Baseball Is for the Ages

By John DeBenedictis

This is not the book to read if you are interested in a literary masterpiece. The authors career was in Biomedical Engineering. As a result, the book probably reads more like an engineering report than anything else. If you are interested in what motivates men from 50 to 90 years of age to sacrifice their summer weekends to get back on the baseball diamond with all the associated aches and pains (physical as well as spousal), you may very well enjoy this book. Why would an adult lose 20 to 70 pounds in one year? Why would someone with multiple heart attacks and as many as eight stents in their coronary arteries play doubleheaders on a hot summer day in August (especially if he is a pitcher and a catcher)? Why would an intelligent adult with both hips and both knees replaced play baseball Saturday and Sunday, as well as one or two nights during the week? If you are interested in starting a league like that, you may also learn what it takes to make it happen. Bonus information? Check out why this league has been credited with leveling the playing field between men and women! Baseball truly is for the ages Enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504918985

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© 2015 John DeBenedictis. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/29/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-1899-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-1898-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015910048

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface    Why Do Grown Men Act Like Kids?

Chapter 1 Tri-State Senior Baseball League, LLC - 2015

Overview:

Playing Rules (Evolution):

Greatest Needs

Managers

Umpires

Fields

Affi.iation

Mission Statement (Discipline)

Policies And Procedures:

Chapter 2 Special Events

All-Stars

Charity Games

Father/Son Tournament:

Annual Banquet:

Chapter 3 National Tournaments

First Ever 50+ Exhibition Baseball Game

The First 50+ National Tournament Championship Game for the Tri-State League

One Very Special Tournament for this Author

Selected Highlights from Tournaments for the 50+ Generation

Performance Enhancing Drugs (Ped’s)

Chapter 4 Evolution of the Tri-State Senior Baseball League

Chapter 5 The Infant Years

Ground Zero

Injuries

Play Ball

Chapter 6 Fork in the Road

Harmony

Conflicting Opinions

Rebuilding

New Challenges

Chapter 7 Women’s Baseball

Tri-State Senior Baseball And Women’s Baseball

Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League (PWBL)

Battle of the Sexes

National Recognition

Chapter 8 Testimonials

Questionnaire Responses

Pat Fynes

Ed Spurka

Ben Lerner

Jack Galante

Dave Hunsberger

Dave McGuigan

Ray Croes

Bill Totten

Fred Abrams

Lou Dunkle

Bill Beirne

Art Ellis

Ken Lagowski

Jack Kapp

Joe Meo

Matt Axel

Gary Carmon

Steve Smith

Chuck Resnick

Paul Nichol

Bruce Kelly

Konrad Kmetz

Ed Tom

John Lord

John Bristow

Daryl Fein

Frank Fein

Harry Feld

John DeBenedictis

Chapter 9 The Billy Cameron Award

Chapter 10 The Final Chapter?

PREFACE

Why Do Grown Men Act Like Kids?

It was a sunny day in July of 2000; July 9, to be exact. The relief pitcher trudged gingerly up the mound and on to the pitching rubber, sixty feet, six inches from home plate. After delivering a pitch, a pitcher is probably within 55 feet of home plate. How long does a line drive take to travel 55 feet? Suffice it to answer not very long! That is not a lot of time for a young, virile, athlete with lightning fast reflexes. What chance did this grizzled, old veteran with the gimpy knees have?

His team had just squandered a big lead. A 7-2 bulge had turned into a 7-6 nail-biter with the tying run on third and the lead run on second and only one out.

The coach gingerly offered him the ball asking Are you sure you want to do this?

The old guy reached out his glove with a wry smile curling his lips. He didn’t say a word but his body language spoke volumes. His brain knew this was the last place in the world he should be. But, when the adrenaline flows, the heart takes over. The heart knew exactly why he was here and why there was no other place at this moment of history he would rather be despite the doctors advice, despite his loved ones advice, despite his own common sense, despite the warning signals his body was sending to his brain. The heart screamed, The team needs me………………….

Uncharacteristically, he took his warm up tosses from the stretch. Normally, he would pitch from the windup with runners on second and third. This time he couldn’t take the chance of putting any additional stress on the right knee by twisting as he delivered the pitch. He had to do it in a straight line. His follow through was affected too because he dared not land hard on the right foot.

After delivering his last warm up pitch and listening to the plate umpire remind him where the runners were, how many outs there were, and the count on the batter, he turned his back to the plate as has been his custom since his beloved mother passed away. He rubbed the ball between both hands and looked up skyward trying to find which cloud mom was peeking over this time to see him pitch. He really felt the need for divine help.

By this time in his career, no one feared the fastball he used to throw. It was long gone, a distant memory. Gone were the days when the wild, hard thrower aimed for the middle of the plate hoping to hit a corner somewhere, anywhere! He turned himself into a crafty veteran relying on an assortment of slow breaking pitches hitting the black inside, outside, up and down. When the opponents saw him head to the mound, they salivated! He would need all the cunning he could muster. His first pitch was outside. Ball one! No problem, he thought, first base is open. If this guy doesn’t bite, he might get out of the inning with a ground ball double play with the next hitter.

This time luck was on his side…..the batter had no intention of walking since he wanted to be the hero by crushing one of those meatballs. After working the count to 2-2 by tossing up slow, slower, and slowest pitches, the old guy pulled the string even a little more. They used to call it an ephus pitch. Swinging from the heels, the burly batter contacted nothing but air. The bat was through the zone before the ball arrived. The Mighty Casey had struck out!

But this time Mudville was not done. They had one more out.

This tension packed moment in baseball lore unfolded before one of the smallest crowds in baseball history. It was not before 80,000 screaming maniacs during the 7th game of a World Series. It was not even a League Championship game for the right to get to the World Series. No, it wasn’t an All Star game.

There was no MRI clearing him to play, no rehab assignment in the minors. There was no medical second opinion. In fact, the last pitch he threw was four weeks ago. It was the weekend before his surgery on June 21st. He considered having both knees replaced at the same time, knees worn out from half a century of playing games from kick the can in the street to baseball, basketball, and football. The guy never had an off-season. He opted just to have the right knee replaced. He was determined to rehab faster than anyone expected. He was on his feet and walking the hallways of the hospital the next morning. He was discharged on the third day. Now, less than three weeks later, he stood on the pitchers mound.

He had come to the game just to cheer his teammates on and wore his uniform just to show his camaraderie with the players. He had no intention of getting anywhere near the field. As it turned out, only eight players showed up to play. There was nothing worse to a ball player than a forfeit. Maybe death; but nothing else!

Was it a meaningful game? Not by any stretch of the imagination. It was the Tri-State 48+ Men’s Senior Baseball League. The pitcher was 62 years of age. He was the Founder and President of the league. Why start a league for guys that old? Just to have a place to play and players to play against, of course.

Lo and behold, the next batter hit a major league pop-up. As luck would have it, it was coming down right behind the mound. The nutty pitcher, knowing the ground around the mound is very uneven, didn’t move for the ball. Fortunately, the batter thought it was an easy out and never bothered to run—a cardinal sin on the baseball field. Finally, the shortstop reacted and got to the ball on one bounce and threw the runner out at first. The lead was safe.

Did the lead hold up? I don’t even remember. Winning and losing games was no longer the primary reason for competing. It was the competition itself. Did the game mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not! Did anyone witness it except for the players and umpires? Maybe a wife or a girl friend or two.

Why would a 62 year old man who is considered reasonably intelligent, risk destroying a total knee replacement in a meaningless game of baseball between two teams of forty-eight year olds, older men playing a kids game on a Sunday afternoon when he should be lying on a beach somewhere soaking up some rays?

The answer to that question is contained somewhere in the pages of this book. Exactly where; we’re not sure. I think we are still trying to figure it out ourselves. Any help you, the reader, can give is most appreciated.

CHAPTER ONE

TRI-STATE SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE, LLC - 2015

OVERVIEW:

So, you are like millions of others. You grew up playing baseball on the sandlots and in Little League and if you were really good you made the High School team, but after that, game over. Sure, you could watch a game on TV, have a catch with your kids; maybe manage their team in some local Little League. If you were really antsy, you might have to make due with slow pitch softball.

Now picture this. You are celebrating that dreaded 50th birthday and some guy tells you about a baseball (yes, baseball) league for geezers like you. What do you do? Tell him he is crazy? Laugh it off? Fagetaboutit? Ah, but your curiosity might be tickled.

OK, great, but then you think, I’m too damn old and out of touch, can’t do it anymore! But for those adventurous soles, let me tell you about the Tri-State Senior Baseball League, LLC

The Tri-State Senior Baseball League, LLC consists of over 400 adult players participating in three age groups that break down into twenty-five teams. The age groups are 50+, 55+, and what we believe is the first ever local league for players sixty-five years of age and older. Ages are determined by the age of the player on December 31 of the year in which they participate.

The 50+ Division has transitioned from 48+. For 2013, forty-eight year olds were eligible. In 2014, all players had to be forty-nine and for 2015 the Division has a strict 50-year old requirement. However, since the Tri-State Senior Baseball league welcomes female players for reasons to be explained in later chapters, females may be as young as eighteen.

The 50+ Division has seven teams. The youngest player is 50 (except for the 23 year old female that is eligible); the oldest player is 67. The average age in the league is 55 (including the 23 year old). There are 19 players from Delaware, 97 players from Pennsylvania, and 27 players from New Jersey for a total of 143 players.

The 55+ Division has twelve teams and 215 players. There are no exceptions for younger players, although we do have an age waiver process for special cases. The average age is 61 and the oldest player is 80. There are 142 from Pennsylvania, 44 from New Jersey, 27 from Delaware, 1 from New York, and 1 from Maryland for a total of 215 players.

2013 was the inaugural season for the 65+ Division. It was agreed to allow a limited number of players as young as 62 the first year. In 2014, the minimum increased to 63. In 2015 it is 64 and in 2016 it will be a true 65+ Division. There are six teams and 102 players. The average age is 68. The oldest player is 80. There are 53 players from Pennsylvania, 29 from New Jersey, 19 from Delaware and 1 from New York.

That is a total of 460 players but it needs to be noted that many of the players play in more than one age division. One, in fact, (Phil Moses) plays in all three-age divisions.

The season runs from the first weekend in April to the last weekend in August (the 65+ division plays into September). Every team makes the playoffs. Each round of the playoffs is a best-of-three scenario. The final regular season standings are used to determine playoff match-ups. Teams of equal ability are seeded in A, B, and C (if necessary) divisions. For instance, our twelve team 55+ Division will be split into the top four teams making the A Division playoffs, the next four teams making the B Division playoffs and the bottom four playing for the C Division playoff championship.

The youngsters in the seven-team 50+ Division play doubleheaders (seven innings each) every Sunday except Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Weekend. That is a regular season total of 24 games. The reasons for a doubleheader format include affording ample playing time for all participants (it is not uncommon for a player to drive over one hour to the game) and preventing one pitcher from dominating the league all season long.

The twelve-team 55+ Division plays single, nine-inning games on Saturday with the option of some weeknights under the lights for make-up games. In the interest