California Winter League (2010)
 |
|
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 2009 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Most recent champion(s) |
Coachella Valley Snowbirds |
| Official website | www.californiawinterleague.com |
The California Winter League is a professional developmental instructional baseball league based in Palm Springs, California that allows professional teams to evaluate players. It was founded on September 10, 2009, by Andrew Starke, owner of the Palm Springs Chill (formerly of the Arizona Winter League) and the Palm Springs Power (collegiate summer baseball). It is a short-season instructional league affiliated with the Frontier League that plays all games at Palm Springs Stadium from the middle of January to the middle of February. The 2016 season features 14 teams and over 300 players.
After the success by the Palm Springs Chill in the Arizona Winter League during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, owner Starke decided to create the California Winter League to offer another outlet for aspiring players. Based out of Palm Springs, California, the league fielded four teams in 2010 and 2011 and 5 in 2012, with the teams coached and managed by former MLB players and current Independent League coaches. The number of players doubled from 2010 to 2011 and looks to expand even more for the 2013 season, hoping for an 8 team league. The teams will be the Chill, Power, A's, Coyotes,Jacks, Bombers, Bluesox, and the Snowbirds. The 2014 season added the Bootleggers and Haymakers, bringing the total number of teams to the current level of 12. In 2016, the New York Colonials and Manitoba North Stars made their season debuts to bring the expanding league to 14 teams.
The purpose of the winter league is to provide coaching and an avenue for players to get noticed by scouts with the ultimate goal of signing a professional contract. Past players have signed with any of various Independent baseball leagues and MLB organizations. Over the past six seasons the California Winter League has had over fifty percent of its players get signed to play professionally after the winter league ended.
The league plays most games in Palm Springs Stadium and some in Palm Springs High School baseball field.
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