2023 MSBL World Series Hall of Fame Inductee: David Halley, Central North Carolina MSBL
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Dave Halley lives in Holly Springs, North Carolina, which is near Raleigh. He also gets to spend a lot of time outdoors, as he has been in the forestry consulting business since 2000 and owns his own business, True North Forest Management Services. Dave can also play a little baseball.
61-year-old Dave plays in the Central North Carolina Men’s Senior Baseball League, where he began playing around 2004. He is the current player/manager of the 50-over Gray Marlins and also plays for the 35+ Marlins and 60+ Braves.
For his dedication to the MSBL and his many achievements in the league, and especially on the national tournament stage, MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler has inducted Dave into the 2023 Class of the MSBL World Series Hall of Fame.
“I am humbled to receive the award,” said Halley. “I would like to dedicate it to all the guys that have played with me and supported me over the years. I have made so many close friends playing and managing my local teams and tournament teams over the past seventeen years that I would have never made if I had not played.
I value those friendships so much and I am so grateful for MSBL for helping me make those connections. I cannot tell you how special it is to see one of my players win his first ring. We always have a great Ring Party after winning and I get to present each player with a ring and share memorable stories of his week with us.”
Dave has quite the impressive laundry list of tournament achievements and I can do his justice my listing his personal and team achievements in his words.
“I started playing in Fall Classic around 2006, just as a player for local team (35 Raleigh Red Sox and 45 Raleigh Red Sox) with Glen Garrison (HOF), our league President. Around 2009 I took over as Manager of the Raleigh Braves and took 45+ teams to Fall Classic from 2009-2012. In 2011 we went 0-5!
The following year (2012) we won the 45+ Central Division going 8-0. In 2013 I decided to take 45+ Raleigh Braves team to World Series in Arizona. We won our first World Series ring in 2014 in the 45+ Central Division. We also won the 50+ Central Division in 2017, 2018, and 2020. The Raleigh Braves were finalists in 2013, 2019, and 2021.
In 2022 we got a sponsor, Yonder Vacation Rentals, and went as the 55+ Mountain Division Yonder Travelers in 2022. We were finalists in that division last year. I also won a ring in 2016 with the Texas Redbirds managed by Chris Hux in Puerto Rico. So, I have the trifecta of MSBL rings for 1 Fall Classic, 4 World Series, and 1 Caribbean Classic in Puerto Rico.”
Whew! That is quite the pedigree for success on the tournament trail. The pitcher/manager continues to head up the 55+ Yonder Travelers. Seeing them file into the opposing dugout would be the beginning of what could be a bad day ahead for you and your team.
On the personal front, Dave has been married to Trish for 36 years and they are loved by their two daughters Katlyn, 32, and Rachael, 28. I also asked Dave where his baseball journey began.
“I just played in high school. I did not even make the JV team as a freshman. I did manage to play one year JV and two years of Varsity, however. I went to Virginia Tech to study Forestry but did not play baseball. I actually was not very good.”
Circling back to Dave’s MSBL tournament achievements, is there a crowning achievement or highlight?
“The biggest is probably winning my first ring in 2012 as a manager. I had cancer (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) that year and was just two weeks out from my last chemotherapy treatment when we won. They tried to get me to pitch the last out, but I was too emotional to even walk out to the field. Lots of tears and hugs.
Another one was coming from behind in the bottom of the ninth in 2018 when our team scored four runs to win a semi-final game, then went on to win the championship the next day.”
Nobody makes this journey alone. Who were some of the major influences in your story this far?
“Glen Garrison and Mike Wilson, who are both in the MSBL Hall of Fame, managed our CNCMSBL league and ran our tournament teams for so many years. I can’t forget all the guys that played so hard for me over the years. I have a special shout-out to Dan Kopitzke, Skillz McFadden, Steve Frellick, and Clint Reese for helping me manage these teams.
Also, a big shout-out to Robert Isbell, our current League President, for all his support and guidance of our league and my tournament team. And of course, my wife, Trish, for allowing and encouraging me to play baseball every Sunday during the summers and tournaments in the Fall for all these years.”