North American League - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The North American League (officially known as the North American Baseball League) is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season. The league consists of a merger of three independent leagues, the Northern League of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United League Baseball

United League Baseball

United League Baseball was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas. It later merged with the Northern League and the Golden Baseball League to form the North American League.- History :...

of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, and the Golden Baseball League

Golden Baseball League

The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....

based in the Western United States

Western United States

.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...

and Western Canada

Western Canada

Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...

Travel issues and division alignment

To keep travel costs from being a financial issue for the teams, the league plays in a division structure where teams play 75% of their 96-game schedule within their division and make just one lengthy roadtrip of 12 games outside their division. The league concludes the season with divisional playoffs followed by a North American Championship Series.

Level of play

The roster rules eliminate the LS classification system and allow all teams to keep their existing players from 2010. The three predecessor leagues had contracts of 35 players purchased by Major League organizations in 2010. In addition, these three leagues placed half of the prospects on the Baseball America

Baseball America

Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

Top Indy Prospects List and six of the 14 players on the 2010 Baseball America All-Indy First Team.

Teams

North American League
Division	Team	Founded	City	Stadium	Capacity
Northern	Chico Outlaws Chico Outlaws The Chico Outlaws are a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...	2005	Chico Chico, California Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	Nettleton Stadium Nettleton Stadium Nettleton Stadium is a baseball stadium in Chico, California on the campus of California State University, Chico. It is the home field for the CSU Chico Baseball team, the Wildcats, and the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League. It holds 4,200 people. The stadium was named for majority...	4,200
	Edmonton Capitals Edmonton Capitals The Edmonton Capitals are a professional baseball team based in Edmonton, Alberta. Known originally as the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, they began play in the Northern League in 2005 before switching to the Golden Baseball League in 2008. The team was sold to Daryl Katz in 2009, after which the team was...	2005	Edmonton, Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...	Telus Field TELUS Field Telus Field is a baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is home to the Edmonton Capitals of the independent North American League, and was home to the former Edmonton Trappers, an AAA baseball team of the Pacific Coast League. The Trappers moved to Round Rock, Texas, and became the...	10,000
	Na Koa Ikaika Maui	2010	Wailuku Wailuku, Hawaii Wailuku is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 12,296 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Maui County.Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Īao Valley... , Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...	Maehara Stadium Maehara Stadium Maehara Stadium is a stadium in Wailuku, Hawaii. It is primarily used for baseball, and the home field of Na Koa Ikaika Maui due to start play in 2010. It also hosted the Maui Stingrays of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. It opened in 1973 and holds 1,500 spectators. It is named after Ichiro...	2,500
Division	Team	Founded	City	Stadium	Capacity
Southern	Edinburg Roadrunners	2001	Edinburg Edinburg, Texas Edinburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 77,100 at the 2010 census. The University of Texas–Pan American, the only fully accredited four-year university in the Rio Grande Valley, is located in Edinburg.Edinburg is part of the... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...	Edinburg Stadium Edinburg Stadium Edinburg Stadium is a stadium in Edinburg, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball, and was originally home to the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Texas-Louisiana League/Central Baseball League, and the UTPA Broncs of college baseball. It is currently home to the Broncs and is the home field of the...	4,000
	McAllen Thunder	2011	McAllen McAllen, Texas McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...	Edinburg Stadium Edinburg Stadium Edinburg Stadium is a stadium in Edinburg, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball, and was originally home to the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Texas-Louisiana League/Central Baseball League, and the UTPA Broncs of college baseball. It is currently home to the Broncs and is the home field of the...	4,000
	Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings are a professional baseball team based in Harlingen, Texas, in the United States. The WhiteWings are a member of United League Baseball, an independent professional league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...	1994	Harlingen Harlingen, Texas Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...	Harlingen Field Harlingen Field Harlingen Field is a baseball park in Harlingen, Texas that has been home to professional baseball, such as the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings and the Harlingen Giants, and high school baseball...	4,500
	San Angelo Colts San Angelo Colts The San Angelo Colts are a professional baseball team based in San Angelo, Texas, in the United States. The Colts are a member of North American League, an independent professional league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...	2000	San Angelo San Angelo, Texas San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200... , Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...	Foster Field Foster Field Foster Field is a baseball stadium in San Angelo, Texas. It was built in 2000 for the San Angelo Colts and the Angelo State University Rams. The Colts play in the North American League and are the primary tenants. The Angelo State University Rams Baseball team is the secondary tenant in the...	4,200
	Yuma Scorpions Yuma Scorpions The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...	2005	Yuma Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041.... , Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...	Desert Sun Stadium Desert Sun Stadium Desert Sun Stadium is a stadium in Yuma, Arizona. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the North American League's Yuma Scorpions minor league baseball team and plays host to the Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League. The stadium, which originally opened in 1969,...	6,590

Expansion teams

Team	Founded	City	Stadium	Capacity	Joining League
Fort McMurray Team	2011	Fort McMurray, Alberta Fort McMurray, Alberta Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...	Unknown	Unknown	2012 or 13
Fullerton Flyers Fullerton Flyers The Fullerton Flyers are a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They are an independent franchise which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball... (on hiatus)	2005	Fullerton Fullerton, California Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	Goodwin Field Goodwin Field Goodwin Field is a stadium in Fullerton, California. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of both the four-time champion Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team of the NCAA's Big West Conference and Orange County Flyers minor league baseball teams. It holds 3,500 people...	3,500	2012
Henderson RoadRunners Henderson RoadRunners The Henderson RoadRunners are an independent professional baseball team based out of Henderson, Nevada. They are members of the Western Division in the North American League and were scheduled to begin play in 2011 at Lied Field at Morse Stadium on the campus of the College of Southern Nevada in... (on hiatus)	2007	Henderson, Nevada Henderson, Nevada -Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...	College of Southern Nevada	N/A	2012
Long Beach Armada Long Beach Armada The Long Beach Armada was an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball... (on hiatus)	2005	Long Beach, California Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...	Blair Field Blair Field Blair Field is a stadium in Long Beach, California. It originally opened in 1956 and is primarily used for baseball. It holds 3,238 people. It is named for Frank Blair, the sports editor for the Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper for 32 years....	3,283	2012
Omaha Flame Omaha Flame The Omaha Flame are an independent professional baseball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. They joined the North American League as an expansion team in 2011 and are expected to join the league's Eastern Division. They will play their home games at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha as early as 2011...	2011	Omaha Omaha, Nebraska Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River... , Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....	TD Ameritrade Park Omaha	24,000	2013
San Rafael Pacifics San Rafael Pacifics The San Rafael Pacifics, a professional baseball team based in San Rafael, California, are a member franchise of the North American League, an independent professional baseball circuit not affiliated with Major League Baseball....	2011	San Rafael, California San Rafael, California San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...	Albert Park Albert Park Albert Park may refer to:In Australia:* Albert Park, Lismore, home to international baseball stadium Baxter Field* Albert Park, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne** Albert Park and Lake, the park itself...	800	2012

Former Teams

Team	Founded	Defunct	City	Stadium
Calgary Vipers Calgary Vipers The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers have played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, the Vipers played in the Northern League from...	2005	2011	Calgary, Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...	Foothills Stadium Foothills Stadium Foothills Stadium, formerly Burns Stadium, is a stadium in Calgary, Alberta. It is primarily used for baseball, and was formerly home to the Calgary Cannons AAA baseball club until September 2002, when the team relocated to Albuquerque. It is now the home field of the Calgary Vipers baseball team...
Lake County Fielders Lake County Fielders The Lake County Fielders are a professional minor league baseball team based in Zion, Illinois, located in Lake County in the northern reaches of the Chicago area...	2009	2011¹	Zion Zion, Illinois Zion is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,866 at the 2000 census, and estimated at 24,303 as of 2005. The city was founded in July 1901 by John Alexander Dowie. He also started the Zion Tabernacle of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, which was the only... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	Fielders Stadium
Tucson Toros Tucson Toros The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager.... ²	1969 (in PCL)	2011	Tucson Tucson, Arizona Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200... , Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...	Hi Corbett Field Hi Corbett Field Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...

NOTES: The Fielders folded in the middle of the 2011 season after they were unable to have their stadium opened in time. The Toros were evicted from their stadium prior to the 2011 season and folded.

External links

North American League