2015 Honor Roll Inductee: Jeff Coveney, Boston Men’s Baseball League
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Jeff Coveney is the league president of the 46 team Boston MABL/MSBL offering 18+, 28+, 30+ and 38+ divisions. He took over the reins of this long-established league in 2014. They proudly claim their status as New England’s largest adult baseball league. Jeff is a 45 year old ‘youngster’ who continues to play in the 18-over division because of the competition and the opportunity to pass on his knowledge of the game. His current ‘Cutters’ team won the 18-over MABL championship in 2009 and Jeff was the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2001 and the Manager of the Year in 2002, both while playing with the Yankees. They have since become known as the Cutters.
Jeff has participated in both the MSBL World Series in Arizona and the Disney Classic in Florida and has been a manager in the Boston MABL/MSBL since 2000. Jeff is being recognized as a 2015 Honor Roll recipient by MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler for his passion and success in taking over one of the premier leagues in the MSBL family and keeping things running like clockwork. We posed some questions to Jeff and his responses are listed below. Congratulations!
Biographical Information:
Your name: Jeff Coveney
City or town of residence: Natick, MA
Age: 46
League name: Boston Men’s Baseball League (BMBL)
Town where league is based: Boston Metro Area
Where did you grow up? Revere, Ma
What do you do for a living? Marketing Consultant, RevEngine Marketing
Family information: Married with three children
General Questions:
Describe your baseball resume:
· High School four year starter. Named to league all-star team Junior and Senior years
· Played Collegiately four years at Clark University in Worcester
·BMBL
o 1999-Current
o six championships
o Current all-time leader in hits (340), doubles (58) and RBIs (242)
o Single season hit record (40 in 2001)
o MVP 2001
o Multi-year all-star
o Manager since 2000
o League President Since 2014
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing?
Watching:
·TV: 2004 Red Sox WS championship to break the curse.
·LIVE: Being one of the 30K+ fans in attendance at Fenway watching the Red Sox win the sixth and deciding game of the 2013 World Series. Fortunately enough, I was able to make it onto the field post game for a truly amazing experience.
Playing:
·The 5-7 seconds right after the last out of my team’s BMBL championships. There’s just nothing like the excitement of seeing your team’s goals become a reality.
When did you start playing for MSBL and how did you hear about it? In 1999, I was golfing when I ran into an old college teammate. He told me about the league and I joined his team a few weeks later. Oddly enough, the team was named the Yankees in a Boston-based league. A few years later, we changed the name to the Cutters as we didn’t have any Yankees fans on the team.
Do you still play? Yes, I still play and manage in the 18+. I’m definitely one of the older guys in the league but I enjoy the competition of the younger guys and seeing them learn.
What team and age bracket? Cutters 18+
What is the best thing about your league? I enjoy the relationships that players are able to make across the league. There is a special bond with players in our league that translates beyond the field.
Specifically about our league, we have a lifelong approach to playing. In other leagues, when you get older, you stop playing when you reach a certain age. In our league, you just switch age divisions so you can maintain the relationships you’ve already made.
How do you run the league of 46 teams consisting of four divisions? Between league strategy, schedules, finances and rules, it’s almost impossible for any one person to successfully run a league of our size. Fortunately, we have an awesome group of board members that drive the strategy and overall direction of the league. We then have dedicated commissioners that run their age divisions on a day to day basis. So far, this team approach has worked.
Do you participate in any MSBL national tournaments? I have participated in Disney and Arizona tournaments in the past. One of the more memorable ones was in 2002 when my wife and I stopped in Arizona on our way back from our Honeymoon in Hawaii. I’m not sure she was exactly thrilled with that detour but we had a great time.
Questions just for fun:
Who is your favorite player of all time and why? I loved Jim Rice growing up. That man was feared and could really swing the bat.
Are there any additional personal comments you wish to add about your playing or life thus far? Baseball has always been a lifelong passion of mine. It’s not only given me joy on the field but has also helped me develop lifelong relationships. Of course, work/baseball/family is a delicate balance but my family has been supportive of my baseball passion.