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| THIS WEBSITE IS MAINTAINED BY: BOB LIPP Telephone (316) 617-1751 EMAIL US: baseball_office@yahoo.com |
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| Photo gallery of the 2006 Bisbee Kings. Click on the photo to continue to next photo. |
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| In 2001, while Bob Lipp was looking for a site to build or hold a winter baseball academy, he was researching Arizona and California and came across a little known baseball park in Bisbee, Arizona. Bob traveled to Bisbee to inspect the ballpark and many citizens remembered the pro team of the past and asked if organized baseball could return. He went right to work and formed the professional Arizona-Mexico League that was short-lived in 2003 and then returned semi-pro ball for the 2006 & 2007 seasons. With the current Bisbee team under new ownership, Bob is currently working on a new project that will have professional baseball being played in 2010! THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO THE WARREN BALLPARK AND TO ANY CURRENT ORGANIZED TEAM THAT CALLS THIS WONDERFUL PARK HOME. |
| (c) Copyright 2005-2009 Warren Ballpark by International Baseball Foundation |
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| This 1907/08 panoramic view is of the Warren District where the ballpark was built shortly after this photo was taken. The ballpark sits to the left white trolly barn on the right. Joy Timbers which owns Calumet & Arizona Guest House, which is pictured here, was built in 1907. We knew ballpark construction was started sometime from 1906-1908.Thank you Joy for your information Click here for full size photo! |
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| 2003 ARIZONA-MEXICO LEAGUE ACTION. BISBEE-DOUGLAS COPPER KINGS hosting CANANEA. OPENING NIGHT MAY 30, 2003! Courtesy G.E. Wolfe - Bisbee, Arizona |
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| 2007 Photo gallery of the Bisbee Copper Kings. Click on the photo to continue to next photo. |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 10, 2009 DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - A new semi-pro baseball league is being formed at this time. Today, a new team located in Douglas, AZ, is being announced by the newly formed league. A league office will be opened in Douglas within several weeks. Play will begin June 2010 with each team comprised of the best local talent with several national players allowed. A meeting of potential teams will be held in Douglas August 1st. Officials representing their respective cities will be attending as far as 250 miles. The founder of the league, Bob Lipp, has many years of baseball experience and can be reached at 316 617 1751 and emailed at baseball_office@yahoo.com. |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 15, 2009 DOUGLAS, ARIZONA -What started out as mere dream in the heart and mind of Bob Lipp, three years ago, is quickly becoming a reality. A new semi-professional baseball league, which was announced last week, appears to be headed in the right direction. The league has already received six attendance commitments for their first meeting scheduled for August 1st at 9am in Douglas. League founder, Bob Lipp, has received unexpected response to the initial announcement but hopes many more communities will respond by sending representatives to this ground breaking meeting. Lipp is asking for teams to be formed in the region from El Paso, Texas east to Nogales, Arizona on the west. He also points out that border towns to the south are encouraged to attend. With this region in mind, Lipp feels the team budgets can be kept to smaller scales in order to stay in line with today’s economic climate while still providing an economic boost to the region. Scheduled for the initial meeting are guest speakers and discussions about forming this league. Past memories of baseball and the future for the league will further the interest of those in attendance. After a short break, those interested in listening to details about the league formation will begin discussions on how to make this all happen in order to begin play in May of 2010. There is no limit to how large the league could become. Lipp urges all communities to send representatives or interested parties to this meeting. The meeting is also open to the public. Food and beverage will be provided. Contact the league at baseball_office@yahoo.com or 316 617 1751. Further details will be announced as August 1st approaches. |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 19, 2009 DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - Doug Bender, Geovanna Morales and Carolina Tellez are named to league positions. Doug is Public Relations/USA, Geovanna is Public Relations/Mexico and Carolina is Player Information Director. |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 18, 2009 DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - People from the following communities have said they will attend the August 1st meeting. The league is looking for as many community representatives that wish to take part in the league meeting! Cananea, Sonora El Paso, Texas Douglas, Arizona Nogales, Arizona Nogales, Sonora Sierra Vista, Arizona |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 11, 2009 DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - Every part of the world has its legends and folklore. None, richer than the Southwestern United States. Many years ago, Douglas, Arizona baseball had the “Horsehide Murderers”, now decades later, Bob Lipp, has visions of the “Douglas 9”. Lipp, the brain thrust behind the newest unnamed amateur baseball league, was hoping for a modest beginning to his newest venture. On August 1st, five different communities attended the inaugural meeting with two other communities expressing interest in attending but could not fit it into their schedules. The “Magnificent 7” at this time consists of the communities of; Douglas, Cananea, Tucson, Nogales, Arizona, El Paso, Nogales,Sonora, and Sonoita,Sonora. While many of the basic terms of the league have been established by Lipp and his co-workers, several other items were up for discussion at the first meeting. Among the items discussed were; Scheduling league games on Friday and Saturdays only; Permission requirements and or visas for potential players; Insurance requirements for each team and facility; Keeping the “League” in amateur status; Budgetary concerns such as hotels, uniforms, transportation and equipment, and a proposal to have an age limit for the teams. Team agreements and general information sheets were given out to those in attendance. The next meeting for this newest baseball league will be on September 10th at Nogales, Arizona. |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 18, 2009 LEAGUE NAME NOW OFFICIAL DOUGLAS ARIZONA - The newest baseball league in the Southwestern United States now has its very own name. Today, Bob Lipp announced that the newly formed league will go by “The Miner League”, semi-pro baseball at its best. Lipp had several other league names suggested to him yet he and his staff felt that including the rich mining history of the area would be the best way to honor the memory. The Miner League will be open to all amateur and former professional baseball players from all over the world. The only true requirement, age wise, is for the younger player’s class to have at least graduated high school as to not interfere with eligibility. So far the search has begun for players throughout the United States and Mexico with some signings expected to be announced next week. Should you have any inquires about The Miner League you may contact Bob Lipp at 316-617-1751, or Doug Bender, Public Relations USA, via email at coach_bender@yahoo.com. |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 19, 2009 CAN HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF IN DOUGLAS? 51 years ago today. DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - For some people what happened here 51 years ago has never been heard of. For others, the memory is like that of a fairy tale. In 1958, The Douglas Copper Kings accomplished what no other team in Major League or Minor League baseball ever has. All nine starters hit homeruns. Yes, you read that correctly. All nine starters for the Copper Kings sent the horsehide deep over the fence at a game in Chihuahua, Mexico. No team has ever gotten close to having all nine starters hit home runs. The Cincinnati Reds were able to hit eight homeruns in a game, but not by their starters, during the 1999 season but that was with pinch hitters. Douglas did it like no other. It was August 19th, 1958 and the Copper Kings were playing in Chihuahua during the Class C Arizona-Mexico League. The Copper Kings were not known as a power hitting team but baseball is not necessarily about power but about defense and pitching as well. Defense had little to do with this game as the Copper Kings routed Chihuahua by a score of 22-8. Not an unusual score for the day, seems most games like that would just appear as a line score except for the local paper. BUT, this one was special. So special in fact that upon their return to Douglas, they were dubbed the “Douglas Nine”, complete with a picture in the local media. The picture had all of the starters in it and the heading read, “The Case of the Murdered Horsehide”. Imagine that, accused and guilty of driving the ball. The article and picture quickly made those involved heroes of sorts, but no one knew how long that record would stand. As if playing in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization wasn’t enough to get you noticed back in the day, this team had to do something so special that baseball has never seen it repeated. Actually, the chances of it being repeated decrease every season as the modern day player has become so specialized that pitchers rarely make contact, except for a select few, and weak hitting infielders are common place so long as they are able to be slick fielders. While the names may be forgotten by some, the feat will never be forgotten by baseball. The “Douglas Nine” who accomplished the unthinkable were by position; (Pitcher) Bob Clear; (Catcher) Rich Binford; (1st Base) Dutch Van Burkleo; (2nd Base) Luis Torres; (SS) Don Pulford; (3rd Base) Darrel McCall; (Left Field) Ron Wilkins; (Center Field) Andy Prevedello; and (Right Field) Fred Filipelli. Of the 131 homeruns hit during that season, 9 of those were the most memorable. Will the new “Miner League” be able to make lighting strike again? That will not be known until the 2010 season finishes. But, one thing is for sure. These Nine Men and the legendary name they were give of the “Douglas Nine”, shall be the name that the newest semi-professional team in Douglas, Arizona will carry for the upcoming season. “The Douglas Nine” is back. |
Border Crossing Passport Cards Click here for website |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 22, 2009 “DOUGLAS NINE” ANNOUNCES SIGNEES DOUGLAS, ARIZONA - Bob Lipp, creator of “The Miner League” is pleased to announce the first signees for his newly named Douglas Nine. Travis L’Hommedieu of Abilene, Kansas is the first to commit to Lipp and the “Douglas Nine”. L’Hommedieu has had various stops along his baseball career and is looking at the “Miner League” to further his playing career. Travis has played for the now defunct Texas Heat of the Continental Baseball League in Lewisville, Texas as well as playing with the Houston Apollos in the NBC World Series this past season. L’Hommedieu also played for the Newton Rebels, Salina Blue Jays, Park City Cowboys and the Great Bend Cardinals of the Walter Johnson Summer Collegiate Wood Bat League in Kansas over the past few summers. Prior to starting on his road thru the semi-pro leagues, L’Hommedieu was an All-Conference Outfielder at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas with a batting average of .330, 7 homeruns and 29 RBI’s. Before his time at KWU, Travis played at Brown Mackie College in Salina where he was named All-Region as an outfielder. He attended high school in Wichita, Kansas at Wichita Heights High School where he was named 1st team All-City and 2nd team All-State. The 6’2”, 220lb L’Hommedieu plays both outfield and first base. He is expected to carry on the tradition of the Douglas Nine as a projected four, five, or six hole hitter. Chayne Sauders, 6’3” 195 lb Righthanded Pitcher and catcher from Granite, Oklahoma has also signed with The Douglas Nine. Sauders was most recently the Co-Captain for the Mount Mercy College Mustangs of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Prior to his arrival at Mount Mercy, Sauders was named to the Kansas Jayhawk Junior College Sophomore All-Star Showcase team as a pitcher at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kanas after having played his freshman season at Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kansas. Sauders attended high school in Granite, Oklahoma where he was a four-year starter and a two-year co-captain. Chayne was also named to the Western Oklahoma All-Star team and was an alternate on the All-State team. Sauders has also played in the Walter Johnson Summer Collegiate Wood Bat League with the Dodge City Desperados in Dodge City, Kansas where he led the pitching staff with an outstanding 1.88 era. Chayne is engaged to be married during the upcoming baseball season to Heather McAllister. The couple have one son, Rylan Reyce Sauder who is 2 years old. |
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| LEAGUE TAKING LOOK AND SEE APPROACH
October 20, 2009 DOUGLAS, AZ – Due to the worsening Arizona economic situation, “The Miner League” has decided to take a closer look at the economy on a day to day basis before beginning any fundraising activities.. The inaugural season, which is scheduled to begin in June 2010, has hit a fork in the road. Due to the latest news developments, we will be keeping an eye on the situation. It was reported last week that due to the State of Arizona’s $1.5 billion budget shortfall, the state has decided to eliminate many programs including children’s medical care and also the potential closing of six prisons including the one in Douglas. The Douglas prison employs approximately 600 people and the local economy will be greatly affected by the loss of these jobs. Other areas of concern for “The Miner League” include the copper miners strike in Cananea. This strike has been going on for over two years which outlasts the projections that it was to be over by the end of the summer of ’09. The return of organized baseball to Cananea must be at the time that workers return to work and the local community sentiment is on an upswing. With “The Miner League” wanting to project a positive image for the Douglas and surrounding communities, it is important that we watch the economic climate and promote entertainment and family activities. Without the economy being stable in the Southwest at this time, we shall be watching the developments before making a final decision on opening total operations. We invite you to give us your opinion about opening operations or postponing them. Please feel free to email your comments or concerns to any of the addresses posted on this website. We will take note and use your opinions in our decision making process. |
