2021 MSBL Co-Man of the Year: Mike Juliano, Detroit MSBL
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
64-year-old Mike Juliano is the long-standing league president of the highly successful Detroit MSBL, established in 1988. Under Mike’s guidance, the Detroit MSBL offers play in 18+, 32+, 42+, 52+, 62+, and 70+ divisions while boasting 52 total teams. Mike is also an MSBL World Series participant and coach, most recently coaching and playing with the Motor City Firebirds of the 60+ division and this year as a player only with the Inland Pacific Angels in the 65+ division. He has also seen the beach in Florida throughout the years playing in the MSBL Fall Classic.
Mike was inducted into the 2001 class of the MSBL National Hall of Fame and received the prestigious MSBL Lifetime Achievement award in 2007.
“Well, I was able to play in the first Fall Classic,” said Juliano. “But, unfortunately, in the World Series, I have an 0 for 7 Championship Finals record. Hopefully, this will change soon.”
Mike is the consummate organizer and professional on and off the field and because of his league standing within the MSBL community, along with his long years of building a place for players to keep living their dream, MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler has selected Mike as the 2021 MSBL Co-Man of the Year.
“I am so grateful to Steve Sigler and the MSBL organization for making it possible for thousands of adults to continue to play the game that they love. I also want to thank Joe Gorelski for getting me in the league and Rick Green for nominating me to be Detroit League President, which I have been since 1993. It is truly an honor to be recognized as the MSBL National Man of the Year!”
Mike owns a security company while he and his bride of 25 years, Margie, reside in Macomb, Michigan, located about 30 miles or so north of Detroit. Their daughter Linzi is a doctor and teaches at UCLA, Erinn lives in the Phoenix area, while Olivia remains a part of the Michigan family along with Mike’s Father/Son tournament buddy Anthony.
“I started playing in the MSBL in 1991 but before that, I was only in various youth leagues until I was about 17 years old. Then life took me away for a while until I came back full circle.”
Mike continues to play second base and outfield for the 62+ Motor City Firebirds in his 62+ Detroit MSBL division.
Much has been written about Mike and the Detroit MSBL, as they are always at the forefront of assisting players and friends of players in getting back into the game. Mike even helped arrange the ‘extras’ who were needed in the Movie ‘61’, which was filmed in Detroit. Mike even organized an off-season bowling tournament for the league!
When asked what his career baseball highlight might be, Mike answered very humbly while condensing his thoughts into very few, yet meaningful, words.
‘The highlight of my baseball career is just being able to play baseball for over 30 years in our local league and especially being able to play Father/Son ball with my son, Anthony. That makes it all worthwhile.”