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 I was watching TV in the fall of 1990 and saw a baseball game on a Sports Channel. It happened to be the championship game of the Men's Senior Baseball League for men ages 30+, played in Phoenix, Arizona. My son Jimmy, who at the time was playing baseball for Indiana State, said I ought to start a league locally. Throughout the game, they kept showing the 800# for people who were interested in starting a league of their own. A few days later, I made that call. I talked to Steve Sigler, who started the league, and is now the current President of Men's Senior League Baseball, Inc. We started our league in 1991 having only 4 teams. It was certainly no small feat trying to start a 30+-baseball league. I spent countless hours recruiting players and with the help of Nick Telezin, we finally had 4 teams and were ready to play. We played at the North Babe Ruth Baseball fields, Rose Hulman Baseball field, and now we have found a home at Haley Field in Terre Haute, located behind the Vigo County Fairgrounds. Currently we have 14 teams divided into 2 divisions, ages 19 and over, and 38 and over. We play 8 games each weekend from April to September on 2 diamonds. We use local experienced umpires. Our league has been represented in the World Series in Phoenix, each year since 1992. MSBL provides us with the best baseball parks imaginable during the World Series, as we have played in the Spring Training parks of major league teams, like the Cubs, Giants, and Padres. Some of the best fields are High School Baseball fields and Packard Stadium at Arizona State University. In 1997, the Terre Haute MSBL 50+ team, finished runners-up in the World Series against a team from San Diego. This success was duplicated in 2006, as they finished as National Runners Up again, losing on a 9th inning squeeze play! In the past several years we have sent a father/son team to the World Series. This team realized the ultimate success in 2002, bringing home a National Championship. The team dominated the field, going undefeated throughout the tournament, beating teams from Oregon, Georgia, Illinois, California, and Nevada. This is a Dad's dream to be able to play organized baseball with a son. In late July of 2002, we switched the 38+ division to an all wood bat league. Most tournaments in MSBL are converting to use all wood bats. I guess there is something special about the sound of a wood bat hitting a baseball. The future of the Men's Senior Baseball League is bright. More and more guys are becoming interested in playing. Families attend and enjoy seeing fathers and husbands play a game they have always loved. We maintain quality playing fields, utilizing fundraising and hard work to improve our facilities. Come join the 'Boys of Summer' and build life long friendships! Jim Tanner Former President and Founder, THMSBL |