LBL still interested in PBL integration
Posted March 28, 2012
The Cold Lake Cardinals continue to look for more competition even if it means a bit of travel.
This week, Cardinals manager Shawn Martens inquired about a limited or full-fledged acception to allow Cold Lake to enter the PBL for the 2012 season.
Whether the Powerline Baseball League would have any appetite to accommodate a request that many years ago would have seemed absurd to the league executive, some options could be explored.
The big problem is, the PBL has a long-standing tradition as a 2-game per-week league with week nights only. Tournaments are on the weekend for some teams, thus making standard league games on weekends difficult to schedule it has seemed.
The newly created Northeast league of Cold Lake, Goodfish Lake, Lac La Biche and St. Paul (called the Lakeland Baseball League) could even play an inter-locking schedule possibly, but does the PBL want to go that route. Would PBL teams be willing and able to trek up north for a weekend or two and integrate the leagues in some way.
One option could be to have set weekends where a weekend of 3 exhibition games could be played and have an added 4 games, 2 home and 2 on the road with these northeast teams. You could then cut the PBL schedule down to 1 home and 1 away vs. the traditional PBL teams and have a 14 game schedule for the PBL division and a 12-15 game schedule for the GBL division.
Another option would be just to keep track of non-conference games with LBL and show standings using some sort of formula and strength of schedule to deem a Central Alberta Rec League Champion. Maybe there’s a “Bowl Game” possibility at some point with some money on the line?
One last option might be to require LBL teams visit PBL teams. PBL teams could play 4 new teams and the games could count for playoff spots – or not.
With the 2012 schedule already set, it’d be tough to make this happen this year for sure, but it’s worth discussing. Crazy idea? Maybe. Bad idea? Maybe not. Weigh in yourself.
Posted on March 28, 2012 by Jason Buzzell
