2014 Honor Roll Inductee: Rick Cantor, Redwood Empire (CA) MSBL
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Biographical Information:
Your name: Rick Cantor
City or town of residence: Santa Rosa, CA
League name: Redwood Empire Baseball League
Town where league is based: Santa Rosa, CA
Where did you grow up: Santa Rosa, CA
High school and college: Cardinal Newman High School, San Francisco State University
What do you do for a living: Economist
Family information: Married to Kimberly for 19 years, one son Zeejay, aged 7. Father-in-law David Charp, aged 70, plays in our 55+ division.
General Questions:
Describe your baseball resume: I’ve been playing non-stop since I was 6 years old, including high school, college, semi-pro, and now MSBL.
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing: Its funny actually, that the two moments both came in Little League. It would have to be between pitching a perfect game as a 12 year old or my first career home run in a Little League All-Star game, again at the age of 12.
When did you start playing for MSBL and how did you hear about it: I began playing in the Bay Area MSBL in 1995, after seeing an ad in the newspaper about tryouts.
Do you still play: Yes
What team and age bracket: Pirates in the 35+
What is the best thing about your league: For me, its about the old and new friendships, playing with guys that I’ve known since high school, and making new friends every year. To be able to do that, while still playing the great game of baseball, is simply incredible.
Questions just for fun:
Who is your favorite player of all time and why: Roger Clemens. A power pitcher with an attitude, but a winning one. It was between him and Nolan Ryan.
Who is the best player in the majors right now: Mike Trout.
Who is the greatest pitcher of all time and why: Wow, this is a tough one. It’s extremely difficult to compare pitchers from different eras, since the stats they accumulate are so dictated by external circumstances (park dimensions, current managing strategies, overall player pool, etc.). Plus, its also difficult to gauge pitchers who you’ve never seen, since stats don’t tell the whole story. All that being said, I’m gonna go with Clemens.
Are there any additional personal comments you wish to add about your playing or life thus far: Nothing other than to say I’m extremely happy and very fortunate with my current personal and baseball life! I have a wonderful family with a beautiful wife (who is a belly dancer) who loves baseball, what more could I ask for?
Are there any comments about MSBL you wish to share: I am very thankful that Steve Sigler has created and nurtured the MSBL into the excellent organization it is today, which has allowed the REBL to exist and be such a large and fulfilling part of my life. Today, at the age of 49, I still identify myself as a baseball player, and I think that’s a pretty incredible thing at that age. Without the MSBL, I wouldn’t still have that same identification and its hard to imagine my life without it. I just feel very fortunate to have the MSBL and our local league, the REBL, be such an integral part of my life…..the friendships that have been rekindled, the new friendships that have been made, mean so much to me. Thanks!!