{"id":6331,"date":"2009-12-23T17:28:14","date_gmt":"2009-12-23T17:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baseballgb.co.uk\/?p=6331"},"modified":"2009-12-24T19:53:08","modified_gmt":"2009-12-24T19:53:08","slug":"british-baseball-news-nbl-expansion-and-european-championship-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballgb.co.uk\/?p=6331","title":{"rendered":"2010 NBL expansion and European Championship schedule announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BbfLogo\"Just before we take a break for Christmas, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time to pass on some interesting news about both Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s domestic league and the senior men’s international team.<\/p>\n

An expanded National Baseball League for 2010<\/h3>\n

We reported<\/a> two weeks ago that a number of new teams could be added to the British Baseball Federation League system and stated that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153it seems likely in one way or another that the creation of new teams will lead to another revamp of the BBF league structure in 2010\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s proved to be correct as the National Baseball League (NBL) is effectively going to increase<\/a> from five to twelve teams next year.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n

This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s NBL, the highest level of competition in Britain, consisted of Bracknell Blazers, Croydon Pirates, Herts Falcons, London Mets and Richmond Flames.\u00c2\u00a0 The Essex Arrows, Mildenhall Bulldogs and Southampton Mustangs will join those five to form an eight-team league in the south.\u00c2\u00a0 All three fully merit their promotion.\u00c2\u00a0 The Arrows\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ascent to the top league had been predicted here after their incredible 25-0 regular season campaign in AAA South, while the Mustangs were close behind them with a 20-5 record at the same level.\u00c2\u00a0 The Bulldogs won the AA Championship in their debut season, continuing a long line of success by United States Air Force (USAF) teams in British baseball.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Harrogate Tigers, Liverpool Trojans, Manchester A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Menwith Hill Patriots (another USAF team)will form a new four-team NBL North.\u00c2\u00a0 2009 was the first season for several years in which the north was not represented in the top level of British baseball, after it was decided to create one large Northern Conference rather than have Northern divisions of the leagues used in the south.\u00c2\u00a0 That situation will change next year with a two-tier Conference containing the NBL North and a six-team lower level. The Trojans and Patriots competed in the NBL North in 2008 alongside a disbanded team from the Manchester A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s organization, the Eagles.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tigers won the 2009 AAA Championship and will make the step up to the top level for the first time in 2010.<\/p>\n

The postseason structure, including who will qualify, has not yet been announced and there is a bit of uncertainty over the status of the NBL North.\u00c2\u00a0 The BSUK statement refers to the NBL as increasing by three teams only, which suggests that the southern section could be seen as the NBL proper and the NBL North will be a step between this and the AAA level, or maybe even part of AAA for the purposes of the postseason.\u00c2\u00a0 Further news on this, and how the other leagues will shape up with new teams coming in, is expected in the new year.<\/p>\n

Great Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s European Championship schedule<\/h3>\n

Mister-Baseball.com has published<\/a> the schedule for next year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s European Baseball Championship, held\u00c2\u00a0in Germany.\u00c2\u00a0 Great Britain will play five games in the first round, starting out against recent World Cup opponents Croatia and finishing with a game against Greece.<\/p>\n