2021 MSBL League Profile: Central Arkansas MSBL

Submitted by Chris Hall, League president

The Central Arkansas Men’s Senior Baseball League is a long-standing baseball tradition, having started their MSBL affiliation in 1989, and located in and around Little Rock, Arkansas.  They offer competition in a 10-team, 25-over format and are under the supervision of Chris Hall, who became president in 2018.

“I joined the league in 2007,” stated Hall.  “Randall Guard and James Snyder were the previous presidents. Randall is in the MSBL Hall of Fame and is still part of my team, the Pirates, the team he started many years ago. James continues to play for the White Sox, the most successful team since they joined the league.” 

2020, unfortunately, threw them a covid-curve so they weren’t able to play.  “With the delay of youth leagues, baseball fields weren’t available for the men’s league in 2020.  This year we started right after Memorial Day and finished our playoffs on August 18th.  It was a very successful year and everyone was thrilled to get back on the field.”

We asked Chris what challenges he faced when he took over in 2018.  “A lot of our teams and managers weren’t as engaged in improving the league as I was hoping.  Some players weren’t respecting the umpires or the games and it was hurting our reputation and we needed to fix that.  I think these past few years have provided some stability and we are looking really good for the future.”

Chris continued, “The league is at a tipping point as most of the teams are getting older in age. The league needs the younger players to step into leadership roles.  I look forward to collaborating with most of the managers to have a quality schedule every summer.  I really enjoy that aspect of being in charge.”

The league also sends teams to the MSBL World Series in Arizona and the Fall Classic in Florida.  “The Yankees have been participating in national tournaments for many years.  Unfortunately, a majority of the players in the league don’t take advantage of the great experience of the National Tournaments.”

We asked Chris what he feels are the reasons for the continued success of men’s baseball in Arkansas.  “The league succeeds year in and year out because of the managers who put in the effort to keep the league going.  We provide a place for men to continue to play baseball and MSBL provides insurance, baseballs, and access to national tournaments.  It’s a pretty complete package.”

We always ask league presidents what advice they would give to someone who is considering becoming a president or starting a new league, and also how important they feel family support is in not only running a league but in playing.

“Presidents need to find board members and managers who can be trusted and whom they can rely on and solicit their input on important decisions.  Also, adult men can’t play a kid’s game without family support.  All the men love the game they’ve played since they were a kid and their family’s support is critical for the long-term success of every league.”