The indy circuit will launch with five former ULB franchise while adding a third in that well-known graveyard of pro baseball, Coastal Bend.
Fresh from a settlement in bankruptcy court, the independent United Baseball League will launch this season in six cities: Amarillo, San Angelo, Edinburg, Harlingen, Laredo and Coastal Bend.
A Dallas bankruptcy court approved a settlement for league founders John Brytan and Byron Pierce (operating as Reunion Sports LLC) to buy what was left of the league from United Sports Equities for $550,000 — up from the $325,000 originally proposed by the pair — and relaunch the league for 2009.
"We are thankful to have the league back in our hands," Bryant said. "We want to assure fans in all our league cities and areas that we will provide excellent professional baseball and the best family-oriented entertainment for all ages."
A bold move, to be sure; that league begins play in mid-May, and although the pair say they’ve already lined up GMs in all six cities (something we heard in previous days), there’s still a lot of work needed to actually launch operations, especially in Nueces County, a market where the American Association and Continental Baseball League couldn’t make it.
RELATED STORIES: Will ULB be revived for 2009 season? ; United League united no more; United League Baseball declares bankruptcy; San Angelo ballpark foreclosed, going to auction; Legal issues cloud future of United League Baseball; Brownsville pulls public money from new ballpark
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