Arucian Baseball League

Arucian Baseball League

Most recent season or competition: 2022 Arucian Baseball League Season
File:World Baseball Classic logo.svg
Sport	Baseball
Founded	November 3, 1876 (1876-11-03)
Commissioner	Claude Blanc
No. of teams	20
Countries	Bonaventure Carucere Gaullica Imagua Île d'Émeraude Sainte-Chloé Satucin
Most recent champion(s)	Sainte-Chloé Sunshine (2022)
Most titles	Sainte-Chloé Imperials (31)

The Arucian Baseball League (Gaullican: Ligue de Baseball Arucien), known as the LBA or ABL, is a professional baseball organisation based in Sainte-Chloé, and one of the oldest and longest lasting professional sporting associations in the world.

With baseball introduced to Colony of Sainte-Chloé from Rizealand throughout the mid 19th century, a professional league modeled off several Rizealand models would be formed in 1876, with four teams. Largely in the shadow of Rizealand's League, it would operate in the winter months, and saw a great deal of cooperation with Rizealand and sharing of players and talent. Until the Great War, the League would remain within Sainte-Chloé, and during the later stages of the war it would temporarily cease operation. After the war, the League would expand and became multi-national sport, especially after the foundation of the United Provinces.

The Arucian League is currently comprised of 20 teams, divided into four divisions. Each team plays a total of 100 games from early November to March, followed by a brief post-season in March. The teams with the highest record in each division move on to a divisional playoff series; winners of the divisional series move on to the Arucian Series, the chief title in the League, the winner of which is considered as the yearly champion of the league.

The league, although being less prestigious than the Rizealand Baseball League, remains one of the top secondary leagues in the world, and has had many players and teams who have performed well in international competitions.

Organisation

Teams

Division	Logo	Team	City	Country	Stadium	Founded	Current	Notes
West		Épernon Frères	Épernon	Sainte-Chloé	Champ Saint-Roderic	1876		Named after the Roderican Friars. One of the founding teams, and rival of the Imperials.
		Escalade Cavaliers	Escelade	Sainte-Chloé	Champ Dumonte	1925
	File:Sport Club Internacional 2008 Crest.svg	Sainte-Chloé Imperials	Port de la Sainte	Sainte-Chloé	Stade Impérial	1876		One of the original founding teams. Rival of the Frères and the historic powerhouse of the league.
		Tranquille Sugars	Tranquille	Sainte-Chloé	Champ Bennett	1882	1924	Originally founded as the Domingue Sugar-Men as the first team which allowed blacks to participate. The title was shortened in 1903, and the team moved from Domingue to Tranquille in 1924. The first team to move away from the capital area.
		Sermoni Krakens	Sermoni	Bonaventure	XXXX Field	1999
South		Decouverte Navigators	Decouverte	Sainte-Chloé	Stade Phare	1903	1938	Began as the Port Imperial Navigators before moving to Decouverte in 1938.
		Sainte-Chloé Sunshine	Port de la Sainte	Sainte-Chloé	Parc CBC	1999
		Sainte-Geneviève Gendarmes	Sainte-Geneviève	Sainte-Chloé	Parc Balnéaire	1947
		Mont-Éclair Blues	Éclair	Sainte-Chloé	Stade du Blues	1876	1959	Founded as the Saint-Laurent Blues as one of the original teams. Due to financial troubles following the Great War, merged with the Volonté Eagles in 1936 and moved to Volonté as the "Blue Eagles". Moved to Subercaseaux in 1946, briefly becoming the "Subercaseaux United" before moving back to Volonté for the 1954 season. Moved to Éclair in 1959 and adopted the original team's colours and name.
	File:LOGO	Sermoni Fortunates	Sermoni	Bonaventure	XXXX Field	1947
North	File:Cuanstad Millers.png	Cuanstad Millers	Cuanstad	Imagua	Bank of the Orient Stadium	1947
		Terre-Belle Rays	Canicule	Sainte-Chloé	Parc Laurent	1955	2003	Originally called the "Citadelle Captains", the team moved in 2003 to the Terre-Belle region and rebranded itself as the Rays.
		Carrefour Stars	Carrefour	Carucere	Préval Field	1888	1890	Also the de facto Carucerean national baseball team.
		Appanno Lancers	Appanno	Bonaventure	XXXX Field	1964
	File:LOGO	XXXXX	XXXXX	Eldmark	XXXX Field	1976
East		Arac Alligators	Arac	Satucin	Parc Piremont	1976
		Mathiasville Maroons	Mathiasville	Île d'Émeraude	XXXX Field	1976
		Port-au-Grégoire Robins	Port-au-Grégoire	Île d'Émeraude	Champ Gautier	1964		established in 1964 as the "Ressortissants" (Nationals), rebranded as "Robins" in 1985 as an homage to Port-au-Grégoire native, musician, and cultural icon Robin Gautier
		Saint Clair Sugar Kings	Saint Clair	Île d'Émeraude	Stade de la Banque de l’Île d’Émeraude	1999
		Saint-Thomas Lions	Saint-Thomas	Gaullica	XXXX Field	1999		Team from the Îles des Saints.

Defunct Teams

From the League's foundation until the early 20th century, the League usually numbered around four or five teams, almost all located in neighborhoods or cities surrounding the capital city of Port de La Sainte. Throughout the early decades before the Great War, the League saw expansion, reaching 9 teams in 1926. Due to the Great War, four of these teams would play their last season in 1933, although the owners of two would go on to form a merger franchise for the 1936 season.

 • Clermont Capitains (1876-1881)
 • Saint-Laurent Blues (1876-1933)*
 • Allègre Aces (1881-1884)
 • Port Imperial Sailors (1882)
 • Vichel Wanderers (1884-1889)
 • Clémensat Carmelites (1888-1893, 1903-1905)
 • Saint-Claude Sluggers (1893-1903)
 • Gelles Grenadiers (1901, 1904)
 • Sarry Saints (1906-1919)
 • Domingue Toucans (1908-1915)
 • Esternay Knights (1920-1933)
 • Citadelle Cannoneers (1925-1933)
 • Volonté Eagles (1926-1933)*

Season Structure

Postseason

Arucian Series Records
Team	Number of Series won	Last Series won	Series played
Sainte-Chloé Imperials	27	2018	49
Épernon Frères	14	2011	17
Decouverte Navigators†	9	2016	22
Tranquille Sugars	9	1988	12
Escalade Cavaliers	6	1951	13
Mont-Éclair Blues†	5	1969	13
Carrefour Stars	4	2011	7
Sainte-Geneviève Gendarmes	3	2003	10
Sermoni Fortunates	3	1960	3
Sainte-Chloé Sunshine	3	2022	3
Port-au-Grégoire Robins†	3	2002	6
Saint-Laurent Blues‡	2	1924	5
Cuanstad Millers	2	1994	4
Appanno Lancers	1	1968	2
Arac Alligators	1	1997	2
Esternay Knights‡	1	1930	1
Terre-Belle Rays†	0		2
Sarry Saints‡	0		2
Saint Clair Sugar Kings	0		1
Mathiasville Maroons	0		1
Domingue Toucans‡	0		1
Saint-Thomas Lions	0		0
† Totals include a team's record in a previous city or under another name.
‡ Team is no longer currently active.

Prior to 1906, the Arucian League hosted a single championship game which pitted the teams with the best record against each other. In 1906, following the Rizealand model, the League transformed the championship into the Arucian Series, becoming a best out of seven game competition, although drawn from the two teams with the best two records.

In 1947, the expansion of new teams saw the creation of two divisions, switching the Arucian Series to the teams which had the best records within their respective postion. Due to the increased number of teams, in 1965 the League implemented a divisional series between the top two teams in each division.

In 1975, the League expanded to four divisions.

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