball.
The league was started in 1923 and sanctioned by the NCAA in 1961. It has been a wooden bat league since 1993. It is one of eight leagues in the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball. The VBL is funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball. The Valley League has produced well over 1,000 professional baseball players, including a record 79 former players drafted in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Last year 27 Valley League alumni were playing in the Major Leagues.
In 2007, The Valley Baseball League expanded to include one new team with the addition of the Fauquier Gators. Another team was supposed to be added in Lexington, Virginia but there were difficulties with the lighting system that delayed their addition to the league. The VBL announced, officially, in July 2008 that the Rockbridge Rapids (playing in Lexington, on Washington and Lee's field) will start play in the 2009 season, folded a couple years later. In 2011 the Strasburg Express entered the league and it was announced on July 2, 2014 that Charlottesville would be joining the VBL and begin play in 2015. The team will play its games at Charlottesville High School and will be called the Charlottesville Tom Sox.[2]
Teams
North
South
Valley League Playoff SeriesQuarterfinals: #1 vs. #8 (Best 2 of 3 games) #2 vs. #7 (Best 2 of 3 games) #3 vs. #6 (Best 2 of 3 games) #4 vs. #5 (Best 2 of 3 games)
Highest Remaining Seed Vs. Lowest Remaining Seed (Best 2 of 3 games) Next Highest Seed vs. Next Lowest Seed (Best 2 of 3 games)
Highest Remaining Seed vs. Other Remaining Seed (Best 2 of 3 games) Champions
Championships per team
The summer of 2008 was highlighted by a promotion called Around the Valley in 60 Days. This promotion was started by Crystal Clear Delivery and S. Carter Studios and encouraged patrons to visit all 11 parks in the 60 day season. The program was deemed a huge success as some fifty fans completed the program and attended all 11 ballparks. Notable players
References
External links |