The 2013 Arizona Fall League is on the Horizon

Since its inaugural season in 1992, the Arizona Fall League has been a rite of passage for baseball's top young talent as they make their way to the big leagues. Several notable alumni of the Tulsa Drillers, for example, have participated in the fall league over the years, including current Major Leaguers Matt Holliday and Nolan Arenado. With the regular season drawing to a close, details on the 2013 Arizona Fall League are just starting to emerge.

The six-team league will begin on October 8 with games being played through the league championship on November 16. The eighth annual Fall Stars Game will take place on November 2 at Surprise Stadium. There will be three games per day, six days a week in five Cactus League stadiums. All games will begin at 12:35PM and 6:35PM daily.

Tulsa Drillers season ticket holders that have taken advantage of the early bird renewal for their 2014 plans will receive season passes to all AFL games this fall.

Top prospects in the Colorado Rockies organization will play for the Salt River Rafters along with prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. The Rafters, Mesa Solar Sox and Scottsdale Scorpions will comprise the East Division, while the Glendale Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros will make up the West.

Rosters for each club will be announced in late August.

Darryl Scott, pitching coach of the Drillers, has been selected to serve in the same capacity for the Rafters this fall. Scott, who is in his first season with Tulsa, has coached in the Rockies organization since 2009. Prior to coaching, the right-handed reliever enjoyed an 11-year playing career, highlighted by two stints with the California Angels in 1993. 

Mike Shildt, manager of the Springfield Cardinals, will fill the managerial post for Salt River.

The Rafters will play their home games at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick complex, the spring training home of the Rockies and Diamondbacks, which is located just outside of Scottsdale. The state-of-the-art facility has garnered much praise since its inception in 2011, and in March, hosted two opening round games of the World Baseball Classic.

For the complete Arizona Fall League schedule, Click Here.