Typically I don’t spend the time writing an article for any updates to the Baseball Streaming Guide. This time I’ve made an exception due to the massive number of leagues recently added to the Guide. Below I’ll get into why those leagues were added as well as a brief look at what leagues were actually added to the Guide.
Why is simple; I have changed how I view the label semiprofessional. Essentially I have removed that label from my lexicon. I don’t believe that the semipro label fits in the modern age and I also think it is a decidedly American term that doesn’t fit with how baseball has found itself structured throughout the rest of the world. In Europe and Asia, it is common, in various sports, to have teams that are viewed as being at the highest level still contain a mixture of paid professionals and unpaid amateurs. To that end, if a baseball league has a structure in place where some players are paid and others are not I have decided to classify them as professional. I’m sure some will disagree, but, hey, good thing it’s my website.
On to the new additions, here’s a breakdown by region,
Australasia
The only addition to this section with the ability to stream is Taiwan’s Popcorn League. You won’t have to worry about this league for a bit as they play in the fall, but they typically stream every game.
Europe
This is the big one as Baseball Bundesliga Austria, Baseball Bundesliga Germany, Belgium’s Baseball Gold League and Belgium Cup, France’s Division 1 and Challenge de France, the Confederation of European Baseball Cup and Champions Cup, Spain’s División de Honor de Béisbol, Czech Republic’s Extraliga, and Switzerland’s National League A have all been added to the Guide. Each league features multiple streaming options, some centralized and some team-specific. Every one of the leagues, or tournaments, will kick off their seasons in the spring or summer. If you’re interested in exploring the European baseball scene hopefully now the Guide can help you do just that.
Latin America
Panama’s Campeonato Nacional de Béisbol Mayor, Nicaragua’s Campeonato Nacional de Béisbol Superior Germán Pomares Ordóñez, Mexico’s Liga Capitalina de Beisbol, Argentina’s Serie Sudamericana, as well as the two leagues (and championship tournament) that make up Puerto Rico’s Liga de Béisbol Superior Doble A (Liga Atlántica, Liga de Caribe, and Carnaval de Campeones) have all been added. Each league, or tournament, features multiple streaming options, mostly team-specific. With the exception of Liga Capitalina de Beisbol and Serie Sudamericana which are both fall/winter legaues/tournaments, every league listed takes place in the spring or summer. Campeonato Nacional de Béisbol Superior Germán Pomares Ordóñez is playing right now and has plenty of streams available every weekend.
Those are all the updates, but they are plenty. Something like 20 leagues have been added, with over 100 streaming options. There’s always more work to do to keep the Guide up to date, but this is the most complete it has ever been. I don’t anticipate there being another massive update such as this ever happening, but there will still be little updates here and there that you will be notified of via my Twitter. Either way, there’s plenty of unaffiliated baseball to watch year-round, so get to watching,
Lead artwork courtesy of Pedro Carvalho
