2024 MSBL Honor Roll Inductee: Bruce Fraser, Tri-Valley MSBL
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Bruce Fraser is the League President of the Tri-Valley MSBL, located in the San Francisco East Bay area. The league has been an integral part of the MSBL family since 1992 and is also a national tournament powerhouse, with the league teams having accumulated 22 national titles and counting.
The league consists of 23 teams going into 2024, representing competition in the 18+, 40+, 52+, 62+, and 68+ divisions under Bruce’s guidance.
Because of Bruce’s attention to detail and hardball passion in the league and across the MSBL national tournament landscape, MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler has inducted Bruce into the 2024 class of the prestigious MSBL Honor Roll.
We sent Bruce a questionnaire so that you may know more about the man behind the league. Please enjoy his responses below. Congratulations, Bruce!
Your name: Bruce Fraser
City or town of residence: Lafayette, California
Age: 62
League name: Tri-Valley MSBL
The town where the league is based: San Francisco East Bay Area
Where did you grow up? San Leandro, California.
What do you do for a living? Retired, but working part-time for my previous company
Family information: I am married with five adult children and seven grandchildren.
Describe your baseball resume: I played baseball from age seven to 17. Although the college baseball coach wanted me to try out for the team, I chose to focus on my degree. After college, I played softball until my kids were a little older, and then I found out about MSBL and joined a team. I started managing league teams about 20 years ago and tournament teams shortly thereafter. I became President of the Tri-Valley MSBL about five years ago and I am proud of what we have accomplished with creating a new non-profit league.
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing? This is a tough question as there are so many great moments to choose from. One that was a long time ago is when I was 15 years old playing in a Babe Ruth league. I had been struggling at the plate as the number four hitter. My coach had me bunt for a single early in the game to try to help me get back in a groove. It was a great game and went into extra innings. I got an opportunity to bat again, but this time my coach had me swing away. I hit a pitch over the 375’ mark for a home run in the top half of the last inning. We ended up winning the game and the headline in our local newspaper read “Fraser’s HR Stops Police in S. L. Ruth.”
When did you start playing for MSBL and how did you hear about it? I started around 1998 playing in the Bay Area MSBL and then a few years later, our team moved to the Tri-Valley MSBL. I heard about the league through a friend that I played softball with.
Do you still play? Yes, I still play in the Tri-Valley and Redwood Empire MSBLs.
What team and age bracket? I play in the 52+ and 62+ divisions in the Tri-Valley MSBL and the 55+ in the Redwood Empire MSBL.
What is the best thing about your league? The camaraderie among the players is by the far the best thing about our league. Although we all want to win, there are a lot of friendships that have been made among many of the players on all of the teams. It is also really fun to compete against players in our league and then to play on the same tournament teams.
Do you participate in any MSBL national tournaments? Yes, I have played in Palm Springs, Florida, and many times in Arizona for the MSBL World Series.
Who is your favorite player of all time and why? This is really difficult because there are so many that I have followed and admired over the years. However, one player that really stands out to me whom I had an opportunity to meet and play for at an Oakland A’s Fantasy Camp was Dave Henderson. Besides being a really good player, you could tell he really loved the game. He also always had a smile on his face. In fact, he emphasized, “Always have fun.”
Are there any additional personal comments you wish to add about your playing or life thus far? Both my father and mother’s side of the family were huge fans and my father and grandfather played baseball as well. My son and I also have played in many Father-Son tournaments as well as attending the Oakland A’s Fantasy Camp numerous times. One of my grandsons who is nine years old is a huge baseball fan and player. I am confident that he is going to carry on the family tradition of loving the sport.
Are there any comments about MSBL you wish to share? I feel really lucky to have found the local MSBL leagues that I have played in. Besides the exercise, being a member has provided me the opportunity to make life-long friends and to play the game I have been a fan of since I was seven years old.
If you wish to take a closer look at the Tri-Valley MSBL, here is a link to their very professional and informative website: https://www.tvmsbl.org/