Can-Am League to Play as Division in Four Division American Association, Minus Newark Bears

PRESS RELEASE – Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball commissioner Miles Wolff announced on Wednesday that the league will play as one of four divisions in the American Association for the 2014 season. Can-Am League players will also participate in the American Association All Star Game, to be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 30, and interleague play between the two leagues will continue for a third season.

Four teams will make up the Can-Am League in 2014: the Quebec Capitales and Trois-Rivieres Aigles from the province of Quebec; the New Jersey (Montclair) Jackals; and the Rockland Boulders of Pomona, N.Y. The Newark Bears will not operate in 2014.

Wolff commented, “The Can-Am League is extremely pleased to continue its alliance with the American Association. It has been a great rivalry with the teams in the central U.S. and Canada, and we believe it sets the stage for growth of the Can-Am in 2015 and beyond.” The Can-Am League has already announced that Ottawa, Ontario, will join the league in 2015; several other cities are under consideration for inclusion in 2015.

The league will begin its 20th season in 2014, starting as the Northeast League in 1995. The Can-Am League name was adopted in 2005 in honor of the original Can-Am League, which operated from 1938 to 1952. The American Association was revived in 2006 when teams from the Northern League and Central League combined. The original American Association was formed in 1901, with current members St. Paul, Kansas City, and Wichita all members of the original American Association.

The American Association divisional lineup for 2014:

North Division: Fargo-Moorhead (N.D.-Minn.) RedHawks, St. Paul (Minn.) Saints, Sioux Falls (S.D.) Canaries, Winnipeg (Manitoba) Goldeyes.
Central Division: Gary (Ind.) RailCats, Kansas City (Kan.) T-Bones, Lincoln (Neb.) Saltdogs, Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers.
South Divison: Amarillo (Texas) Sox, Grand Prairie (Texas) AirHogs, Laredo (Texas) Lemurs, Wichita (Kan.) Wingnuts.
Can-Am Division: New Jersey (Montclair) Jackals, Quebec (Quebec City) Capitales, Rockland (Pomona, N.Y.) Boulders, Trois-Rivieres (Quebec) Aigles.

The North, Central and South Divisions will begin their 100-game season on May 17, while the Can-Am Division will start its 96-game season a week later on May 24.