Author: katiewoods

89th NBC World Series Bids

August 3-12^th, 2023

Eck Stadium – Wichita State University

 

The 89^th NBC World Series, powered by Evergy, will be a three-game guarantee pool-play, followed by single elimination format. Sixteen teams will be seeded prior to games scheduled for Thursday, August 3. Seedings will be based on 2022 NBCWS finishes as a team or league, and overall body of work in 2023. Total Team Compensation is $69,000 cash, increased from $56,000 in 2022, with the top eight finishing teams receiving compensation.

As bids are finalized, the list will be updated with descriptions of all the teams. 

Automatic Bid (2022 Champion) Santa Barbara Foresters (CA):

The Santa Barbara Foresters, who play in the California Collegiate League, are arguably one of the best franchises in NBC history.  Since they were founded in 1995, they have played in every World Series, posting a 124-38 record all time at the World Series, led by NBC Hall of Famer Bill Pintard.  Their first title came in 2006, and they haven’t looked back since.  With 10 NBC World Series Championships, the Foresters return to this year’s tournament looking to win their 4^th straight title.  Foresters alumni who have gone on to MLB careers include Jeff McNeil, Ryan Helsley, and Ryan O’Hearn.

Automatic Bid (2022 Runner-up) Hays Larks (KS):

The Hays Larks out of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League return to the NBC World Series after making it to the championship game in 2022, under the leadership of NBC Hall of Famer Frank Leo. The Larks are not new to the scene, as they have had 37 appearances in the NBC World Series, posting a 117-72 record in the tournament, and have made appearances in the championship game six times. The Larks have had multiple great players come through the program who went on the MLB careers, including Lance Berkman, Jack Wilson, and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols.

AABC Stan Musial Oklahoma World Series Champion – Tulsa Sandlot (OK):

First time entry in the World Series.

AABC Stan Musial Texas World Series Champion – Arlington Baptist University Patriots (TX):

First time entry in the World Series.

Centex Collegiate Baseball League Champion – Lonestar Baseball (TX):

Lonestar Baseball will make its sixth entry in the tournament, with a 10-10 record. Seven of the wins came in 2021 and 2022, where they finished second and fifth respectively.

Centex Collegiate Baseball League Runner-Up – GPS Legends (TX):

The GPS Legends will be making their second appearance after going 1-2 in 2018.

Five Tool North Texas League – Lonestar Kraken (TX):

The Kraken make their second appearance after finishing ninth (1-2) in 2022.

Jayhawk Collegiate League First Half Champions – Great Bend Bat Cats (KS):

The Great Bend Bat Cats, who compete in the Jayhawk Collegiate League, is one of the newer teams looking to begin their NBC legacy.  The Bat Cats were founded in 2017, and in their first three seasons, they qualified for the World Series.  In 2021, the bat Cats took 5^th in the World Series.  This year, they are looking to make another run at the NBC title.

Jayhawk Collegiate League Second Half Champions – Kansas Cannons (KS):

The Kansas Cannons will be making there 9th appearance at this years World Series.  The Cannons, who were founded in 2010, are lead by former Wichita State and MLB player Phil Stephenson.  They come into the tournament with a 25-12 overall record and as the 2023 Jayhawk Collegiate League Champions. There best finish in the tournament came back in 2019, when they placed 3rd.

Hap Dumont Regional Champion: SC Blues (KS):

The Hap Dumont 19u National Showcase is a tournament hosted in Wichita every year in which the winner gets an automatic bid into the NBC World Series.  This tournament showcases some of the best high school talent in the area.  This year’s showcase Champion was the SC Blues, who will be making their first appearance.

Pacific International League Champion – Seattle Blackfins (WA):

The Blackfins make their first NBCWS appearance as the 2023 Pacific International League Champions.

Rocky Mountain Baseball League Champion – Liberal Bee Jays (KS):

The Bee Jays continue their record appearance at 54 and total tournament wins at 200. Liberal, as Rocky Mountain Baseball League champions, finished third in 2022. They have five titles in 12 title game appearances, with the most recent being 2010. Liberal’s all-time record is 200-101 and 64-36 in MWE action.

Seattle Studs (WA):

The Seattle Studs, who play in the Pacific International League, are one of the most tenured amateur programs in the country.  Since their founding in 1954, the Studs have been a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest and in more recent years, the NBC World Series.  Since 2008, the Studs have made it to seven NBC championships and have been crowned national champions three times. Tim Lincecum, who was a two-time Cy Young Award winner, four-time All-Star, and three-time World Series Champion, was a Seattle Stud before being drafted by the Giants in 2006.

Denver Cougars (CO):

The Cougars make their 18th NBCWS showing and are 25-35 all time (13-23 MWE). Their best finish was third in 2010. Denver joins Liberal and Hays as Rocky Mountain Baseball League representatives.

D-BAT Collegiate League (OK):

Hutchinson Monarchs (KS):

For complete pool play information and schedule, click here: https://nbcbaseball.com/pool-play-schedule/

Baseball in the dark? Leave it to Hap.

Perhaps one of NBC founder Hap Dumont’s wildest ideas – of which there were many – was to turn the lights off.

During World War II city-wide blackouts were instituted which required businesses and homes to turn off their lights so that population centers were not easily identifiable to potential enemy aircraft.

Dumont brought the blackout to the baseball diamond for one night during the war. For an exhibition game, he painted the balls, bats, bases and uniforms with a phosphorescent paint and then turned off the lights.

General Electric, intrigued by the concept, offered to attend the exhibition to check out the spectacle.

However, by all accounts, it was a disaster. The lack of depth perception made it almost impossible to play the game safely. On the field, light from the surrounding neighborhood affected the usefulness of the phosphorous and Dumont scrapped the idea before it ever saw the light of day.

Dumont quipped, “I haven’t given General Electric’s laboratories any competition since.”

Nevertheless, the fluorescent ball used, which he dubbed the Glo-Ball, made a return over a decade later.

Dumont used the Glo-Ball during the 1958 tournament (with the lights on) and even experimented with it in an exhibition game in Wichita between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox.

It drew positive reviews from players – including Stan Musial – who played in that Wichita exhibition with the Cardinals.

A year later the ball went on sale to the public for $2.50.

A fluorescent ball would resurface in the Major Leagues in 1973 when Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley introduced a fluorescent orange ball for two spring training games.

As Finley had predicted, the ball seemed to benefit the hitters. On March 29, 1973, in a matchup between Catfish Hunter (Oakland) and Gaylord Perry (Cleveland), a combined 16 runs were scored on 27 hits including six home runs. George Hendrick, who hit three of the homers that day said, “…maybe I was just lucky. I couldn’t pick up the spin of the ball.”

In fact, none of the hitters could pick up the spin because the entire ball including the stitches had been dyed orange. After poor reviews from the Major Leaguers at that time, the use of a fluorescent ball in baseball seemed to die in 1973, but its legacy at the National Baseball Congress lives on.