GREAT LAKES LEAGUE HISTORY
The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League was founded in
1989 for the purpose of promoting amateur baseball. The intent of
the league is to provide student athletes the opportunity to
improve their baseball skills in a competitive summer baseball
league made up of college baseball players. To be eligible for
participation in the league, a student athlete must have NCAA
eligibility remaining.
The 2009 season will feature 10 teams from two states (Ohio & Indiana ). The League is sanctioned by the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB). There are eight sanctioned college leagues in the country.
Since the inception of the Great Lakes League, about 70 alumni have played in the major leagues. In 2008, 58 players were drafted by Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. Interns also hone their sports administration skills and some go on to careers in sports. Amanda Gray a graduate of Talawanda High, Miami and Xavier Universities was an intern for the Cincinnati Steam three years ago. Last year, she was employed in customer relations by the Cincinnati Reds.
MLB gives some financial assistance to the Great Lakes League. The league uses wooden bats and plays the traditional nine inning games, with the exception of the first game of a double-header which is seven innings. Each team is set-up as a not-for-profit organization.
Hamilton Joes Baseball Club has been organized to provide area college baseball athletes, and interns in related sports fields, the opportunity to advance their careers and, at the same time, provide our local community with quality, entertaining and affordable baseball.
The following are Hamilton Joes Baseball Club’s guiding principles:
- To assist the student-athlete college baseball player and our interns in obtaining academic scholarships, professional opportunities and important on-the-job life-learning experiences.
- To provide our players and interns a quality environment to demonstrate their talent and skills.
- To establish a quality baseball program that will consistently attract positive support from the community and enhance economic development for the community.
- To formulate and maintain ethical standards for the guidance of its members in their relations with each other and with the public.
- To provide baseball instruction for the youth of the community by conducting summer camps and to provide coaching clinics for adults in order to ensure that the youth will have adequately prepared coaches. Our focus is to encourage good sportsmanship and to do all things necessary and incidental there to.