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timmyw3 · 08-22-2005, 02:21 PM

League Backstory

The Western Hemisphere Baseball League (WHBL) began to materialize shortly after the Major League Baseball strike in 1994 when a small group of independently wealthy U.S. businessmen seized a marketing opportunity to "restore baseball to its original glory." Taking advantage of the bitter taste the battered MLB left in fans' mouths by 1995, they began forming small, self-sufficient clubs around the U.S. in baseball-neglected markets.

At the time of its conception, what would become the WHBL was known as the United States Baseball Cooperative (USBC). Portland, San Antonio, Washington D.C., Charlotte and Memphis all jumped on the bandwagon to baseball "purity." Fans flocked to the stadiums to see lesser-knowns, has-beens and never-will-bes do what the players had dreamed of doing since they were six-year-olds—play baseball, and get paid fairly for it. The salaries weren't large, but the stars of the league made well into mid-six-figure salaries. This was good money by any other career standards.

But by 1998, Major League Baseball began to regain some of the fan support it lost due to the strike, and began to siphon back some of the runoff that left and went to the USBC. The league needed to act fast to minimalize any potential losses. By mid-season, things looked bleak, and bankruptcy paperwork filing was set in motion.

But south of the border, things were just starting to heat up. Monterrey, Mexico City and San Juan had many times courted MLB teams, urging North American baseball to expand into a less affluent but thickly populated baseball world. They promised they would keep fans in the seats all season long, making money on sheer volume of admission instead of inflated ticket prices. And, Mexican and Puerto Rican investors insisted, baseball could court some of the most upwardly mobile economic populations in the world. MLB never bit.

Mexican League officials, the Puerto Rican Winter League and baseball executives from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela were ready to move to action on their own, seeing an emerging market that was being ignored. MLB was farming all of Central and South America's best talent anyway, so they knew that if they could afford to pay even two-thirds of the salaries that Major League clubs handed out, the potential to keep "home grown" talent at home was immense. Representatives from five leagues met in March of 1998 to discuss an official merger that would create a Caribbean-ring league, boasting 12 teams and some of the most rabid baseball fans in the world.

One night in August, as the USBC was getting ready to turn out the lights, a remarkable chance meeting in San Antonio set in motion what is now the WHBL. A USBC executive had plans to meet a friend for a drink downtown at the Menger Hotel bar. Later that evening, when he stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, he couldn't help but overhear a cell-phone conversation in Spanish that involved what sounded like a fledgling baseball league. Intrigued, and tempted to alert the stranger to the dangers of such a business venture, he approached the man after the conversation was over.

After introducing himself to the stranger, the man from Mexico City explained the vision various Latin American execs had put forth in March and were planning to bring to fruition by the year 2000. The businessman from San Antonio was blown away, and divulged the hardships his small league had faced in just a few short years. The more the men talked, the more they shared, and after a few more drinks and several more hours, they had schemed to take over the Western Hemisphere with a baseball league like no one had ever seen. Teams would stretch from Canada to Argentina, with representatives hailing from countries and states everywhere in between.

The men exchanged numbers and bid goodnight to each other, but both awoke the next morning realizing that unlike so many alcohol-fueled bar schemes, this one might actually have merit. The Mexican businessman contacted his American counterpart after he returned to The City and consulted with his group, and made a proposal: He would buy out the floundering USBC on one condition. The American would have one year to find enough cities in the U.S. and Canada to fill out their league and be structured to turn a profit. If The American could do it, and The Mexican could convince cities even farther south (e.g. cities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile) to take on teams, they would have the most expansive baseball league ever built and an immense talent pool to pull from.

The American and his associates shut down the USBC after that fall with a bittersweet send off. Some cities would not return to the league. They remained dormant in 1999, trimming cities that didn't fit the design of the WHBL and adding others. In Mexico and the rest of Central and South America, eager rookie team owners signed on. And, finally, divisions and leagues were drawn up for the 32 teams.

The Western Hemisphere Baseball League was born. But could it spar with MLB, and would it last?

08-22-2005, 02:21 PM	#2
timmyw3 H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD	League Backstory The Western Hemisphere Baseball League (WHBL) began to materialize shortly after the Major League Baseball strike in 1994 when a small group of independently wealthy U.S. businessmen seized a marketing opportunity to "restore baseball to its original glory." Taking advantage of the bitter taste the battered MLB left in fans' mouths by 1995, they began forming small, self-sufficient clubs around the U.S. in baseball-neglected markets. At the time of its conception, what would become the WHBL was known as the United States Baseball Cooperative (USBC). Portland, San Antonio, Washington D.C., Charlotte and Memphis all jumped on the bandwagon to baseball "purity." Fans flocked to the stadiums to see lesser-knowns, has-beens and never-will-bes do what the players had dreamed of doing since they were six-year-olds—play baseball, and get paid fairly for it. The salaries weren't large, but the stars of the league made well into mid-six-figure salaries. This was good money by any other career standards. But by 1998, Major League Baseball began to regain some of the fan support it lost due to the strike, and began to siphon back some of the runoff that left and went to the USBC. The league needed to act fast to minimalize any potential losses. By mid-season, things looked bleak, and bankruptcy paperwork filing was set in motion. But south of the border, things were just starting to heat up. Monterrey, Mexico City and San Juan had many times courted MLB teams, urging North American baseball to expand into a less affluent but thickly populated baseball world. They promised they would keep fans in the seats all season long, making money on sheer volume of admission instead of inflated ticket prices. And, Mexican and Puerto Rican investors insisted, baseball could court some of the most upwardly mobile economic populations in the world. MLB never bit. Mexican League officials, the Puerto Rican Winter League and baseball executives from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela were ready to move to action on their own, seeing an emerging market that was being ignored. MLB was farming all of Central and South America's best talent anyway, so they knew that if they could afford to pay even two-thirds of the salaries that Major League clubs handed out, the potential to keep "home grown" talent at home was immense. Representatives from five leagues met in March of 1998 to discuss an official merger that would create a Caribbean-ring league, boasting 12 teams and some of the most rabid baseball fans in the world. One night in August, as the USBC was getting ready to turn out the lights, a remarkable chance meeting in San Antonio set in motion what is now the WHBL. A USBC executive had plans to meet a friend for a drink downtown at the Menger Hotel bar. Later that evening, when he stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, he couldn't help but overhear a cell-phone conversation in Spanish that involved what sounded like a fledgling baseball league. Intrigued, and tempted to alert the stranger to the dangers of such a business venture, he approached the man after the conversation was over. After introducing himself to the stranger, the man from Mexico City explained the vision various Latin American execs had put forth in March and were planning to bring to fruition by the year 2000. The businessman from San Antonio was blown away, and divulged the hardships his small league had faced in just a few short years. The more the men talked, the more they shared, and after a few more drinks and several more hours, they had schemed to take over the Western Hemisphere with a baseball league like no one had ever seen. Teams would stretch from Canada to Argentina, with representatives hailing from countries and states everywhere in between. The men exchanged numbers and bid goodnight to each other, but both awoke the next morning realizing that unlike so many alcohol-fueled bar schemes, this one might actually have merit. The Mexican businessman contacted his American counterpart after he returned to The City and consulted with his group, and made a proposal: He would buy out the floundering USBC on one condition. The American would have one year to find enough cities in the U.S. and Canada to fill out their league and be structured to turn a profit. If The American could do it, and The Mexican could convince cities even farther south (e.g. cities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile) to take on teams, they would have the most expansive baseball league ever built and an immense talent pool to pull from. The American and his associates shut down the USBC after that fall with a bittersweet send off. Some cities would not return to the league. They remained dormant in 1999, trimming cities that didn't fit the design of the WHBL and adding others. In Mexico and the rest of Central and South America, eager rookie team owners signed on. And, finally, divisions and leagues were drawn up for the 32 teams. The Western Hemisphere Baseball League was born. But could it spar with MLB, and would it last?