The , known as the Route Inn BCL for sponsorship purposes, is an independent baseball league in Japan. The league's abbreviated designation is "."
League structure The 72-game season runs from April–October, split into two half-terms, with the division champion from each half-term meeting in a playoff at the end of the year to determine which two teams compete for the league championship. Each team carries 27 players."Professional Baseball Tryout," San Diego Sports Authority (2012). Archived on the Western Baseball Association website. Accessed April 7, 2015.
Typically, players earn 150,000 yen (c. U.S. $2,000) per month, with another 50,000 yen in potential bonuses.Patrick. "Japan’s Independent Leagues 2014," NPB Tracker (09 February 2014). The league imposes a 7.2 million yen (c. U.S. $60,600) salary limit for team managers.Jun Hongo, "Julio Franco, 56 Years Old, Joins a Japan Team as Player-Manager," The Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2015.
Not every team has a permanent home stadium. Instead, the team travels around its home prefecture, playing in different stadiums, each one called "home” for that game.Ryo. "Independent Leagues in Japan," NPB Tracker: Baseball in Japan & Around the World (May 26, 2009).
History The BC League began play in 2007 as the Hokushinestu Baseball Challenge League. It originally consisted of four teams based in the Hokuriku region: the Ishikawa Million Stars, the Niigata Albirex Baseball Club, the Shinano Grandserows, and the Toyama Thunderbirds. In 2008 the league added two teams, Gunma Diamond Pegasus and the Fukui Miracle Elephants, and split into two divisions, Jōshin'etsu (Gunma, Shinano, and Niigata) and Hokuriku (Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama).
Ishikawa Million Stars Infielder Kensuke Uchimura led the league in steals in 2007, which led to him being drafted by Nippon Professional Baseball's Rakuten Golden Eagles. In 2008, he became the first player to reach NPB after playing in the BC League.
In February 2014, the league agreed to a naming rights deal with Route Inn Group, becoming the Route Inn BC League.Gen. "BC League agrees to naming rights deal with Route Inn Group," Yakyubaka.com (Feb. 25, 2014).
That same month, it was announced that a new team, the Musashi Heat Bears, based out of Saitama Prefecture, would join the league in time for the 2015 season. In July 2014, it was announced that a second new team, the Fukushima Hopes, would also join the league for the 2015 season.Gen. "New BC League team from Fukushima will be named the Fukushima Hopes," Yakyubaka.com (July 18, 2014).
Late in the summer of 2014, along with the Shikoku Island League Plus, the Route Inn BCL formed the Japan Independent Baseball League Organization.Gen. "Island League, BC League to establish Japan Independent Baseball League Organization," Yakyubaka.com (Aug.30, 2014 ).
With the addition of two new teams, in 2015 the league realigned and renamed its divisions, replacing the previous divisions Jōshin'etsu and Hokuriku with Future—East and Advance—West. The team adopted a three-division alignment in 2020.
In September 2021, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, and Shiga (the West division) announced that they would leave the league in 2022 and form a new league, the Nihonkai Ocean League.
Teams
2025 season
+DivisionTeam NameFoundedLocationLeague ChampionshipsDivision TitlesHalf Term TitlesTeam ColourHome ParkEastFukushima RedHopes2014Fukushima Prefecture011Fukushima Azuma Baseball StadiumIbaraki Astro Planets2017Ibaraki Prefecture010Kanakubo Athletic Park Baseball StadiumTochigi Golden Braves2016Tochigi Prefecture111Oyama Athlete Park Baseball StadiumGunma Diamond Pegasus2008Gunma Prefecture5814Takasaki City Jonan Baseball StadiumWestSaitama Musashi Heat Bears2014Saitama Prefecture120Kumagaya Park StadiumKanagawa Future Dreams2019Kanagawa Prefecture210Hiratsuka StudiumYamanashi Firewinds2025Yamanashi Prefecture000Shinano Grandserows2007Nagano Prefecture253Nagano Olympic Stadium
Yearly standings
YearFirstSecondThirdFourth2007IshikawaToyamaShinanoNiigata
Joshin'etsu DivisionHokuriku DivisionYearFirstSecondThirdYearFirstSecondThird2008First halfNiigataGunmaShinano2008First halfToyamaIshikawaFukuiSecond halfGunmaNiigataShinanoSecond halfToyamaIshikawaFukui2009First halfGunmaNiigataShinano2009First halfIshikawaToyamaFukuiSecond halfGunmaNiigataShinanoSecond halfIshikawaToyamaFukui2010First halfGunmaShinanoNiigata2010First halfIshikawaFukuiToyamaSecond halfGunmaNiigataShinanoSecond halfFukuiIshikawaToyama2011First halfGunmaShinanoNiigata2011First halfIshikawaToyamaFukuiSecond halfNiigataShinanoGunmaSecond halfFukuiIshikawaToyama2012First halfNiigataShinanoGunma2012First halfIshikawaFukuiToyamaSecond halfNiigataShinanoGunmaSecond halfFukuiToyamaIshikawa2013First halfNiigataGunmaShinano2013First halfIshikawaToyamaFukuiSecond halfNiigataShinanoGunmaSecond halfFukuiToyamaIshikawa2014 First half Gunma Niigata Shinano 2014 First half Toyama Fukui IshikawaSecond half Niigata Gunma Shinano Second half Ishikawa Toyama Fukui
Future-EastAdvance-WestYearFirstSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthYearFirstSecondThirdFourthFifth2015First halfNiigataMusashiGunmaFukushima- -2015First halfFukuiShinanoIshikawaToyama-Second halfFukushimaNiigataGunmaMusashi- -Second halfToyamaFukuiIshikawaShinano-2016First halfGunmaFukushimaNiigataMusashi- -2016First halfIshikawaFukuiShinanoToyama-Second halfGunmaFukushimaNiigataMusashi- -Second halfIshikawaShinanoToyamaFukui-2017First halfGunmaNiigataFukushimaMusashiTochigi -2017First halfToyamaShinanoFukuiShigaIshikawaSecond halfGunmaFukushimaNiigataTochigiMusashi -Second halfShinanoToyamaFukuiIshikawaShiga2018First halfGunmaFukushimaNiigataMusashiTochigi -2018First halfFukuiShinanoIshikawaToyamaShigaSecond halfGunmaFukushimaTochigiNiigataMusashi -Second halfToyamaFukuiShinanoIshikawaShiga2019First halfGunmaNiigataTochigiFukushimaMusashiIbaraki2019First halfShinanoToyamaIshikawaShigaFukuiSecond halfTochigiNiigataGunmaMusashiFukushimaIbarakiSecond halfShinanoIshikawaToyamaFukuiShiga
Eastern DivisionCentral DivisionWestern DivisionYearFirstSecondThirdFourth YearFirstSecondThirdFourth YearFirstSecondThirdFourth2020TochigiKanagawaSaitamaIbaraki 2020ShinanoFukushimaNiigataGunma 2020FukuiToyamaIshikawaShiga2021SaitamaTochigiKanagawaIbaraki2021GunmaShinanoNiigataFukushima2021ShigaToyamaIshikawaFukui
North DivisionSouth DivisionYearFirstSecondThirdFourth YearFirstSecondThirdFourth2022ShinanoNiigataGunmaFukushima 2022IbarakiTochigiSaitamaKanagawa2023ShinanoNiigataFukushimaGunma2023SaitamaTochigiKanagawaIbarakiNo DivisionsYearFirstSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthSeventh2024KanagawaShinanoGunmaIbarakiSaitamaFukushimaTochigiBC-East BC-WestYearFirstSecondThirdFourthYearFirstSecondThirdFourth2025GunmaTochigiIbarakiFukushima 2025KanagawaShinanoSaitamaYamanshi
References
External links Baseball Challenge League Official Site (in Japanese) 2014 Final Standings, Playoff Results, Statistical Leaders