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The '''North Country Baseball League''' (NCBL) was an [[Independent baseball league|independent]], professional [[baseball]] league located in the Northeastern region of the United States in 2015. Operating in cities not served by [[Major League Baseball]] or their minor-league affiliates, the NCBL had four franchise teams spread throughout the states of [[New York (state)|New York]] and [[Maine]].<ref>{{cite Oneweb|url=http://www.northcountrybaseballleague.com/schedule.html|title=NCBL ofSchedule|accessdate=May the teams28, the2015|archive-date=May New Hampshire Wild29, is2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529003938/http://www.northcountrybaseballleague.com/schedule.html|website=North aCountry [[traveling team]], playing allBaseball of its games at one of the other three teams.League}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2015 NCBL Schedule|url=http://www.northcountrybaseballleague.com/schedule2015schedule.html|titlewebsite=NCBLNorth ScheduleCountry Baseball League|accessdate=MayApril 2830, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115040005/http://www.northcountrybaseballleague.com/2015schedule.html|archivedate=November 15, 2015}}</ref>
The league was originally proposed as the '''East Coast Baseball League''' and had six teams, four in the United States and two in [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. Right before the season started, the Watertown team pulled out over what they claimed were unfulfilled promised by the ECBL management. The other U.S. -based teams also pulled out and with Watertown reformedformed the North Country Baseball LeagueNCBL; the two Canadian teams then folded.<ref>{{cite webnews|url=http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/sports/watertown-bucks-start-season-on-sunday-in-north-country-baseball-league-20150522|title=Watertown Bucks start season on Sunday in North Country Baseball League|work=Watertowndailytimes.com[[Watertown Daily Times]]|first=Chris|last=Fitz Gerald|date=May 22, 2015|accessdate=May 22, 2015}}</ref>
The NCBL had an unofficial affiliation with the [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball]], and several NCBL players were called up to the Atlantic League. The [[Newburgh Newts]] won the initial league championship series.<ref>{{cite webnews|url=http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/sports/pro-baseball-watertown-bucks-swept-by-newburgh-newts-in-ncbl-championship-series-20150809|title=Pro baseball: Watertown Bucks swept by Newburgh Newts in NCBL championship series|date=August 9, 2015|work=Watertown Daily Times}}</ref>
Three of the four teams that took part in the NCBL's lone season moved to the [[Empire Professional Baseball League]] for 2016.
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|'''[[Newburgh Newts]]'''
| [[Traveling Teamteam]]*
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|'''[[Old Orchard Beach Surge]]'''
| [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]], [[Maine]]
| [[The Ballpark (Old Orchard Beach)|The Ball Park]]
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|'''[[Road City Explorers]]'''
| [[travelingTraveling team]]**
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(*) Originally started as the Newburgh Newts were originally, based at [[Delano-Hitch Stadium]] in [[Newburgh, New York]], but the team left after three weeks due to lack of sponsorship or fan interest (brought on by poor scheduling).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/sports/pro-baseball-for-road-city-and-newburgh-everywhere-is-home-20150721|title=Pro baseball: For Road City and Newburgh, everywhere is 'home'|work=Watertown Daily Times|first=Chris|last=Fitz Gerald|date=July 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.recordonline.com/article/20150725/SPORTS/150729579|title=Newts' three-week run in Newburgh lacked financing and foresight|first=Josh|last=Bakan|work=[[Times Herald-Record]]|date=July 25, 2015}}</ref> When league ownership had been informed that the check for the first months rent (paid by the ECBL) had in fact bounced, they choose to leave Newburgh.
(**) Operations based in Watertown, New York. The Explorers were in negotiations to play a limited home stand at [[Point Stadium]] in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]], but the collapse of the ECBL halted the negotiations between the two. Moved to Rome, New York for 2016 season. <ref>{{cite web|title=Road City Explorers looking to make a POINT!|url=http://ecbl.stage.baseballshift.com/news/road-city-explorers-looking-to|website=East Coast Baseball League|accessdate=March 12, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429120556/http://ecbl.stage.baseballshift.com/news/road-city-explorers-looking-to|archivedate=April 29, 2015}}</ref>
===Originally proposed ECBL teams===
==External links==
*[http://www.northcountrybaseballleague.com/ Official Website]
{{Professional Baseball}}
[[Category:2015 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Baseball2015 disestablishments in Mainethe United States]]
[[Category:BaseballDefunct independent baseball leagues in Newthe United YorkStates]]
[[Category:Baseball in Ontario]]
[[Category:Baseball leagues in Maine]]
[[Category:Baseball leagues in New York (state)]]
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