Constellation Energy League
American professional baseball league during 2020
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players.[1]
| |
| Classification | Independent |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Folded | 2020 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Sugar Land, Texas |
| Venue | Constellation Field |
Last champion | Sugar Land Skeeters[a] |
History
The league consisted of four teams,[2] each managed by a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player:[3]
| Team | Manager | Roster |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Reyes del Tigre | Dave Eiland | link |
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | Greg Swindell | link |
| Sugar Land Skeeters[b] | Pete Incaviglia | link |
| Team Texas | Roger Clemens and son Koby Clemens | link |
The teams were made up of former MLB players as well as other minor league and independent professional players. Each team was scheduled to play 28 games, including seven-inning doubleheaders every weekend.[4] The league's season was planned to begin on July 3, but was pushed back to July 10 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.[5] Even with the delay, the league began play two weeks before the start of the 2020 MLB season.[6]
All games were played at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.[7] Parking was included with ticket prices to limit staff and fan interactions and up to 1800 ticket-holders were seated in a socially distanced fashion within the 7500-seat stadium.[8] No games were canceled due to COVID-19 cases, and the league operated for five weeks without any positive COVID-19 test results.[9] Players received $1600 per month, with exposure to MLB teams being the main reason for playing; at least five players in the league were subsequently added to MLB rosters.[3]
Results and honors
The Sugar Land Skeeters finished with the best record in the four-team league.[10][11][a] A most-valuable player (MVP) was named for each team.[15]
| Team | Record | Win pct. | MVP (statistics) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Land Skeeters | 17–11 | .607 | Dustin Peterson (.309/.400/.500 slash line) |
| Eastern Reyes Del Tigre | 14–14 | .500 | Ford Proctor (.346/.500/.679 slash line) |
| Sugar Land Lightning Sloths | 14–14 | .500 | Jamie Westbrook (18 RBIs, 5 home runs) |
| Team Texas | 11–17 | .393 | Kody Clemens (.416 slugging percentage) |
An all-star team was also named:[16]
|
|