Gallagher: Intercounty Baseball League goes for name exchange: IBL becomes CBL

November 25, 2025

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Can a name change do anything for the league formerly known as the Intercounty League?

As first alluded to in a Bloomberg story from a few years ago, the truth was finally confirmed in a news release issued this morning that the Canadian Baseball League is the new moniker for an organization that operated under the old shingle for more than 106 years as the country's most recognizable league for late-aged teenagers and adults.

The proposal for a name change was believed to have been first introduced at the IBL's AGM held at the end of September at the league's office in the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

When the vote was actually taken is unknown and the results of the voting weren't released. League president Ted Kalnins didn't make himself available through an email request. He chose to talk with the Toronto Star and other reporters but not with me.

Why didn't the league schedule a Zoom news conference to announce this, instead of sending out a news release? If the league wants to be professional, spend some money and have a live news event. Get more publicity by having the media involved with questions.

On top of the name change, the league made it known it was switching from a semi-pro loop to a professional entity. For decades, the league considered itself an amateur organization so as to not antagonize the NCAA which doesn't allow college players to earn money and return to school.

You have to admit the Canadian Baseball League sounds a lot better than the Intercounty Baseball League. On its website, the CBL calls itself an "independent'' league, which puts it into the same vein as the Can-Am Baseball league.

Kalnins said in a news release 64 former major-league or minor-league players participated in the league in 2025, including Hamilton Cardinals pitcher Fernando Rodney, 48, who collected 327 saves in the majors with help from that tilted hat. Rodney has said he would like to pitch until he's 50. Rodney had seven saves and an ERA of 3.37 this past season with Hamilton.

I'm guessing Baseball Reference, Baseball Almanac and other sites will add Rodney's CBL stats to his player page because the league is calling itself professional.

In 2026, teams will play a 48-game schedule up from 42. Each team will be allowed eight imports, up from five and only five of the current eight teams will qualify for the playoffs. The fourth-place team will face the fifth-place team in a one-game playoff, followed by two best-of-seven series to determine the Dominico Cup champion.

Will the struggling Brantford Red Sox continue to play while losing money over and over again?

Can the Toronto Maple Leafs, with no paid admission allowed at Christie Pits, survive in the league with limited revenue, compared to such high-revenue teams as the Welland Jackfish, London Majors, Barrie Baycats and Hamilton?

I've been told the Kitchener Panthers will take a different direction when it comes to imports. They are expected to abandon Cubans and pursue players in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic.