Category: Empire Media

EMPIRE LEAGUE WELCOMES MANAGER OF YORK REVOLUTION MARK MASON

WASHINGTON, PA –   The Empire Baseball League welcomes York Revolution Manager of the Atlantic League Mark Mason to the Empire League family as a mentor and instructor for the 2020 Instructional Series. Mason will also be looking to sign players to complete 2020 Atlantic League rosters. He joins American Association coach Jonathan Albaladejo of the Landcaster Barnstormers as two elite coaches to be scouting and mentoring in the Empire League during 2020 camp and series.

Mark Mason enters his eighth season at the helm of the York Revolution in 2020. With 494 victories in addition to the 2017 Atlantic League championship, he is the winningest manager in Revolution history.
The longest-tenured manager in club history and tied for the longest-tenured active manager in the league, Mason also enters his 11th overall season on the staff in 2020, matching Enohel Polanco for longest-tenured staff member in club history. The two have been part of 715 combined victories.
Since Mason’s arrival in 2010, the Revs have had 29 players signed in-season by Major League organizations, 18 of whom have come from Mason’s pitching staffs.  Nine of those pitchers and 10 total players have made it to the Major Leagues. Lefty Justin Hampson (York ’10) worked a 1.80 ERA in 13 appearances for the New York Mets in 2012. Right-hander Shawn Hill, who began the 2012 season with the Revolution where he did not allow a run in 27.2 innings as a star, finished that season in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen, earning a win with three scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in his lone appearance. Lefty Scott Rice (York ‘11) made the New York Mets Opening Day roster in 2013 for his Major League debut, and earned four wins in 73 appearances with a 3.71 ERA.  Four more were promoted to the big leagues in 2014 alone. Southpaw Ian Thomas (York ’12) made his Major League debut and the Atlanta Braves Opening Day roster. Righty Julio DePaula (York ’13, ’14) was called up by the Baltimore Orioles on July 7, just 11 days after his contract was purchased from the Revolution. Left-hander Ryan Feierabend (York ’12) earned a call-up by the Texas Rangers that same month. Corner infielder Andy Marte (York ’13) was called up by Arizona on July 31 and homered as a pinch-hitter in his first at-bat for the Diamondbacks that night. Lefty Edward Paredes (York ‘13-15) earned the win in his Major League debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 24, 2017, and worked a 3.24 ERA in 10 appearances before going 2-0 in 2018. Lefty Ross Detwiler opened the 2018 season in York’s starting rotation and returned to the Majors with the Seattle Mariners that same season. In 2019, Detwiler went from Revs Opening Day starter to the Major Leagues with the Chicago White Sox in a span of about two months. The 2019 season also saw Feierabend return to the big leagues with Toronto and RHP Zac Grotz (York ’18) make his Major League debut with Seattle.
The Empire League welcomes Mark Mason and is excited for the mentorship and recruitment for the players of the Empire League.
Article by Empire Media

OPENING DAY OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERIES SET TO SEPTEMBER 1ST

WASHINGTON, PA – The Empire Baseball League has announced the official  start date of the 2020 Instructional Series.

The League is looking to begin the Series games on September 1, 2020. The League will hold its Summer Series Showcase Camp on August 28th and will end on August 31st where all teams will have to finalize their rosters.

To register for camp, click here.

Article by Empire Media

EMPIRE LEAGUE ANNOUNCES DATES AND LOCATION FOR 2020 CAMP & SEASON

WASHINGTON, PA – The Empire Baseball Organization has announced the official date and location for the 2020 Camp and season series. Both the Camp and Series will be held at  the Washington Wild Things  Stadium home of the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League.

Due to the recurring Covid-19 restrictions and cases, The Empire League has chosen to opt out of hosting the event in its back up location of Ft Myers, Florida and will run operation in Washington Pennsylvania.

The Wild Things venue owners and management welcome the Empire program with open arms and want to help facilitate operations for the 2020 campaign.  The Stadium is currently hosting the Heritage League, which is one of the best Summer season programs in the country for players   looking to  improve their careers.   The Empire Series will not only welcome several  Empire League teams, but also welcome teams from the Heritage League to participate in the Empire Series.   The Blacksox Pro Baseball Club and its Director Joe Torre  played a key role in the great execution of the Heritage League along with the Washington Wild Things.  The Empire League is set to be an exciting one to help players get the needed playtime to be ready for Winter Leagues and showcase for Pro Contracts in 2021.

To participate in this incredible Professional Baseball Showcase that will be heavily scouted by Atlantic League, Frontier League and American Association Teams along with International Pro Winter Leagues visit Click Here.

The stadium is located at   1 Washington Federal Way, Washington, PA 15301.   Wild Things Park is a 3,200-seat multi-purpose baseball stadium in North Franklin Township, a suburb of Washington, Pennsylvania.

Wild Things Park is located near Interstate 70 and is notable for including a hot tub in the viewing stands. ProGrass Synthetic Turf was installed in the fall of 2010.

The stadium was known as Falconi Field until April 12, 2007, when Consol Energy and Washington County Family Entertainment entered a naming rights partnership to rename the complex CONSOL Energy Park.  Consol Energy has let the naming rights deal expire as of January 2017.

The venue will finish hosting the current league taking place which concludes at end of August and will look to do the same for Empire in September.

The Empire Summer camp will be held on August 28-31, 2020 with check in for players on August 28th. The Modified Season will begin immediately after camp on September 1st. Players that want to play in the empire league must attend camp in order to be eligible to be selected into the league. Due to covid-19 housing restrictions and guidelines, all players must provide their own housing for camp and for the season.   Click Here to register.

 

Article by Empire Media

EBL WELCOMES JONATHAN ALBALADEJO AS LEAGUES PITCHING INSTRUCTOR

SARANAC LAKE, NY –  The Empire Baseball League welcomes Atlantic League veteran coach and former major league pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo to the Empire Baseball League family.

The former Big League Star is Excited to join as an Elite pitching instructor and Mentor to Empire players. He will be a strong recruiting force to the Atlantic and high level leagues!

Jonathan is a  Puertorican  former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball (MLB), as well as the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

On December 4, 2007 he was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates who drafted him in the 19th round of the 2001 draft, to the New York Yankees for relief pitcher Tyler Clippard. The deal is regarded, years later, as one of the worst in Brian Cashman’s tenure as Yankees General Manager. He made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in 2008 and 2009 and finished season in 2010.

Albaladejo set an International League single-season record for saves in 2010 with 43. He was named to the International League Postseason All-Star team.

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed him on December 13, 2011 and finished the season with the big league club. On April 1, 2016, Albaladejo signed with the Broncos de Reynosa of the Mexican Baseball League.   On July 25, 2017, Albaladejo signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets.  On November 1, 2017, Albaladejo was drafted by the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Bridgeport Bluefish dispersal draft and has been a player/pitching  coach for the team since.

The Empire League is excited to bring his talents to help the upcoming pitchers of the empire league  develop.

Article by Empire Media

 

2020 EMPIRE LEAGUE SEASON UPDATE DUE TO COVID

SARANAC LAKE, NY – With the recent confirmation of Minor League baseball being fully cancelled along with Independent federation leagues like the Frontier and Atlantic, the Empire League has had to readjust its plan for 2020.

As most know, the Empire League’s ONLY purpose is providing an opportunity for players to achieve Pro Baseball Contracts, and stay ready for high level leagues. We are excited to announce our 2020 camp/season modifications due to the Covid Restrictions.

The Empire Pro Baseball Showcase will take place in Florida this coming August, with its modified season happening directly afterwards in September.

The camp and season will uphold its primary function of recruitment and scouting players with data to help promote or fill open spots in the Pro Baseball Winter Leagues that start in October and November internationally. It will also serve as additional games to the current active created leagues so that players achieve a larger number of games played for the year. Lastly with the American Association being the only League operating, there will still be possibility of late Season recruitment.

We hope all players are taking the proper safety measures, and look forward to helping you stay ready, active and recruited for Winter or 2021 seasons!

Let’s Play Ball!!

Article by Empire Media