090405 Update:  The South Florida Mets win the 2005 Florida Cup Championship over the Miami Red Sox!!  The final day of the tournament witnessed the South Florida Mets claiming another tournament championship as they broke open a 3-1 game in the ninth to coast to a 9-1 victory over the Miami Red Sox.  Earlier in the day, the South Florida Mets outlasted the New York Seminoles 3-2 in the first semifinal game when they produced a double in the top of the tenth with two out and nobody on, followed by the game winning RBI single to right field.  The Mets had held a 2-0 lead all game until the Seminoles struck for two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie it up. 

In the other semifinal game, the Miami Red Sox scored six runs early in the game and then held off a furious Ft. Lauderdale Mets rally to upset the Premier Division champions 7-6.

.090305 Update:   On day two of the tournament, the Ft. Lauderdale Mets clinched first place in the American Division after beating the Miami Police Force 14 - 3, while the New York Seminoles won the National Division by winning two games, beating the Miami Red Sox 4-1 and the Broward Bulldogs 2-1.  In the late game, the Miami Red Sox qualified for the semifinals by ambushing the Coral Gable Athletics 13-7, thereby eliminating the tournament third seed.  In the other Sunday games, the South Florida Mets hammered the Miami Braves 21-8 to also qualify for the playoffs, while the Coral Gables Athletics knocked out the Broward Bulldogs 15-0.

090205 Update:  Thanks to the ground crew, the tournament got into full swing by mid-day Saturday as the overnight rains left the Homestead Sports Complex underwater to start the day.  In a mild upset, the Coral Gables Athletics scored three runs in the ninth inning to pull out a 3 - 3 tie against the second seed of the tournament, New York Seminoles.  In the upset of the day, the defending SFBL Premier division champion, the Fort Lauderdale Mets, beat the perennial power and top seed, South Florida Mets 6 - 3 in the opening game of the tournament.  The Miami Police Force ripped into the Miami Braves 16 - 1 in a show of force.....and the Miami Red Sox beat the Broward Bulldogs 4-0 in a rain-shortened contest.

In the afternoon games, the Fort Lauderdale Mets defeated the Miami Braves 15-6, and the Miami Police Force fell to the South Florida Mets 6-2.  The NY Seminoles vs Miami Red Sox as well as the Broward Bulldogs vs Coral Gables Athletics games were rained out and will be played as part of a Sunday doubleheader.

The South Florida Baseball League is proud to announce the 5th Annual Florida Cup.  Played in South Florida, this tournament is played every year on Labor Day Weekend (September 3-5, 2005) and features some of the best tournament teams in the state.  Previous winners include the South Florida Mets, South Florida Sun Devils and Suncoast Suns.  The tournament, which is open to any and all teams in the region regardless of affiliation, is in Open Division format - no age brackets.  Players must be of the minimum age of eighteen.  The winner-take-all tournament is highlighted by a $750 Cash Prize and a tournament trophy for the championship team. 

South Florida Mets beat Miami Red Sox for Florida Cup Championship

Tournament Location

The 2005 Florida Cup will be played at the Homestead Sports Complex.  To view a map of the field of your choice, simply click on the underlined name.

Homestead Sports Complex, Homestead.

Tournament Seedings

The tournament seedings have been established by the tournament director and are based on past tournament performances as well as current records and other objective and subjective factors.

Tournament Brackets

Tournament Standings

American Division:

National Division:

Tournament Schedule

American Division:

South Florida Mets

Fort Lauderdale Mets

Miami Police Force

Miami Braves

National Division:

New York Seminoles

Coral Gables Athletics

Miami Red Sox

Broward Bulldogs

Playoffs - Semifinals

2005 Florida Cup Championship Game

Tournament Format

The eight teams are seeded by the tournament director and then divided into two brackets - American and National.  All teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games played in round robin format against teams within their respective division.  Two games are played on Saturday, September 3 with the third preliminary round game played on Sunday morning, September 4. 

Playoff Qualifiers:  Teams qualify for the playoffs based on the following point system:

Points:    1 Win = 2 points, 1 Tie = 1 point, 1 Loss = 0 points.  

The team with the greatest number of points wins its division. However, in case of a tie, use the tie-breaker rules detailed below.  The first and second place teams in each bracket after the 3-game elimination round will advance to the semifinals.   The first place team from the American League will play the second place team from the National League and vice-versa in the Semifinals.

Tie Breaker Rules:  Tie breakers are applied in the following order:

1.  Head-to-head result

2.  Fewest Runs Allowed:  If no head-to-head result, the team with the fewest runs allowed will win the second tie breaker.

3.  Net Runs:  In case of another tie, an equation of net runs will be employed and the team with the greatest number of net runs wins the third tie breaker.  Net Runs = (Runs Scored - Runs Allowed).

4.  Coin Toss:  In case of a third tie, a best-of-three coin toss will determine the final tie breaker.

Tournament Rules

The Florida Cup is played under the rules undertaken by the South Florida Baseball League.  A copy of the SFBL Official Rules and Regulations will be provided to each participating team.  To access the rules immediately, click on the underlined reference.  Some imperative rules are as follows:

1.  In each team's offensive line-up, a minimum 10 batters must be used.  You may add to this minimum at any time during the game but you may not shrink the line-up once expanded.

2.  Free defensive substitution.  As implied, no restrictions on defensive changes except for the pitcher re-entry rule.

3.  Pitcher Re-entry Rule:  In the case of a pitching change, once a pitcher is removed, he can only be re-entered as a pitcher after one complete inning  has been played.  This move can only be done once per game.

4.  No deliberate physical contact between base runners and defensive players, i.e. NO BARRELING INTO THE CATCHER, SECOND BASEMAN, etc.  Automatic ejection penalty.

5.  3 hour time limit = no inning shall start after 3 hours has elapsed.  Tie games permitted for elimination round games only.  No ties are permitted for playoff games.

6.  In case of rain, official game only after 5 full innings completed.  Games started but not registering 5 complete innings will be suspended and completed as soon as possible thereafter.  Offensive line-ups remain frozen and the suspended game must pick up where it left off.

7.  No forfeits tolerated by teams that have clinched playoffs after first two games.  Automatic disqualification for violation.

7.  All team managers must call in game results - win or lose- to the SFBL office 305.663.2521 within 10 minutes of game completion or suspension.  All results will be posted to this website page live throughout the tournament.

Link to Tournament Page

Base Hits as of 7/19/05