The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. offices are located at Campbell’s Field, the home of the Camden Riversharks.
MISSION:
The mission of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. (AL) is to bring a high level of professional baseball and affordable family entertainment to selected communities not presently being served by Major League or Minor League teams. The Atlantic League began playing in 1998.
- The AL has assembled top minor league operators and General Managers with extremely successful track records.
- AL managers, coaches and player development staff all have Major League experience, e. g. Bud Harrelson, Joe Klein Ellie Rodriguez, Tim Raines, Sparky Lyle, Willie Upshaw, Dave LaPoint, Butch Hobson, Von Hayes, Tom Herr and Andy Etchebarren.
- AL player development will allow for a National Basketball Association-Continental league type relationship allowing players maximum flexibility to play into the Major Leagues.
- New AL facilities will fully comply with “Facility Standards” as defined by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues Inc. (“NA”), the governing body of minor league baseball. Players will be assured of field conditions that meet or exceed the standards for Triple AAA classification NA facilities. Communities must demonstrate market size sufficient to support a minimum ballpark size of 5,000 to 7,500 seats.
- The AL is playing an important role in reducing Major League costs in player development.
Each team in the AL will be operated by an experienced, proven minor league owner to assure the highest quality in affordable family entertainment to the community. Selection, training, development and evaluation of players, coaches and managers will be under the direction of Executive Director Joe Klein. Major League standards of player development and evaluation will be adhered to by the AL.
ORGANIZATION OF THE ATLANTIC
LEAGUE:
The Atlantic League has been created by seasoned professional baseball executives to bridge the future economic gaps in development baseball. The Atlantic League is funded by initial membership fees, league dues and league assessments. The Board of Directors of the AL is composed of representatives of each member club. (The AL has been in formation for the past fourteen years working with cities and regions that are presently not being served by Major League or Minor League Baseball).
BALLPARKS:
New AL ballparks must fully comply with the “Facilities Standards” as defined by the National Association. Players will be assured of field conditions that meet or exceed the standards for “Triple AAA” classification N.A. facilities. The AL has successfully worked with state and local governments in the appropriation of almost two hundred and fifty million dollars in funding and the design and development of state-of the-art minor league ballparks in Bridgeport Connecticut, Long Island New York, Somerset County, New Jersey, Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania and Waldorf, Maryland.
ATLANTIC LEAGUE PERSONNEL
| Frank
Boulton: |
Founder/ CEO of the AL, former owner of three minor league teams: the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Albany Colonies Yankees, and the Prince William Cannons. Frank was also the Vice President of the Eastern League of Professional Baseball in 1993. |
| Joe Klein: |
Executive Director of the Atlantic League Joe handles the day to day baseball operations of the league. Joe was the former General Manager of the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers as well as Vice President of Player Personnel for the Kansas City Royals. |
| Bud Harrelson: |
Thirty-four years with the New York Mets organization as a player, coach, scout and manager. Harrelson was a member of the 1969 World Champion and 1973 National League Champions in New York. As a coach Bud is often remembered for waving Ray Knight around third base to score the winning run in the dramatic Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Bud succeeded Davey Johnson in 1990 as manager of the Mets and led the team through the 1991 season. Bud currently is part owner of the Long Island Ducks as well as the team’s first base coach. |
| Ellie
Rodriguez: |
Played nine seasons in the Major Leagues with Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and New York Yankees. Rodriguez was a 2-time All-Star and caught one of Nolan Ryan’s no-hitters with the Angles. Ellie is a player development consultant for the Atlantic League and is in charge of scouting Latin America for the league. |
RELATIONSHIP WITH ORGANIZED
BASEBALL:
Major League Baseball (“MLB”) and the National Association Organized Baseball. MLB and the NA are bound by the
Professional Baseball Agreement (“PBA”). The parties have recently renewed this document. The AL provides
options that will allow organized Baseball maximum flexibility within the framework of the new PBA.
The development office of the AL will concentrate on signing six year professional players, of which there are an
average of over 600 in the minor leagues during each season. The AL intends to maintain the ongoing relationship
with organized baseball in order to fulfill the League’s objectives.
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