[jksander]

JANUARY 1, 1963 . . . The baseball world has been greeted at the start of this new year with a brand new international baseball league, untethered to the rest of the sport’s world, based in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. The league, dubbed the Cuban Dominican Baseball Association (CDBA) features two four-team Cuban divisions and two four-team Dominican divisions, each playing 84-game seasons with a Best of Five two-round playoff of division leaders which will culminate in a League Championship Series between the two leagues. The regular season begins on April 1, 1963, with games running through the first week of July. The league’s trade deadline will be on May 15, with the five-round Amateur Draft taking place on June 1.

The following teams will be participating in the CDBA’s inagural season:

Cuban League

CL West
Havana Hunters
Pinar del Rio Roosters
Santa Clara Saints
Cienfuegos Cubanos

CL East
Manzanillo Cattlemen
Nuevitas Naturals
Bayamo Bombadiers
Guantanamo Gators

Dominican League

DL West
Monte Christi Sea Merchants
Santa Domingo Dominicanos
San Juan Stingrays
Barahona Tropics

DL East
Isla Saona Islanders
Boca de Yuma Tigres
La Romana Rays
Santiago Explorers

An inaugural draft will take place this week, with 23 rounds. Each team’s active roster will be capped at 18 players, with a maximum of 15 players on a reserve roster. Each team will cultivate an International Roster over time which will be capped at 15 players. The inaugural International Draft is set for January 15th, 1964, with the first pool being revealed this October after the completion of our first season.

My name is Carlos Arroyo, and I will be taking over as the GM / Manager of the Havana Hunters in the Cuban League. I will update you as the offseason progresses with our development in the uncharted territory of this new league.