We’re not sure how legitimate this is, and it’s a red flag when information about the founder(s) is scarce, but a new Canton (OH)-based independent professional league is apparently developing. The Independent Baseball League claims it will begin play in 2014. View website here. View Facebook page here. The Tiffin Saints are one of the teams to be announced. View website here. View Facebook page here.
New League in Ohio?
Filed under League & Franchise, Market & Location
ballparkbiz.wordpress.com 
No franchise fee sounds a bit too loose to suit me for what ought to be considered a pro league. What other rules won’t apply? This is a weekend fun league — it’s hardly “professional” in any respect. If they are going to play on college fields, they have no control over concessions or leasing of the ballparks. They might survive on somebody’s ego. Smells more like Zion than anything else.
Broad and ranging assumptions are truly a sad thing.
So what’s your story?
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/554119/Tiffin-semi-pro-team-in-question.html?nav=5012
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/555591/TU-says-it-won-t-host-Saints.html?nav=5012
http://www.tiffinsaints.com/
Alan
I have deleted several posts here. First, “Matt,” who posted above, is not Nick D. as alleged. I have IP addresses, and I know who is playing games and who is not. Second, if anyone wants to discuss the American West Baseball League or the Northern League, please go to the appropriate comments section under a relevant post.
Alan
Thank you Alan, my apologies…
I would also advise “Matt” here not to use the e-mail for http://www.IndependentBaseball.net, unless he is actually Matt from this website. I have been advised that you are not. In fact, you have used the following usernames with different e-mail addresses: Matt (4 times), Courtney Abner (1 time), Derek (17 times), Derek Harrison (3 times), Rodney (3 times), and NYSL NYSL (1 time). Knock it off!
Alan
The Pecos is at best a semi-pro league. Not all of their players are paid. Those who are make about $200/mo.
Here is a little background:
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/539044/Spitaleri-hopes-to-start-league–put-team-in-Tiffin.html?nav=5012
Alan
speaking of the woes pf the pecos and united leagues imo the markets are either too small or pk budgets were too high
overcrowding markets and spreading out a loop (ulb)is an accident waiting to happen too
as for your comment on Pecos…Pecos claims all players paid in 2014, but they are averaging under 500 fans a game, i see how much work it took to get to that….this won’t work in Ohio….. they will probbaly do a tryout camp where they charge players to tryout and run… America West Style…
Won’t work in that part of country, if markets were any good college summer or frontier would have taken them, Just because someone says they are running professional league don’t run off and give them credit….
3 teams with one travel is what the Continental Baseball League was in 2010….And the problem with that is fans lose interest in seeing unpaid players and fans loose interest is seeing the same teams..
Someone should recommend to the guy to try and help out on of the Frontier League teams…. there are those who need help, starting your own league in Michigan and Ohio the odds are against you..
pks imo are to big in size and scope and the ibl gets this
Interesting story and comments on this site. I am Eric, I have been working on a small professional league for sometime now and am the founder of this league, the IBL. I know that some people have said this is a joke and a name is spelled wrong on the website, (I didn’t notice that, I do it all myself, but thanks), we have lost teams in Westerville and etc. I will say that this league is real. Its small, and being brought to smaller cities where teams can get 500-1000 in attendance and its going to be a 36 game schedule. I have had a few owners that committed to the league and then disappear. I am not charging a franchise fee and league dues are very minimal so the league can get built. All we want to do is play one good season and then we will build from there. Sorry to everyone that thinks we are a scam, or internet fiction.
Thank you to Chuck, who I have spoke to many times for defending me. If the facebook or website are not updated as fast as everyone would like, im sorry. We will start in June, 4 teams, 1 travel and the league will be good. Thanks for your time and feel free to contact me with any questions
Absolutely none of those markets has the population or the per-cap income to handle even an entry-level indy league. The fact that this is a four-team league with one of the teams being a travel club is a dead giveaway. This is a work of internet fiction.
the fl has a road team and while these towns may not be big their budgets wont be either
I know they have talked to Tiffin officials and to Tiffin University. The Advertiser-Tribune has reported on this story in the past. Bill Madlock was tanned to be the manager.
League will not make it in Tiffin, based upon my experience in Tiffin and in professional baseball. Community is only 20,000 people. Even a lower-level pro league will not survive, otherwise, I think Summer Collegiate league would have tried.
Chuck, there is a minimum amount of revenue that must be generated to pay the bills, the players and the off-field employees. I am familiar with a couple of those markets. A business plan that calls for a break-even point with less than 1,000 fans indicates to me that this would be another Pecos League, in which many players are unpaid.
lake orion mi , adrian mi , tiffin oh and a travel team will make up the ibl
The title of the site at the top of my browser is indybeaseballleague.com
Probably a problem when you don’t even spell Baseball correct.
They formed much too late to put a team in Tiger Stadium. I always thought that would’ve been a heckuva draw for an indy league-based team in Detroit, which is one of the four locations selected by the Independent Baseball League for a franchise (so says their website). But I’m with ya: no information on the About Us page and it sounds like (from their FB page) that they’ve already lost Westerville, OH before season 1. Plus the name of the league doesn’t sound much like the name of a league. So the red flags are a flying…
imo the city/tigers wouldnt allow an indy team at the “corner”