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Frontier League

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Frontier League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 Frontier League season
ClassificationIndependent
SportBaseball
Founded1993
CommissionerSteve Tahsler
No. of teams18
Country
  • United States (15 teams)
  • Canada (3 teams)
Most recent
champion(s)		Québec Capitales (10th title) (2024)
Most titlesSchaumburg Boomers (4)
Streaming partner(s)FloSports
Official websitehttps://www.frontierleague.com/

The Frontier League (FL; French: Ligue Frontière, LF) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 18 teams – 15 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the four independent baseball leagues that is considered to be an MLB Partner League, and the level of play is comparable to the High-A level. The league is headquartered in Sauget, Illinois.

The Frontier League was organized by several men who got together in the winter of 1992-1993 and decided to start an independent professional baseball league to serve the West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southeast Ohio areas. They believed they could bring professional baseball to areas that would never have a chance of affiliated professional baseball coming to their communities. The seed was planted and they named their project The Frontier League.

25 distinct franchises had competed in the league. Its largest period of growth followed in 2020–21, when six teams from the ceased Can-Am and New York–Penn leagues joined alongside an expansion franchise. The Evansville Otters, the only one of the original eight franchises still playing today, is the longest tenured team in the league.

The FL is one of the seven independent baseball leagues in North America and one of the four that is considered to be an official partner of Major League Baseball, the others being the Atlantic League, the American Association as well as the Pioneer League.

The league's regular season is typically held from May to September, with each team playing 96 games. Following the conclusion of the regular season, 8 teams advance to the Frontier League playoffs, a three-round tournament that runs into mid-September to determine the league champion. Since the league's founding in 1993, the Schaumburg Boomers have won the most combined league titles with 4, winning two in a row in 2013 and 2014. The reigning league champions are the Québec Capitales, who defeated the Washington Wild Things in the 2024 Frontier League Championship Series.

History

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The Frontier League was founded in 1993. It initially struggled to retain franchises, with four of its eight founding teams folding within three seasons, though steadily grew to twelve teams within a decade. The first league champions were the Zanesville Greys. Eight teams have won more than one championship: Springfield in 1996 and 1998; Johnstown in 1995 (as the Steal) and in 2000 (as the Johnnies), Richmond Roosters in 2001 and 2002, Windy City in 2007 and 2008, the Joliet Slammers in 2011 and 2018, and the Evansville Otters in 2006 and 2016. With four titles, the Schaumburg Boomers have won the most league championships.

On June 20, 2000, Brian Tollberg debuted with the San Diego Padres, becoming the first player from the Frontier League to make it to the Majors. A week later, Morgan Burkhart made his debut with the Boston Red Sox.

Although the league does not have any teams located in the same city as Major League teams, it does nonetheless have teams located within the markets of Major League teams. The Chicago area has three teams (Joliet Slammers, Schaumburg Boomers and Windy City ThunderBolts), as does the New York area (New Jersey Jackals, Sussex County Miners, and New York Boulders), and St. Louis (Gateway Grizzlies), Cleveland (Lake Erie Crushers), Cincinnati (Florence Y'alls) and Pittsburgh (Washington Wild Things) each have one. The Wild Things, in particular, have been able to market themselves as a successful alternative to the Pittsburgh Pirates due to the latter franchise's long stretch of losing seasons, which lasted from the Frontier League's founding in 1993 until 2013 when the Pirates finished with a record of 94–68.[1]

On October 16, 2019, it was announced that the Frontier League would be merging with the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, absorbing five of its teams to form the largest independent professional baseball league. This added the New Jersey Jackals, New York Boulders, Quebec Capitales, Sussex County Miners, and Trois-Rivieres Aigles to the league; the Ottawa Champions, the last remaining Can-Am League team, was not invited to participate.[2] The divisions were renamed, with the easternmost teams playing in the Can-Am Division and the westernmost in the Midwestern Division. The league had a partnership agreement with the California Winter League for player development.[3]

On September 24, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that it named the Frontier League an MLB Partner League.[4] This enables collaboration with MLB to jointly discuss marketing and promotional initiatives to grow, expand, and enhance the game of baseball.[5]

For the 2021 season, the Frontier League announced it would be adding two new teams. The first announcement came around the same time as the announcement of the partnership with Major League Baseball, as Ottawa was granted an expansion franchise in the league. The team, as chosen by fans in a contest, was named the Titans and will play at RCGT Park.[6][7] Then, on January 8, 2021, after the reorganization of Minor League Baseball, the league added the Tri-City ValleyCats, which were one of several teams that were orphaned or disbanded when the New York-Penn League was folded. The Titans and ValleyCats joined the five former Can-Am League teams and Washington in the Can-Am Conference; to even the divisions at three to four teams, Lake Erie was moved to the Midwest Conference.

In April 2021, the league announced that the Québec Capitales, the Trois-Rivières Aigles, and the Ottawa Titans would not compete in the 2021 season due to the prolonged closure of the Canada–United States border as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Titans, Aigles and Capitales later joined forces to form a new team that competed as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Can-Am Conference.[8] Known as Équipe Québec, they began the season as a traveling team, and starting on July 30, 2021, started sharing home games between Québec City and Trois-Rivières following a loosening in border restrictions.[9][10] 10 games were played in Québec City and 11 in Trois-Rivières. They did not play in Ottawa due to COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario.

On October 6, 2021, the owners of the Southern Illinois Miners, Jayne and John Simmons, announced they would be retiring from professional baseball to spend more time with family and the Miners would be ceasing operations and dropping out of the Frontier League.[11][12] As a result, the league formed the Empire State Greys, to compete as a traveling team with a roster of players from the Empire Professional Baseball League.[13]

In September 2023, the league announced a new team, the New England Knockouts, were to play at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Massachusetts, beginning with the 2024 season. This brought the total number of permanent members of the league to sixteen teams.[14]

In September 2024, the league announced an expansion to Mississippi and North Carolina.[15][16] A franchise was awarded to Pearl, Mississippi, called the Mississippi Mud Monsters,[17] following the departure of the Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate the Mississippi Braves.[15] The Down East Bird Dawgs, a new team in Kinston, North Carolina, will play in Grainger Stadium, which was formerly home of the Texas Rangers affiliated Down East Wood Ducks.[18][16][19]

Organization

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Teams in the Frontier League must recruit and sign their own players, who usually are undrafted college players or one-time prospects who have been released by their teams.

Frontier League rules limit teams to three "veterans" (Players older than 29 years as of October 1), while a minimum of ten of the 24-man roster are required to be rookies.

Typically, teams play a 96-game regular season from May to September.

The Frontier League uses a salary cap. As of the 2023 season, clubs had a maximum spend of US$365,000 on player compensation, with a minimum salary of $13,800 per player. Veterans could earn up to $22,800, and each team's highest-paid player could make as much as $27,300.[20] For players aged 23 and younger on standard contracts, only 50% of their salary counts towards the cap. There is also a separate salary cap for coaches and technical staff.

Teams

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From the 2022 to the 2024 season, the Frontier League consisted of 16 teams—13 based in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL divided the 16 teams into two divisions: East and West, with 8 teams per division. Starting at the 2025 season, there will now be two conferences with four divisions, with a total of 18 teams. Each conference was split into two divisions, with a total of 9 teams per conference. The expansion of the two new teams marks the league's first expansion into the deep south, and largest expansion in history.[21] The Mississippi Mud Monsters will be playing in the West Division of the Midwest Conference while the Down East Bird Dawgs will be playing in the East Division of the Atlantic Conference.[22]

Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
200km
125miles
Down East Bird Dawgs
Bird Dawgs
Down East Bird Dawgs
Mississippi Mud Monsters
Mud Monsters
Mississippi Mud Monsters
Windy City ThunderBolts
ThunderBolts
Windy City ThunderBolts
Washington Wild Things
Wild Things
Washington Wild Things
Schaumburg Boomers
Boomers
Schaumburg Boomers
Lake Erie Crushers
Crushers
Lake Erie Crushers
Joliet Slammers
Slammers
Joliet Slammers
Gateway Grizzlies
Grizzlies
Gateway Grizzlies
Florence Y'alls
Y'alls
Florence Y'alls
Evansville Otters
Otters
Evansville Otters
Trois-Rivieres Aigles
Aigles
Trois-Rivieres Aigles
Tri City ValleyCats
ValleyCats
Tri City ValleyCats
Sussex County Miners
Miners
Sussex County Miners
Quebec Capitales
Capitales
Quebec Capitales
Ottawa Titans
Titans
Ottawa Titans
New York Boulders
Boulders
New York Boulders
New Jersey Jackals
Jackals
New Jersey Jackals
New England Knockouts
Knockouts
New England Knockouts
  • East Division
  • North Division
  • Central Division
  • West Division
Frontier League
Conference Division Team Founded Joined City Stadium Capacity
Atlantic East Down East Bird Dawgs 2025 Kinston, North Carolina Grainger Stadium 4,100[23]
New Jersey Jackals 1998 2020 Paterson, New Jersey Hinchliffe Stadium 7,800[24]
New York Boulders 2011 2020 Pomona, New York Clover Stadium 9,362[25]
Sussex County Miners 2015 2020 Augusta, New Jersey Skylands Stadium 5,500[26]
North New England Knockouts 2024 Brockton, Massachusetts Campanelli Stadium 4,750[27]
Ottawa Titans 2020 Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa Stadium 10,332[citation needed]
Québec Capitales 1999 2020 Quebec City, Quebec Stade Canac 4,297[28]
Tri-City ValleyCats 2002 2021 Troy, New York Joseph L. Bruno Stadium 6,500[29]
Trois-Rivières Aigles 2012 2020 Trois-Rivières, Quebec Stade Quillorama 4,000[30]
Midwest Central Evansville Otters 1995 Evansville, Indiana Bosse Field 5,181[31]
Florence Y'alls 2003 Florence, Kentucky Thomas More Stadium 4,500[32]
Lake Erie Crushers 2009 Avon, Ohio Crushers Stadium 5,000[33]
Washington Wild Things 2002 Washington, Pennsylvania Wild Things Park 5,200[34]
West Gateway Grizzlies 2001 Sauget, Illinois Grizzlies Ballpark 6,000[35]
Joliet Slammers 2011 Joliet, Illinois Duly Health and Care Field 6,016[36]
Mississippi Mud Monsters 2025 Pearl, Mississippi Trustmark Park 8,480[37]
Schaumburg Boomers 2012 Schaumburg, Illinois Wintrust Field 7,365[38]
Windy City ThunderBolts 1995 1999 Crestwood, Illinois Ozinga Field 4,000[39]

Former teams

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Franchise timeline

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Frontier League MississippiDown East Bird DawgsNew England KnockoutsTri-City Valley CatsOttawa TitansTrois-Rivières Aigles (Frontier League)Sussex County MinersQuébec CapitalesNew York BouldersNew Jersey JackalsFrontier GreysPennsylvania Road WarriorsSchaumburg BoomersJoliet SlammersNormal CornBeltersLake Erie CrushersSouthern Illinois MinersSlippery Rock SlidersKalamazoo KingsGateway GrizzliesCook County CheetahsCanton CrocodilesRichmond RoostersNewark BuffaloesErie SailorsRiver City RascalsZanesville GreysWest Virginia Coal SoxTri-State TomahawksPortsmouth ExplorersOhio Valley RedcoatsLancaster ScoutsKentucky RiflesChillicothe Paints

Champions

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Records

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Individual career records

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Batting

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Statistic Record Player
Games Played 588 Chris Sidick
At Bats 2,225
Runs 434
Hits 725 Santiago Chirino
Home Runs 127 Charlie Lisk
Runs Batted In 442

Pitching

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Statistic Record Player
Games 255 Nick Kennedy
Games started 98 Aaron Ledbetter
Innings Pitched 671.2
Wins 51
Strikeouts 522
Complete Games 18
Saves 74 Zach Strecker

Broadcasting

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On February 24, 2022, the Frontier League announced that all games for the 2022 season would be available through the streaming platform FloSports.[41]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Team History". Washington Wild Things. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "Frontier League, Can-Am League to Join Forces". Frontier League. October 16, 2019.
  3. ^ "California Winter League and Frontier League Extend Relationship into 2021" (Press release). California Winter League. August 27, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "PressRelease". MLB. September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  5. ^ "American Association, Frontier League now MLB Partner Leagues". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  6. ^ Reichard, Kevin (September 25, 2020). "Frontier League returns to Ottawa in 2021". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Baines, Tim (September 23, 2020). "PLAY BALL! Sam Katz confident baseball will be a hit in Ottawa when it returns next year". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  8. ^ "ÉQUIPE QUÉBEC UNVEILS BRANDING". Frontier League (Press release). April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "FRONTIER LEAGUE ADJUSTS 2021 SCHEDULE". Frontier League (Press release). April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Retour du baseball professionnel au Québec". Québec Capitales (in Canadian French). July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "Jayne and John Simmons Announce Retirement from Professional Baseball in Marion, Illinois" (Press release). Southern Illinois Miners. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  12. ^ Reichard, Kevin (October 7, 2021). "Southern Illinois Miners ceasing operations". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Reichard, Kevin (February 12, 2022). "New for 2022: Empire State Greys". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  14. ^ "Frontier League Awards Membership to New England". Frontier League (Press release). September 21, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Simmons, Scott (September 9, 2024). "New baseball team coming to Trustmark Park as M-Braves leave". WAPT. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Sartori, Gabby; Layton, Courtney (September 17, 2024). "Down East Wood Ducks reveal new team name and logo at Grainger Stadium". WNCT-TV. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  17. ^ Reily, Ross (September 28, 2024). "New name for a new baseball team in Pearl, Mississippi". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  18. ^ "Frontier League Adds Down East Bird Dawgs In Latest Expansion". Frontier League (Press release). September 17, 2024.
  19. ^ "Down East Bird Dawgs coming to Kinston's Grainger Stadium". WITN. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Cooper, J. J. (March 29, 2023). "MLB, Minor League Players Reach Deal On First MiLB CBA". College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "The Frontier League Announces Newest Expansion Team In Mississippi". Frontier League (Press release). September 9, 2024.
  22. ^ "Frontier League Announces 2025 Season Schedule". Frontier League. 2024-10-27.
  23. ^ "Grainger Stadium in Kinston, NC". MiLB.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  24. ^ Caloway, Nick (2023-05-19). "Historic Hinchliffe Stadium reopens in Paterson - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  25. ^ "Clover Stadium Announced as Host Site for the MAAC Baseball Championship through 2025". maacsports.com. 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  26. ^ "Baseball Stadium At Six Flags Great Adventure". greatadventurehistory.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  27. ^ "Statscrew". September 1, 2024.
  28. ^ Martin, Jean-Philippe (September 10, 2023). "Les Capitales l'emportent et forcent la tenue d'un match ultime" [The Capitals win and force a final match]. Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  29. ^ "vividseats". January 1, 2025.
  30. ^ "Stade Quillorama". Tourisme Trois-Rivières. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  31. ^ "Bosse Field - Evansville Otters". www.baseballpilgrimages.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  32. ^ "Thomas More Stadium - Florence, Kentucky". www.ballparkreviews.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  33. ^ "Project". www.osports.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  34. ^ "Wild Things Park". Washingtonish.com. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  35. ^ "Grizzlies Ballpark". Webster University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  36. ^ Hasman, Eric (2024-07-05). "Duly Health and Care Field – Joliet Slammers". Stadium Journey. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  37. ^ Colville, Matt (2023-09-09). "Trustmark Park – Mississippi Braves". Stadium Journey. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  38. ^ "Facilities". Dominican University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  39. ^ "Ozinga Field - Crestwood, Illinois". ballparkreviews.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  40. ^ Dugan, Chris. "Frontier League season canceled". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  41. ^ "Frontier League and FloSports Announce Landmark Streaming Rights Agreement". OurSports Central (Press release). Frontier League. February 24, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
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