Late in 1987, owners participating in the CBML hockey league decided to form a baseball league to keep them busy during the off-season. Soon a 16 team baseball league was formed, with the 1988 season to be the inaugural start.  With most of the 16 original owners represented from the hockey league, a focus to keep the CBML acronym soon resulted in the Continental Mail Baseball League.

The next big decision to be made was how long the season should be.  The majority of the owners felt that an 80 game season was sufficient, since the games would be played manually using cards and dice.  Of course a game had to be selected, and because Strat-O-Matic used the split lefty/righty card setup, SOM became the overwhelming choice.

Now it was off to some obscure bar in a bowling alley in Wadsworth, Ohio for the first CBML draft .  Each owner had selected a major league team and had the rights to all players on that team.  Under the guidance of Dan Klink, the league’s first commissioner, the drafting of players not on claimed teams was held.  A league was formed, a commissioner was elected, and a draft was held, so now it was on to our very first season.  It was pretty much a normal season, but with one odd result:  The Phillies won the Hodges Division title with a less than 500 record.  The only time in the league’s history that a division champion had a less than 500 record.

With the exception of a few changes in ownership, the league pretty much remained unchanged for the first five seasons, keeping 16 teams and an 80 game season.  After the Tigers and Mets took the first two championships, the league became dominated by the Blue Jays and Orioles over the next seven seasons, with the Blue Jays winning four championships and the Orioles winning three titles of their own.

In 1991, the CBML entered the computer generation as SOM came out with a computerized version of the game.  Naturally, although most of the league owners were happy to switch to the computer version, there were some diehard owners who wanted to stay with the cards and dice.  For a couple of seasons the league became a split dice/computer league, but eventually it was decided that we would be an all-computer league.  The switch to an all-computer league greatly simplified the keeping of league stats.  Prior to that point, box scores were hand done and snail mailed to the league statistician who compiled the stats manually.

With the advent of the computer version of the game by all league owners, the CBML was ready to take its next major step:  A 122 game season.  It was a decision that was not without controversy, but in the end the majority went with the increased season length and 1993 was our first non-80 game season.  The 1993 season also saw the league add two wild card teams to the playoffs for the first time.

1994 brought about even more change.  As the CBML prepared to enter its seventh season, it was decided that it was time for expansion and two teams, the White Sox and Rockies, were added to the league.  Along with expansion, the league also felt that it was ready to lengthen the schedule for the second time in two years and go to 160 games.

From 1994 through 1997, the league stayed with 18 teams and a 160 game season.  1998 saw the league ready for its second expansion and a minor schedule increase.  Two additional teams, the Mariners and the A’s, were added to the league, giving the league four five-team divisions for the first time.  Two games were added to the schedule, bringing it up to the MLB level.

The expansion to 20 teams brought about some turbulent times over a couple seasons as dependable owners became difficult to find, and several owners ended up managing a second team.  Just as contraction to 18 or even 16 teams seemed inevitable, three new owners were recommended by a couple of existing owners.  Each of the three new owners proved to be enthusiastic and dependable, putting the league on solid ground to remain at 20 teams.

The 2004 season saw some major changes in league rules.  For the first time, computer managers were required, as were ballpark effects and online play for playoff games.  The advent of computer managers saw the end of hand written/typed instructions, which varied in detail from owner to owner.  One owner would send out six to eight pages of instructions as to what should be done in every conceivable situation.  To the other extreme instructions would be comprised of something like, “Here is my roster and pitching rotation.  Run the team as you would your own.”  The 2004 season also saw two new owners, not significant in itself; but it turned out to be the last time the league would see new owners through the 2010 season.  That’s a streak of seven consecutive seasons with the same owners…a rare occurrence in any league.

Somewhere along the way, CBML seemed to cease as a SOM baseball league and transitioned into a group of friends who also happened to play SOM.  Drafts have become a reunion of sorts with a good number of the league members attending and enjoying each others company.

2017 was a tough year for the league when two of our original league owners, Stan Berger and Ed Haney, passed away due to illness.  Stan and Ed were not only original league members, they were also foundational personalities within the league.  Stan served as the league historian (and adult in the room during the early days) while Ed documented much of our history through his ever present video camera.  To honor our friends, two divisions (Hodges and Rickey renamed Berger and Haney, respectively) and the league championship has been renamed as the Berger/Haney Championship Plaque.

Early 2022 the league suffered the passing of Bruce Byers and the loss of another friend. Bruce was another original owner…was quick with a hug and a smile and had never missed a draft. Owner of the Twins franchise and the father of Twins himself. His CBML Title came the year his girls were born.

Over the years, the CBML has some unusual non-baseball statistics.  Of the original 16 owners, two still remain.  Each of the original two remaining original owners has won at least one CBML World Series.  There have been 35 different owners and six different commissioners.  Todd Findley holds the record for longevity as commissioner, holding the job for thirteen seasons, 1999 through 2012.  It wasn’t until 1995 that a commissioner’s team won the World Series.  That year it was Commissioner Scott Berger’s Orioles who won the series.  Not until 2001 did another commissioner’s team win the CBML World Series, this time it was Commissioner Todd Findley’s Giants.

Twelve different states have hosted the annual draft, with Ohio holding the most drafts.  Over the years, the CBML has had four father-son combinations and three brother combinations.  The father-son combinations were Stan/Scott/Kurt Berger, Don/Eric Adams, Brian/Brody Miller and Larry/Yancy Cupp.  Brothers during the leagues history have included Bruce/Whitney Byers, Scott/Kurt Berger, and Scott/Eric Berger.

As the CBML enters its current season, it continues to evolve from a Strat-o-matic Baseball League into a group of friends who play Strat-o-matic Baseball.