2024 Pirates ‘Repeat’ Champions in 65+ Division of Chicago North MSBL

Chicago North MSBL, 65+ Division

Pirates 20, Dodgers 6 (Game two in best-of-three championship series sweep)

‘Pirates Claim ‘Repeat’ Title in 2024’

Submitted by Dave Landes, Pirate’s manager

The Pirates are in a 10-team league in the 65+ Chicago North MSBL. Games are Mon-Fri at either 12 or 3. It is estimated that 80% of the players in the league are over 70 years old, so injuries are a major issue over the course of a 26-game season.

After winning the 2023 65+ CNMSBL championship, the Pirates came into 2024 looking to repeat as the defending champions. We lost five players before the season started, plus due to assorted injuries/vacations, in most games we only had eight or nine position players plus two or three pitchers that could only pitch. So not surprisingly we struggled to an 11-13-2 record for the regular season. But luckily, we had all 13 of our remaining players available for the playoffs.

We swept both best-of-three series, including winning the final game against the Dodgers, 20-6. This was a tough, but ultimately a very fun, successful season for the 2024 65+ Pirates!