Question: What was the highest level of organized baseball you played? Little League, High School, Twilight League, College (D1, D3, please specify), Drafted, Professional? If you want to include your current team/league level, other info, that might be interesting, too.
In fairness:
Jimmy Preller, 55 Whiz Kids, 9th Grade (then quit, girlfriend & other happy distractions; came back to CDMSBL in 1999 at age 38 w/ Pirates)
Highest "organized" league prior to CDMSBL: High School (Diocesan League - Keveny Memorial Academy) 1 year as a First Baseman.
Did not pursue anything after that for a while - nothing to pursue.
Played in various work-related softball beer games against other companies around (we were undefeated for about 3 years - Free Beer!).
Then finally lost and everyone had enough - they had to pay for the beverages!
Got kids - coached Pee-Wee / LL for about 12 years (got my reps in there).
Started working at Adirondack Beverages a little over 20 years ago - they had a team in the CDMSBL (the Adirondack A's 35's) and they let me on even though I was 44 or so (not sure of my true OR perceived age at this or any other point)
Converted to catching because no one else wanted to do it and I wanted to play.
Curt Tucker, 53 next week, played through 10th grade (knee injury ended my high school career), joined CDMSBL at age 46 (after occasional softball and vintage baseball leagues). Currently play in Orlando Baseball Association, and CDMSBL when Im around, plus 4 or 5 tourneys a year. Getting back on the field was a huge motivator for me to get fit and healthy after a cancer diagnosis three years ago.
Harold Jenkins, Played little league , high school ball, twilight league and had a tryout with the MLB Cubs in 72 . I have been playing softball for over 20 years, coached girls softball {rec. ball} and girls high school softball. Also a member of the PBA pro bowlers association . Came to the CDMSBL in 2005 and have been here ever since. Will be 68 in one more , and still having a blast.
John Reel, LL age 7. 1961 Okinowa champs. sandlot softball/baseball. 500 , pole vaulted in junior high, played football in Texas in HS. Baseball fan , not a player till 1989, Joined Jesse Braverman's Bethlehem Mens league team at that point to satisfy a dormant competitive yearning. blindly sent in a $80 check to the new Capital District over 30 league in the winter of 1990. wrangled into managing a team, second year was League VP, third year Prez. next year we joined MSBL. Still learning the game.
Pat Alston 55 1977 - Played my first season of little league at age 13 and made the All-Star team 1978 - Tried out for my HS team(Andrew Jackson HS Queens NY)and made starting 2B as a Freshman 1983 - Tried out for QueensBoro CC baseball team and didn't make the cut 1983 - 1992 Misc softball teams in rec leagues in NYC 1992 - Found MSBL and played on Teams in Queens and Long Island 1999 - Moved North and found CDMSBL, been playing ever since.
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We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.
Thanks, gents, I enjoy reading these. Would love to hear from more of you. Nice to see the nod to Jesse Braverman's old Bethlehem League. I believe Jimmy Jordan and quite a few other notables came out of that league. Remarkably, Jesse is still managing at La Salle and Empire Games and just two nights ago lined out to LF for the Whiz Kids.
It's times like these I wish Freddy Pidgeon knew about the internet.
I played many years in the Bethlehem League. It started out as a 16-60 league with 6 teams and slowly but surely fizzled out as time went on. I'm sure I will miss some but Doug Reisinger, Jim Ansel, John Reel, Jesse Braverman, Jim Jordan all played in the leagues.
For most of the time it ended up with the Red team facing the Green team for the championship and for the most part the Red team prevailed.
Played Evening Optimist Baseball at ages 11 and 12 in Arlington, Virginia, and Babe Ruth in Sheffield, Mass. High School baseball in Berkshire County, American Legion in Stockbridge, Mass, and later in the Tri State Baseball League on the Canaan, Connecticut team. Coach Hill at University of Houston told me my hair was too long and didnt want me on the field. Stupid kid I was, I didnt get the haircut. I was in the same dorm with Robert Newhouse who later played for the Dallas Cowboys. It was quite a time. Joined age 30 + Adirondack Beverage team back in the 90s when Steve Penisha was manager. Wayne Newcomb was on that team. I got to pitch a lot back then. Sat out a few years then came back to join the 55 Hawks with the upbeat Jim Brearton as manager. Two seasons later a forgetful season with the Peppers. Brian Allen (best manager I ever had) was good enough to let me hook up with the Twins 4 years ago and eventually fell into the manager position for the Twins. Still learning.
-- Edited by crowbait on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 09:24:36 AM
Little league American Legion Ball High School Baseball - Thousand Islands HS Walked on to SUNY Oswego Baseball Team sophomore year. Never played baseball again until Age 45 when I learned of the CDMSBL
Little league. Senior year of high school, batted .333 (ok, so it was only 1-3!). Plenty of softball and basketball for the next 30 years. At the ripe old age of 48, I replied to an ad in the Times Union from one John Reel. Got the old softball gang together, and the Whiz Kids were born. One of the original four teams of the new 48+ Division, joining the Golden Marlins (John Reel), the Hornets (Don "Hondo" Henderson), and the Veterans (Tony Scanu). Won one regular season game that first year (I was on vacation!), and a first round playoff game. Hey, at least we were off and running! That was 17 years ago. Where did the time go? My circle of life has certainly been enriched by all of the the guys I've met, both as teammates and opposing players.
Fred Pidgeon, Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion in Rotterdam, played High school at Guilderland, Than 15 years in the Albany Twilight League, and I played in this senior baseball starting in 1992 -99( off and On ) , 2002-2004 ( off and on ), 2014-present. Many guys I played with and against in the twilight league are still playing and the friends I have made hopefully will last the rest of my life.
Hi Jimmy and fellow CDMSBLers. I never played organized baseball until my Junior Year at Buffalo State D2 as a walk on. Played in the amateur league in Buffalo for 2 years and then not until Jim Preller and Mike Kane came calling. Had a great time until the knees failed to cooperate.
- Played Little League and two years of high school ball (Nauset Regional HS).
- Went to college later than most (aged 23) and played two years there (North Adams State College)
- Graduated and moved to Washington DC and played one season of winter softball before finding the DCMSBL and NoVA NABA.
- Went to grad school at UAlbany and discovered the CDMSBL while here
- Played here ever since
Never good enough to be drafted professionally (probably not even good enough to play here either) but I have a good time.
Jimmy P, we actually started the CDMSBL 38 Pirates in 2001. I played Sandlot baseball in Philadelphia, and played on 2 citywide all star teams, one of which was played in Connie Mack Stadium. The highest level of play was Division I for Temple University where we won the Mid Atlantic Conference Championship in 1968. I played softball for 24 yrs and ran the Colonie Daylight League for 6 years while managing my team for 10 years.
I read an article in the Albany TU sports section that I believe Mike Hart got in the paper for John Reel in October 2000. The article was looking for players to come to a workout at the Knickerbocker field in Lansingburgh. I pulled into the parking lot at the same time this other guy did. We were the first 2 at the field. That guy was none other the famous children's book author Jim Preller. The next year we were playing together on the Pirates. I never thought I would be playing baseball again. I managed the Pirates for 6yrs after Jimmy P took a hiatus to coach his son. I've played on the 55Cards for 6 years, winning the championship our 1st 2 years, 55 Damn Yankees, and now the Americans for a year each. Also played for 45 Blue Jays and Red Sox. Every CDMSBL team has had a great bunch of guys to play with and play the game we all love.
