Press Releases

The auction phase of free agency is now officially closed.

All remaining free agents are now available to sign on a first-come, first-served basis. No further auctions will be held—simply submit your signing request for any available player you wish to add to your roster.

Good luck as you finalize your teams!

The league would like to thank all owners who participated in the recent poll regarding the start of free agency. Your feedback and engagement continue to play an important role in shaping the direction of the league.

After reviewing the results and considering the responses received, the league office has determined that, in order to ensure full owner readiness and provide adequate league support during the transition to the new free agency system, it is in everyone's best interest to allow for additional preparation time before opening the market.

As a result, the league is officially announcing that the 1998 Free Agency Period will open on Thursday, July 9th, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

For owners in other time zones, the opening time will be:

• 3:00 PM Pacific Time (PT)
• 4:00 PM Mountain Time (MT)
• 5:00 PM Central Time (CT)
• 6:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)

Free agency will be conducted entirely through the new Clubhouse Portal free agency system. Additional information regarding bidding procedures, timelines, and rules for the process will be released prior to opening day.

The league office appreciates everyone's patience as we introduce this new system and looks forward to an exciting free agency period.

The Doubleday Baseball League would like to announce the results of the Hall of Fame voting conducted following the conclusion of the 1997 season.

After the votes were tabulated, no player received the required number of votes necessary for induction into the Doubleday Baseball League Hall of Fame. As a result, the Hall of Fame Class of 1997 will remain empty.

In addition, league participation in the voting process fell short of expectations, with an insufficient number of ownership groups submitting ballots during the voting period. The league office would like to remind all owners that Hall of Fame voting is an important part of preserving and celebrating the history of the DBL and the accomplishments of its greatest players.

The league encourages all ownership groups to participate in future Hall of Fame voting to ensure that deserving candidates receive fair consideration and that the league's history continues to be properly recognized and honored.

The DBL Hall of Fame remains one of the league's highest individual honors, and the league looks forward to future classes as the history of the Doubleday Baseball League continues to grow.

1997 DBL Award Voting — Closed

Voting for the 1997 DBL season awards has officially closed.

Thank you to all owners who submitted their ballots. Results are now being tabulated and the award winners will be announced shortly.

Stay tuned to the DBL Clubhouse for the official winner announcements.

The Doubleday Baseball League is proud to continue one of its longstanding traditions by welcoming another class of international talent to the league for the upcoming season.

As part of this year's foreign import program, the league has elected to bring two accomplished players from overseas into the DBL free agent pool: Cuban slugger Orestes Kindelán and Japanese pitcher Fumiya Nishiguchi.

Nishiguchi, a 25-year-old right-handed starting pitcher from Japan, brings a polished four-pitch arsenal to the league featuring a fastball, slider, curveball, and forkball. Known for his command and ability to keep hitters off balance, he is expected to draw significant interest from clubs seeking rotation help.

Joining him is Kindelán, a 33-year-old power-hitting first baseman from Cuba whose legendary bat has made him one of the most feared sluggers outside of Major League Baseball. While primarily a first baseman, Kindelán also offers defensive versatility with the ability to play left field when needed.

Both players will be immediately available to all clubs as part of the upcoming free agency period, giving teams an opportunity to add proven international talent to their organizations.

Additional details regarding the free agency schedule and signing period will be announced by the league office in the coming days.

The Doubleday Baseball League is saddened to announce that longtime owner Norm has decided to step away from the league and relinquish ownership of the Milwaukee Creams organization.

Norm has been a valued member of the DBL community for many years, and his contributions to both the Creams franchise and the league as a whole have been greatly appreciated. Longtime owners help shape the identity and history of a league, and Norm's presence will certainly be missed.

On behalf of the entire DBL family, we would like to sincerely thank Norm for his time, dedication, and commitment to the league. We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors, and should he ever decide to return, the door will always remain open.

With this departure, the Milwaukee Creams organization is now without official ownership. The league office has assumed control of the franchise and will oversee day-to-day operations while the search for new ownership begins.

Additional updates regarding the future leadership of the Milwaukee Creams will be provided as they become available.

As the league prepares for the upcoming Free Agency period, all organizations must declare which Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) they intend to retain and which they intend to release.

This process will be completed through the Clubhouse Portal.

If you intend to sign an RFA, no action is required at this time. However, if you do not intend to re-sign a player, you must submit a Pass request for that player through the portal prior to the deadline.

The RFA Declaration Deadline is Sunday, June 28th.

Any RFA who has not been passed on by the deadline will be considered retained by their current club and must be signed before the start of the season. Once the declaration deadline has passed, those players may no longer be released.

Any requests to pass on or release an RFA after the deadline will be rejected.

Owners are encouraged to review their RFA lists and make any necessary decisions well before the deadline to avoid any issues.

If you have any questions regarding the RFA process or encounter any issues within the portal, please contact the league office.

The Doubleday Baseball League is pleased to announce that Hall of Fame voting is now officially open.

Voting will remain open from now through July 2nd, giving all owners an opportunity to help determine the next class of DBL Hall of Famers.

Each owner may vote for up to five players. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a player must receive 75% of all ballots cast.

To submit your ballot:

Clubhouse Portal → League → Hall of Fame

Owners are encouraged to review the eligible candidates and cast their votes before the July 2nd deadline.

If you encounter any issues with the voting system or have any questions, please reach out and let the league office know.

We look forward to recognizing the next group of players who have left a lasting impact on the history of the Doubleday Baseball League.

The Doubleday Baseball League would like to announce the format and rules for this season's Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) process.

The UDFA process will consist of four rounds, allowing each organization to select up to four players from the undrafted player pool. Clubs are not required to make all four selections and may choose to participate in as many or as few rounds as they wish.

All UDFA selections will receive an Entry 3 Contract with the following structure:

Year 1: $20,000 Year 2: $30,000 Year 3: $40,000

The total value of the contract will be $90,000 over three seasons.

As with other entry-level contracts, UDFA players may be released during the offseason without penalty. If a UDFA player is released during the season and clears waivers without being claimed, the releasing club will retain the salary cap charge for the current season only. Any future-year salary obligations will be waived.

The league believes this process will provide organizations with an additional opportunity to add depth and uncover talent that may have slipped through the draft.

Additional information regarding the UDFA draft order and schedule will be announced in the coming days.

The Doubleday Baseball League is pleased to announce that the League Office has officially finalized the previously announced franchise relocations for the 1998 season.

The Seattle Pilots have officially relocated to Las Vegas and will now compete as the Las Vegas Angels.

The New York Yankees have officially relocated to Philadelphia and will now compete as the Philadelphia Phillies.

The DBL would like to thank the cities of Seattle and New York for their many years of support. Seattle has been home to multiple DBL franchises throughout league history, while New York held the unique distinction of being the only city to host two franchises simultaneously with both the Yankees and Mets.

At the same time, the league is excited to welcome professional DBL baseball back to Philadelphia for the first time since the Phillies relocated following the 1979 season, as well as welcome Las Vegas as the newest home of a DBL franchise.

The League Office has completed updates to the league website, and all team branding, logos, and references have been updated to reflect these changes.

We look forward to the next chapter of DBL baseball in Las Vegas and Philadelphia.