United Shore Professional Baseball League

Independent baseball league

United Shore Professional Baseball League

Sport| Baseball
Founded| 2016; 9 years ago (2016)
First season| 2016; 9 years ago (2016)
Owner(s)| Andy Appleby
CEO| Andy Appleby
President| Dana Schmitt
No. of teams| 4
Country| United States
Venue(s)| Jimmy John's Field
Utica, Michigan
Continent| North America
Most recent
champion(s)| Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers
Most titles| Utica Unicorns (5)
Official website| USPBL.com

The United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) is an independent baseball league in suburban Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States, started in May 2016.[1] Each team in the USPBL plays a 45-game regular season schedule from May through September, with a mid-season all-star game and a championship game at the conclusion of the regular season.[2] The games are played at Jimmy John's Field in Utica, Michigan.[3] Most of the games are broadcast live on the USPBL's YouTube channel, with select games airing on ESPN3.

## History

[edit]

The United Shore Professional Baseball League was founded by Andy Appleby, a former senior vice president of the Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment. Justin Orenduff, a former first round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the former Director of Baseball Operations.

The league has four teams based in Metro Detroit, with all games being played at Jimmy John's Field in Utica, Michigan.[4] The $12 million ballpark has seating for 2,000 and a total capacity of 4,000. It was built on capped brownfield that previously served as an unlicensed dump for household waste.[5]

The league is aimed at 18- to 25-year-olds who either went undrafted out of college, or who have been released from prior minor league contracts. It is meant to give players recently graduated from college or with limited minor league experience a chance to stay in baseball shape, and give them an opportunity to be signed to contracts with MLB affiliated minor league teams. League revenue comes primarily from sponsorship partners and other advertisements, ticket sales and ballpark concessions. Current managers in the league include former Major League Baseball players Jim Essian, Paul Noce, and Von Joshua.

Fifty-two players from the USPBL have signed contracts with Major League Baseball organizations. During the 2019 season, pitcher Randy Dobnak became the first alum to advance all the way to the Major Leagues when he was called up to the Minnesota Twins on August 8, 2019. A second USPBL alum, Logan Gillaspie, was called up to the Baltimore Orioles on May 17, 2022. A third USPBL player, Jared Koenig, made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics during the 2022 season.

## Teams

[edit]

* Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers
* Eastside Diamond Hoppers
* Utica Unicorns
* Westside Woolly Mammoths

## Champions

[edit]

USPBL champions  Season  | Champion  | Runner-up  | Result

|
|
|

2016  | Utica Unicorns | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers  | 5–0[6]
2017  | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers | Westside Woolly Mammoths  | 5–2
2018  | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers | Eastside Diamond Hoppers  | 9–3
2019  | Utica Unicorns | Westside Woolly Mammoths  | 6–5
2020  | Utica Unicorns | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers  | 11–9
2021  | Utica Unicorns | Eastside Diamond Hoppers  | 6–5
2022  | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers | Utica Unicorns  | 8–6
2023  | Utica Unicorns | Westside Woolly Mammoths  | 3–1
2024  | Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers | Utica Unicorns  | 3–2[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Minor League Baseball Comes to Utica". Detroit News. April 18, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
2. ^ "United Shore Professional Baseball League – Q & A". Indy Ball Island. November 30, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
3. ^ "Anatomy Of Jimmy John's Field". USPBL.com. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
4. ^ "Ballpark Preview: Jimmy John's Field". Ballpark Digest. February 1, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
5. ^ "Names, mascots unveiled for teams at new Utica stadium". Detroit Free Press. November 24, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
6. ^ Folsom, Brandon (September 12, 2016). "Utica Unicorns power to USPBL title with home runs, pitching". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
7. ^ "Beavers Win 2024 USPBL Championship" (Press release). United Shore Professional Baseball League. September 8, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Professional baseball leagues

Americas

Major|

* Major League Baseball
* American League
* National League

Minor|

| Triple-A|

* International League
* Pacific Coast League

|

Double-A|

* Eastern League
* Southern League
* Texas League

High-A|

* Midwest League
* Northwest League
* South Atlantic League

Single-A|

* California League
* Carolina League
* Florida State League

Rookie|

* Arizona Complex League
* Dominican Summer League
* Florida Complex League

Independent|

| MLB Partner Leagues|

* American Association
* Atlantic League
* Frontier League
* Pioneer League
* MLB Draft League

|

Non-partnered leagues|

* Cuban National Series
* Curaçao AA League
* Empire League
* Mexican League
* Liga Norte de México
* Pecos League
* United Shore League
* Venezuelan Major League
* Women's Pro Baseball League

Off-season|

| MLB-affiliated|

* Arizona Fall League
* Dominican Professional Baseball League
* Mexican Pacific League
* Puerto Rico Baseball League
* Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
* Liga Paralela

|

Independent|

* Argentine Baseball League
* Colombian Professional Baseball League
* Cuban Elite League
* Curaçao Professional Baseball League
* Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League
* Panamanian Professional Baseball League
* Veracruz Winter League

Defunct|

| MLB-recognized|

* American Association
* Federal League
* Negro league baseball
* Players' League
* Union Association

|

Other major|

* All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
* Continental League
* Cuban League
* National Association
* United States Baseball League

Minor|

* List of defunct minor leagues

Asia

China|

* China National Baseball League

Israel|

| Defunct major|

* Israel Baseball League

|

Japan|

| Major|

* Nippon Professional Baseball
* Central League
* Pacific League

|

Minor|

* Eastern League
* Western League

Off-season|

* Miyazaki Phoenix League

Independent|

* Baseball Challenge League
* Shikoku Island League Plus

Women's|

* Japan Women's Baseball League

South Korea|

| Major|

* KBO League

|

Minor|

* KBO Futures League

Taiwan|

| Major|

* Chinese Professional Baseball League

|

Minor|

* Chinese Professional Baseball League

Defunct major|

* Taiwan Major League

United Arab Emirates|

* Baseball United

Europe

Italy and San Marino|

* Italian Baseball League

Netherlands|

| Major|

* Honkbal Hoofdklasse

|

Minor|

* Honkbal Overgangsklasse

Rookie|

* Honkbal Rookie League

Oceania

Australia|

| MLB-affiliated:|

Australian Baseball League

|

Inter-league

* Asia Professional Baseball Championship
* Asia Winter Baseball League
* Baseball Champions League Americas
* Caribbean Series
* Serie de las Américas
* Latin American Series
* Triple-A National Championship Game

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template