2015 Honor Roll Inductee: Ralph Proulx, MUNY-Buffalo MSBL

By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications

Ralph Proulx is the home-grown president of the MUNY-Buffalo MSBL, a dynamic two division, 18 team league that plays in an area better known for snow blowers than baseball. He is also a member of the MSBL Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2010. But Ralph’s league is all about quality, not quantity, and Ralph is arguably the most involved league president and player that is a part of the MSBL fold. For all of his tireless work and passion, MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler has inducted Ralph into the 2015 Honor Roll class.

Ralph has been heading this league since 1992 and is a very familiar face at the MSBL World Series in Arizona and the Fall Classic in Florida every fall. His Team New Era team has captured five championships in Arizona and he has also participated in the Disney Classic, Las Vegas tournaments and tons of regional tournaments. Ralph is a 59 year old ‘Diamond Brat.’

Ralph was kind enough to answer some questions for us and fill in some of the mystery about what makes this leader tick and what drives him to live his passion. We’ll let him explain things in his own words. We hope you enjoy learning more about the man. I’m sure you’ll be running into him somewhere on the diamond!

Biographical Information:

Your name: Ralph Proulx

City or town of residence: Buffalo , NY

Age: 59

League name: MUNY – Buffalo MSBL

Town where league is based: Buffalo, NY

Where did you grow up? Buffalo, NY

What do you do for a living? Director of Business Solutions for Buffalo Hospital Supply

Family information: Married to Kara, we have two daughters, Melissa 30 and Kaila 21, both live in Buffalo, NY

General Questions:

Describe your baseball resume: Played baseball since age of eight. Grew up playing in the local MUNY league (established in 1912) and had many coaches that instilled in me the game and how it should be played. I started to play/manage in my 20’s. Besides playing I love the managing aspect of the game, it certainly give you a different perspective. Fortunately I have had great players to manage over the years.

What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing? Too many to mention just one moment. I guess just the ability to continue to play into my adulthood and the people I have been blessed to meet and play with over the years. Being inducted into the MSBL Hall of Fame in 2010 was very special to me.

When did you start playing for MSBL and how did you hear about it? Started in 1990 when my brother Jim heard about the MSBL, he read about what Steve Sigler was doing in Long Island with the MSBL. I have been the President of the MUNY – Buffalo MSBL since 1992. We have 2 leagues, 25+ (10 teams) and 35+ (8 teams).

Do you still play? Yes

What team and age bracket? 25+ and 35+

What is the best thing about your league?As other younger non-MSBL leagues seem to be struggling we have been able to stay stable and have some growth. I need to mention that much of this is because of the great work done by the team managers in my league. They have been very helpful and supportive over the past 20+ years.

Do you participate in any MSBL national tournaments? Yes, I have been taking teams to the World Series and Fall Classic since 1998. My Team New Era has won 5 World Championships at 35+, 45+ and 50+ age groups. I have been very fortunate to attract outstanding players to join me in these tournaments. I also have taken teams to Disney Classic, Las Vegas Kickoff classic and various regional tournaments. I cannot say enough about how all these tournaments are run, they are all very professional with all details taken care of.

Questions just for fun:

Who is your favorite player of all time and why? Stan ‘the man’ Musial, always liked the Cardinals and he was always a class act both on and off the field.

Are there any additional personal comments you wish to add about your playing or life thus far? I need to thank my lovely wife Kara. Baseball is my passion and she has always been there to support me over all the years.

Are there any comments about MSBL you wish to share? Yes, what Steve Sigler has established and grown to allow adults to continue to play the game we all love is truly amazing. From local leagues to regional and national tournaments it has been a great ride thus far. The people I have met from around the country has been wonderful. Last year Steve organized a dinner for Hall of Fame inductees, it was a special moment for me to finally meet in person many of the people I had either heard about or communicated with over the years.