It was a historic day in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) and the Edmonton Prospects history. League President Kevin Kvame held a press conference the morning of Saturday June 16th at the Chateau Lacombe to make two major announcements. The first being the rebranding of the league. The second being that for the first time since the early 2000’s the league would be holding an All-Star Game and it will be held in Edmonton! We are only a quarter of the way into the 2018 season but the excitement for 2019 is already at a fever pitch.
Western Canadian Baseball League
Effective the 2019 season, the league will change their name to the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL). Here’s the explanation via their website:
The WMBL feels that now is the time to change, as we continue to be part of this country’s growing baseball image. As more college players look for strong competitive leagues in which to play over their summers, we feel that this new title will better reflect our Canadian identity in order to better interest players to come and experience our League & our nation. Placing the country’s name directly in the new league title hopes to bring additional recognition to Canadian baseball as a whole.
WMBL President Kevin Kvame had this to say about the change, “We are excited about the new name, in that it will highlight the fact that the League’s footprint lies entirely in Canada. We are a baseball showcase for Canada and are proud to bring in fans and players to celebrate our beautiful country. Being in Canada gives us a unique advantage to provide great experiences to not only our homegrown talent, but visiting players as well. The same applies for the fans and community sponsors of the League”
Edmonton To Host 2019 All Star Game
July 8, 2019! Circle that date on your calendar as that will be when the Prospects host the first WCBL All Star game. Notes from the league press release:
The League and the Prospects are currently working on the format, timing, additional activities, and logistics for the 2019 All-Star Game and expect to release these details publicly in the coming weeks.
The Edmonton Prospects team owner and managing partner Pat Cassidy stated, “I can’t describe how thrilled we are that they’ve adopted our proposal to bring the WCBL All-Star Game to the great sports city of Edmonton in 2019 & 2020. We know that our fans and baseball community will join with many new fans to make this a must-attend event in Alberta’s capital.”
When President Kvame was asked at the press conference “why Edmonton”, his answer began with a list of accolades about RE/MAX Field. A park built to meet the requirements of Triple A baseball (Edmonton Trappers), the Prospects have worked hard to maintain that level. One of the many great aspects of being at the park is the view of the new Walterdale Bridge. Such a fantastic site that the Prospects incorporated the bridge into the All-Star Game logo.
More Good News
Not only will Edmonton host the 2019 and 2020 All-Star games, each team in the WCBL will being hosting an extra four home games in 2019. Currently the only league action in August is playoff baseball. With the added games to the schedule, every fan in the league has a chance to watch guaranteed baseball in the sunny month of August.
To watch a replay of the press conference with these announcements, go to @EdmProspects on Twitter.
