Canadian Baseball League
Upcoming season or competition: 2026 CBL season | |
 | |
| Formerly | Intercounty Baseball League (1919–2025) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Commissioner | Ted Kalnins |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country | Canada |
| Confederation | WBSC Americas |
| Most recent champion | Welland Jackfish (2nd) |
| Most titles | Stratford Nationals (16) |
| Broadcasters | |
| Official website | cbl |
The Canadian Baseball League (CBL) is a professional independent baseball league based in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is composed of nine teams, who annually play a home-and-away season from May to August. The top eight teams at the end of the season qualify for a postseason tournament in September that determines the league's champion, who are awarded the Dominico Cup.
The league was founded in 1919 as the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), and was a semi-professional league for the majority of its existence. It was fully-professionalized and rebranded to the CBL ahead of its 2026 season. More than 23 franchises have competed in the league in its 107-year history, with the Guelph Royals and Kitchener Panthers – both charter members – being the longest-tenured. As of its 2025 season, the Welland Jackfish are the current champions, while the Stratford Nationals, a defunct franchise, have won the most championships (16).
History
[edit]The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) was founded in 1919 with just four cities represented — Galt, Guelph, Stratford and Kitchener, and is the oldest amateur men's league in Canada.[1] During the early years, the league expanded to include the cities of Waterloo, Brantford, Preston, London, and St. Thomas.
It was previously known as the Intercounty Major Baseball League and the Senior Intercounty Baseball League. Teams compete for the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy, which is awarded to the league champions. The trophy is named for the late owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, husband and wife Jack and Lynne Dominico.
On December 3, 2024, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they had signed Ayami Sato, making her the first female player in the league as well as the first female player chosen to play professional baseball in Canada.[2] She began playing on May 11, 2025.[3]
In 2025, IBL commissioner Ted Kalnins stated that league was transitioning from being a semi-professional to fully professional league and would be expanding to a total of 10 teams as a part of that effort.[4] In addition to being a fully professional league, the league would now be known as the Canadian Baseball League and see the amount of regular season games played increase from 42 to 48, as well as a 5-team playoff structure. Further changes to the league are set to be announced in by the end of 2025. [5]
All-Star Game
[edit]On July 8, 2006, in Barrie, the league's New Era IBL All-Star Classic game between the Barrie Baycats and the IBL All-Stars; Barrie won 7–2.
On August 21 and 22, 2010 in Ottawa, the Fat Cats hosted the New Era All-Star Classic between the IBL All-Stars and the All-Stars from Ligue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec (LBSEQ).[6]
Barrie hosted the league's All-Star Game on July 11, 2015, with the IBL All-Stars defeating Barrie Baycats 13–4.
Following a several-year hiatus the IBL announced they will be hosting a mid summer classic on July 20, 2024 in Welland.[7]
All-Star Game results (2024 - present)
| Year | Venue | Host team | Result | MVP | Home Run Derby winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Welland Stadium | Welland Jackfish | South 13 - North 6 | Matteo Porcellato (Welland Jackfish) | Tyler Duncan (Hamilton Cardinals) |
| 2025 | Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium | Hamilton Cardinals | North 5 - South 4 | Yunior Ibarra (Kitchener Panthers) |
Transition to "Canadian Baseball League"
[edit]On November 24, 2025, the league announced that, beginning with the 2026 season, the league would be changing its name from the Intercounty Baseball League, which had been in use since the league's founding in 1919, to the Canadian Baseball League. The change was made due, in part, to the growing popularity of the league across the country, as well as the move from its former semi-professional standing to a fully professional structure. The league also announced that it would be expanding its regular season from 42 games to 48, and setting the number of playoff teams at five.
Under the new playoff system, the fourth- and -fifth place teams will play in a win-or-go-home one-game playoff, followed by the remaining teams playing in two best-of-seven series to determine the winner of the Dominico Cup.[8]
Teams
[edit]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Cap. | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrie Baycats | Springwater | Athletic Kulture Stadium | 1,500 | 2001 |
| Brantford Red Sox | Brantford | Arnold Anderson Stadium | 2,000 | 1921 |
| Chatham-Kent Barnstormers | Chatham-Kent | Fergie Jenkins Field | 1,600 | 2024 |
| Guelph Royals | Guelph | Hastings Stadium | 1,400 | 1919 |
| Hamilton Cardinals | Hamilton | Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium | 3,000 | 1958 |
| Kitchener Panthers | Kitchener | Jack Couch Park | 1,400 | 1919 |
| London Majors | London | Labatt Park | 5,200 | 1925 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto | Dominico Field | 1,000 | 1969 |
| Welland Jackfish | Welland | Welland Stadium | 3,241 | 2019 |
- List of franchises (1919–present)
- Bold text indicates current teams
 |
- Galt Terriers / Cambridge Terriers (1919–1980s)
- Guelph Maple Leafs / Guelph-Waterloo Royals / Guelph Plymouths / Guelph Merchants / Guelph Royals / Guelph C-Joys / Guelph Forums / Guelph Royals (1919–present)
- Stratford Nationals / Stratford Kraven Knits / Stratford Hillers (1919–1990s)
- Kitchener McBrines / Twin City Panthers / Kitchener Panthers / Kitchener Wolves / Kitchener Bluetops / Kitchener Legionnaires / Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen / Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers / Kitchener Panthers (1919–present)[9][10]
- Preston Riversides (1920s)
- Brantford Red Sox (1921–present)
- London Braves / London Winery / London Silverwoods / London Seniors / London Army Team / London Majors / London Diamonds / London Majors / London Pontiacs / London Avcos / London El-Morocco Majors / London Majors (1925–present)
- Strathroy Royals (1930s)
- Waterloo Tigers (1940s–1980s)
- St. Thomas Legion / St. Thomas Elgins (1948–1961; 1963–1996)
- Oshawa Merchants / Oshawa Motors (1950s)
- Oakville Oaks (1956–1958)
- Listowel Legionnaires (1957–1969)
- Hamilton Cardinals / Hamilton Thunderbirds / Hamilton Beavers / Hamilton Red Wings / Hamilton Cardinals (1958–present)
- Windsor Chiefs (1979–1981)[11]
- Toronto Maple Leafs (1969–present)
- Niagara Falls Mariners (1985–1989)
- St. Thomas Storm / Stratford Nationals / Mississauga Twins / Burlington Twins / Burlington Bandits / Burlington Herd / Welland Jackfish (2000–present)[12][13][14]
- Waterloo Tigers (2000–2003)
- Barrie Baycats (2001–present)
- Oshawa Dodgers (2002–2009)
- Ottawa Fat Cats (2010–2012)
- Chatham-Kent Barnstormers (2024–present)
Awards
[edit]The postseason championship team is awarded the Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup[15].
Other awards presented include:
- John Coppes Trophy – Awarded to the team with the best record in the regular season.
- Max Roseman Memorial Trophy – Awarded to the player deemed the Most Valuable Player of the postseason.
- John Bell Memorial Trophy (formerly the Rawlings IBL Player of the Year Award) – Awarded to the player deemed the Most Valuable Player of the regular season.
- Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy (formerly the IBL Rookie of the Year Award) – Awarded to the most proficient first year CBL player.
- Reid Buck Memorial Trophy – Awarded to the hitter with the regular season's best batting average.
- Ted Earley Memorial Trophy – Awarded to the pitcher with the regular season's lowest Earned Run Average.
- Troy May Memorial Trophy – Awarded to the best manager of the regular season.
Notable players
[edit] |
- John Axford (Brantford Red Sox) – Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays
- Don Beaupre (Waterloo Tigers) – Minnesota North Stars
- Todd Betts (Barrie Baycats) – Yakult Swallows
- Tom Burgess
- Rich Butler (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Rob Butler (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies
- Frank Colman† (London Majors) – Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees
- Scott Diamond (Guelph Royals) – Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays
- Rob Ducey† (Cambridge) – Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Texas Rangers, Nippon-Ham Fighters, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos
- Wilmer Fields (Brantford Red Sox) 1939–50 – Homestead Grays
- Mike Gardiner (Stratford Hillers) – Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners 1990–1995
- Ferguson Jenkins† (London Majors) – Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox (1991 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee)
- Mike Kilkenny (London Majors) – Detroit Tigers
- Joe Krakauskas (Brantford Red Sox) 1937–46 – Washington Senators & Cleveland Indians
- Larry Landreth (Stratford Hillers) – Montreal Expos
- Lester Lockett (Kitchener) – Baltimore Elite Giants
- Roy McKay (London Majors) – Detroit Tigers
- Denny McLain (London Majors) – Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves
- Jesse Orosco (Galt Terriers) – New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins
- Pete Orr (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies
- Lester B. Pearson† (Guelph Maple Leafs) – Prime Minister of Canada (22 April 1963 – 20 April 1968)
- Dalton Pompey (Guelph Royals) – Toronto Blue Jays
- Fernando Rodney (Hamilton Cardinals) — Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals
- Goody Rosen† (Galt Terriers) – Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants
- Dave Rozema (London Majors) – Detroit Tigers
- Chris Speier (Stratford) – San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs & Montreal Expos
- Paul Spoljaric (Toronto Maple Leafs, Barrie Baycats) – Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals
- Ron Stead† (Brantford Red Sox) – 1967 Pan American Games
- Fred Thomas† (Kitchener Panthers) – Wilkes-Barre Barons, Cincinnati Crescents (basketball), Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
- Rob Thomson† (Stratford Hillers) – Detroit Tigers
- Scott Thorman (Brantford Red Sox) – Atlanta Braves
- Jimmy Wilkes (Brantford Red Sox) – Newark Eagles, Houston Eagles, Indianapolis Clowns
† Player is an inductee of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Notable executives
[edit]- Bob Ferguson, league statistician (1958 to 1966) and owner of the London Pontiacs (1963 to 1964)[16]
References
[edit]- Intercounty Major Baseball League's 1998 Record Book by Editor Herb Morell and Dominico Promotions Inc.
- ^ "IBL signs lease for Ottawa Stadium". Ballpark Digest. 18 March 2010.
- ^ "Japanese pitcher to make history as 1st woman to play pro baseball in Canada". CBC. The Canadian Press. December 3, 2024.
- ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ayami-sato-baseball-pitch-1.7532434
- ^ Cosovic, Aleksa (May 9, 2025). "Intercounty Baseball League gaining ground". BNN Bloomberg.
Although it is characterized as a semi-professional league on paper, the players who have come through the IBL's ranks have certainly blurred the lines. ... "We're now transitioning into a fully professional league, and as part of that, I'd like to add a 10th team. Expanding to 10 teams would allow us to grow our geographic footprint and create two divisions of five – which would help with travel savings and scheduling," said Kalnins.
- ^ "Intercounty Baseball League rebrands as fully professional 'Canadian Baseball League'". Ottawa Citizen. 24 November 2025.
- ^ "New Era All-Star Classic, Intercounty Baseball League". CHCH. 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Welland Jackfish to Host 2024 IBL All-Star Showdown - Classic 1220AM CFAJ Radio". Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "A New Era for Independent Professional Baseball in Canada Begins". Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Mercer, Greg (February 23, 2018). "A century of baseball: New book to celebrate IBL history". Waterloo Region Record. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
Back in that inaugural season in 1919, the Panthers were known as the Kitchener McBrines [...] Their name would evolve a lot over the next century, from the Panthers to the Wolves, Bluetops, Legionnaires, Dutchmen and back to the Panthers again.
- ^ Senoran, Heather (August 7, 2024). "Kitchener baseball team seeks new owner with 'deep pockets'". CTV News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ^ Parker, Jim (June 27, 2025). "'Untapped market' — Windsor area eyed as home for different brand of baseball". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on June 30, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
The Windsor Chiefs actually played in the league from 1979-81 [...] The Chiefs opted to move to the Detroit Federal League in 1982...
- ^ "IBL gives Burlington's move to Welland the green light". Barrie Today. October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ^ Franke, Bernd (June 12, 2023). "Jackfish win ninth game in a row". Welland Tribune. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
A franchise that dates back to 2000, when it was founded as the St. Thomas Storm, also played in Stratford and Mississauga before moving to Burlington in 2011.
- ^ Mawhood, Rod (September 19, 2023). "Jackfish crowned IBL Champs". The Niagara Independent. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ^ "Awards". www.cbl.ca. 2025-09-14. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
- ^ Boughner, Barry (2021). "London Majors' History 1925–2021". London Majors' Alumni Association. Retrieved November 15, 2021.