Irish Baseball League

The Irish Baseball League started play in 1997 and continues to this day. The season runs from April to July and games are played on the weekends.

The O'Malley Fields at Corkagh Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin are the main home of Irish Baseball. The majority of league games are held at the fields along with Ireland National Team games. The Black Sox play at Shanganagh Park which is yet to be developed into a "Real" baseball field. The Greystones Mariners home field is currently under construction and will be completed by August 2007. The Northstars have played at the playing fields of Queen's University and Victoria Park, Belfast, and are currently resident at Henry Jones Playing Fields in Castlereagh. They are currently in negotiations with a number of landowners with a view to having a dedicated baseball field.

For the 2007 season the following teams are participating at the associated venues:

• The Dublin Hurricanes (Corcaigh Park)
• The Dublin Spartans (Corcaigh Park)
• The Dublin Blacksox (Shanganah Park, Shankill)
• The Twins United (Corcaigh Park)
• The Greystones Mariners (Greystones)
• The Belfast Northstars (Belfast)

Previous Irish League Champions 1997 - 2006

• 2007 - Spartans
• 2006 - Spartans
• 2005 - Hurricanes
• 2004 - Spartans
• 2003 - Hurricanes
• 2002 - Spartans
• 2001 - Panthers
• 2000 - Spartans
• 1999 - Spartans
• 1998 - Panthers
• 1997 - The Dukes *

(* The Dukes are no longer in existence, they were made defunct in 1998 when the league started from scratch with an 'all-players draft' and total reformat of all teams.)

The individual Irish League awards given out annually have an Irish Flavour in an effort to pay homage to the great Irish players who played in the Major Leagues from years gone by. For example, instead of the traditional Cy Young Award being given to the League's Top Pitcher, recipients are presented with the 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award.

Andy Leonard from County Cavan, was the only Irish-born member of the "First Boys of Summer": the 1869 World Champion Cincinnati Red Stockings - Baseballs First Professional Team. He also helped create and sustain the original Boston Red Stockings championship dynasty from 1872 through 1876 and again in 1878, competing in six world championships. He had the joint 2nd best career average for an Irish player of .299. He was said to be the finest left fielder of his generation. He took particular delight in returning in 1874 during an exhibition tour of the Red Stockings and the runner-up Philadelphia Athletics. In his diary and press clippings of that year, Andy and his life-long friend Harry Wright were the leading batsmen as the Yanks beat the then reigning Marybone champions in London at their own game, cricket.

Previous winners of The 'Andy Leonard 'League MVP Award include:

• 2006 - Darran O'Connor (Dublin Spartans)
• 2005 - Steve Divito (Dublin Hurricanes)
• 2004 - Darragh Jones (Greystones Mariners)
• 2003 - Tom Kelley (Dublin Hurricanes)
• 2002 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
• 2001 - None given
• 2000 - None given
• 1999 - Tom Kelley (Dublin Hurricanes)
• 1998 - Ken McCarthy (Dublin Panthers) **
• 1997 - None given

(** Dublin Panthers is now a defunct franchise. Most of their players left to join either the Dublin Blacksox or retire in 2004. )

Tommy Bond was born in Granard in County Longford in 1856. He became the first triple crown pitcher when he led the National League with 40 wins, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.11 ERA for Boston in 1877.

Previous winners of The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award include:

• 2006 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
• 2005 - Shawn Miskiman (Greystones Mariners)
• 2004 - Cormac Eklof (Dublin Hurricanes)
• 2003 - Chaime Cuevas (Dublin Spartans)
• 2002 - Eoin O'Connor (Dublin Blacksox)
• 2001 - None given
• 2000 - None given
• 1999 - Greg Modaro (Dublin Panthers)
• 1998 - Noel Mitchell (Dublin Spartans)
• 1997 - None given

Other awards given are the 'Dirty' Jack Doyle Silver Slugger Award and the Patsy Donovan Batting Champion Award. (Other awards are listed on the official Baseball Ireland site).

The 2007 Irish Adult Baseball League started with the Belfast Northstars defeating the Dublin Twins 12-7 and 13-7. The Dublin Black Sox also defeated the Greystones Mariners 16-7.

The Irish Baseball League has two levels for 2007, A and B. The A level consists of the Spartans, the Hurricanes, the Twins, the Greystones Mariners, the Blacksox and the Belfast Northstars.

The B level is for player and club development and consists of B teams from the Spartans, Hurricanes, Blacksox and Greystones Mariners.