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Florida State League

Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
May 19, 2014 - Florida State League (FSL1)


BASEBALL

American Association: The independent AA started its 2014 season with 12 member teams aligned into four-team Northern, Southern and Central divisions, along with a four-team Can-Am Division, which will include the four remaining Can-Am League teams that will be playing an interlocking schedule with AA teams in the 2014 season. With the arrival of the El Paso Chihuahuas in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, the AA lost the El Paso Diablos team from last season's Southern Division. The Wichita Wingnuts were moved from the Central Division to the Southern Division for 2014. The ownership of the El Paso Diablos plans to move the team to Joplin (MO) as the Joplin Blasters for the 2015 season.

Frontier League: The independent Frontier League started its 2014 season with the same 14 teams as last season aligned into seven-team East and West divisions. The league will again operate a travel-only team called the Frontier Greys for the 2014 season. The developer interested in bringing a Frontier League team to a proposed ballpark in the Franklin area of Milwaukee is now looking at a site in the Oak Creek area after a ballpark funding proposal fell through in Franklin.

Florida State League: The Brevard County Manatees of the high Class-A FSL have reached a tentative deal with Rollins College and the city of Winter Park (FL) to rebuild a local stadium that will be shared by the college and the Manatees. Initial plans call for the stadium to be ready by the 2016 season. Winter Park is in the Orlando area and the Manatees are currently based in the Viera/Melbourne area, about 60 miles to the southeast. A financing plan fell through on a similarly proposed ballpark plan in 2013.

Southern League: Panama City Beach (FL) is working on a public-private partnership to bring a minor league baseball team, possibly in the Double-A Southern League, to a proposed baseball stadium to be built in the area.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association Development League (D-League): The Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League will become the sole affiliate of the NBA's Phoenix Suns starting with the 2014-15 season. The two teams will operate under a D-League "hybrid" affiliation in which the Jam remains under local ownership with the Suns running the basketball operations. The NBA's New York Knicks, who operated under a "hybrid" affiliation with the D-League's Erie BayHawks the past three seasons (2011-13) and decided to own and operate its own D-League team in White Plains (NY) for the 2014-15 season, announced that their new D-League team will be called the Westchester Knicks.

New Era Basketball Association: The new NEBA announced the teams for its inaugural player draft and will start its inaugural 2014 season with eight teams called the Atlanta Live, Houston Xperience, Washington (DC) Nation, New York United, Louisiana Cajun All Stars (New Orleans), Las Vegas Show, Los Angeles Revolution and Mexico Takeover (Monterrey). The league plans to add teams in other markets like Toronto, Chicago, Miami and Charlotte for the 2015 season.

Central Basketball Development League: After all of the proposed new teams and the various changes to previously announced teams, it looks like the CBDL has settled into its 2014 season with only five Florida-based teams called the Fort Pierce Finest Ballers (previously the Warriors then Royals), the Palm Beach Pelicans (originally called the Seagulls), the MicroGuard Dobemans (replaced the Panama City Dream), the South Florida Spartans and the Tampa Bay Saints.

Women's National Basketball Association: The WNBA started its 18th season this week with the same 12 teams and league alignment as last season. The only change was the San Antonio Silver Stars changing their name to the San Antonio Stars for the 2014 season.

Women's Blue Chip Basketball League: The semi-pro WBCBL started its 2014 season late last month and currently lists 51 teams in 10 regional divisions, along with 2 travel teams. The WBCBL is a spring-summer league that started in 2005 and features former college players, former players from the Women's National Basketball Association and other international players.

FOOTBALL

Arena Football League: The AFL is looking for new ownership of the Orlando Predators franchise and denies it has taken over operations of the team. A new owner that took over the Predators in July 2013 is no longer involved. The city declared the team in default of its arena lease in September 2013.

HOCKEY

American Hockey League: The Abbottsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames that will move to Glens Falls (NY) for the 2014-15 season, has been renamed the Adirondack Flames. The AHL's Adirondack Phantoms, the affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, spent the past five seasons (2009-14) in Glens Falls and will move to a new arena in Allentown (PA) for 2014-15.

Central Hockey League: The CHL's St. Charles (MO) Chill announced earlier this month the team has ceased operations and is seeking new ownership to try to keep the team in St. Charles. The Chill was an expansion team for the recently completed 2013-14 season. The ownership of the CHL's Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder has purchased the league's Allen (TX) Americans franchise.

Federal Hockey League: The Watertown (NY) Privateers of the FHL will not return for the 2014-15 season. A new group of investors plans to operate a team in Watertown next season, but it is uncertain as to whether the group will take over the Privateers or form a new franchise. Either way, the team will have a new name next season.

North American Hockey League: The Tier-II junior-level NAHL announced its 2014-15 divisional alignment that will feature 24 teams in 4 divisions called the Central, Midwest, North and South. The changes from the 2013-14 season include the Port Huron Fighting Falcons moving to Connellsville (PA) as the Keystone Ice Miners and the Wenatchee Wild switching from the Midwest to the South Division.

North Atlantic Professional Hockey League: The proposed new NAPHL announced its second team will be based in Massena (NY) when the league starts play for the 2014-15 season. The league's other team called the Berkshire Black Bears is based in North Adams (MA). There is a possibility that some of the teams from the Federal Hockey League could jump to the new league.

SOCCER

Major Arena Soccer League: The MASL announced the teams and alignment for the indoor soccer league that will combine Professional Arena Soccer League teams and six of the seven teams from the 2013-14 Major Indoor Soccer League. Another new team called the Brownsville (TX) Barracudas was recently announced to be part of the PASL in the 2014-15 season. The former MISL teams called the Baltimore Blast, Milwaukee Wave, Missouri Comets (Independence), Rochester Lancers, St. Louis Ambush and Syracuse Silver Knights have confirmed plans to join the MASL. The seventh MISL team called the Pennsylvania Roar (Reading) will not be joining the MASL and announced this past week it was shutting down its offices. The revamped MASL will have 24 teams.

Canadian Soccer League: The semi-pro CSL lost its sanctioning from the Canadian Soccer Association after the 2013 season, but will continue on and start play next week with a ten-team First Division and a ten-team Second Division in 2014. The CSL has entered into a working relationship with the new United States-based American Soccer League, which was originally announced as American Professional Soccer and will start play in August 2014. CSL teams will play games against ASL teams in August and September.

OTHER

Western Lacrosse Association: The Senior-A indoor WLA started its 2014 season with the same seven teams as last season-the Burnaby Lakers, Coquitlam Adanacs, Langley Thunder, Maple Ridge Burrards, Nanaimo Timbermen, New Westminster Salmonbellies, and the Victoria Shamrocks. The season runs from mid-May through July. At the end of the season, the WLA champion plays the champion of the Ontario-based Major Series Lacrosse for the Mann Cup.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the "The Leagueology Almanac 2012-13", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The publication is currently available at www.amazon.com.

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