Goodbye DH

The winter meetings wrapped up last week, and the GBL will be without the designated hitter in 2010, according to an article posted on the Edmonton Capitals website. The rule change will take the Golden League back to its roots of pitchers taking their turn in the batting order, something the league hadn't employed since the inaugural 2005 season.

The league will also expand rosters for the playoff stretch of the season from 22 to 25 men per team.

Here's the article:

GBL Winter Meetings
December 11, 2009 4:12 PM

Indianapolis, IN - The Golden Baseball League wrapped up their annual winter meetings in conjunction with Minor League Baseball's winter meetings in Indianaplis, Indiana. A few major developments came out of the proceedings including details on the Annual All-Star festivities and a couple notable changes when it comes to rules governing rosters in the GBL.

The designated hitter will be obsolete in 2010. In an effort to speed up the duration of games. the GBL will require pitchers in the league to take their turn at-bat.

Also, rosters will be allowed to expand from 22 players to 25 players after August 15th during the latter part of the regular season.

The Golden Baseball League (GBL) and the Northern League of Professional Baseball (NoL) announced that the leagues have agreed on a two year partnership where they will play their All-Star game against each other this season and next. This annual clash will pit some of the finest international all-stars from teams in Canada and the U.S. made up of players from at least seven countries.

The 2010 game will be played on Wednesday, July 14th in Tucson, Arizona as the Tucson Toros host the game at the historic 11,000 seat Hi Corbett Stadium. The 2011 game will be played in Zion, Illinois hosted by the Lake County Fielders in the state of the art ballpark currently under construction.

The GBL and NoL are two of the most successful and heavily scouted independent leagues in the country and together had over 30 of their players from 2009 acquired by major league organizations. The 20-man rosters will be comprised of players from the ten GBL teams in Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, California, Arizona, and Hawaii versus players from the eight Northern League teams in Winnipeg, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and North Dakota.

"This will be exciting for our players and fans and also for major league organizations focused on finding the best talent available in the independent minor leagues," said Golden Baseball League Commissioner Kevin Outcalt. "The Northern League has long been the finest independent professional baseball league and we are looking forward to hosting their top players in Tucson this summer and then sending our best to the Chicago area for the rematch the following season."