2025 MSBL/MABL Player Profile: The Honorable Bret Binder, Greater Philadelphia MABL

By Steve LaMontia-Carlentini, Director of Communications

The Honorable Bret Binder is not only a busy person on the bench in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but he is a successful pitcher who has endured multiple arm surgeries on the way to not only playing in the Greater Pennsylvania MABL but also helping the Forkballers win MSBL World Series championships in Arizona.

But first, let me introduce Bret.  Below is a short biography of Bret the judge.

‘Judge Binder was elected to the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County in November 2019, taking his oath of office in January 2020.

Prior to taking the bench for the Court of Common Pleas, Judge Binder was honored to serve as the Magisterial District Judge in Court 15-1-01, serving parts of West Chester and the Townships of East Bradford and West Bradford. During that time, he was appointed the second Vice President of District 11 (covering Chester County, Delaware County, and Philadelphia County) as well as to the Rules Committee of the Special Court Judges Association.’

Regarding Bret’s baseball resume, we contacted him and asked him to fill in a few blanks for us.  He was happy to take a minute from his busy schedule to talk a little baseball.

“I am 46 and came into the league in 2000,” Bret began.  “Like so many other kids, I grew up playing because my dad played baseball, and it caught on with me at an early age.  I played in a couple of local leagues before the current MSBL format.

Because of my age, I recently moved to the 40-over Isotopes in the league.  I have been playing in tournaments since 2002 and since 2007 with this current core of Forkballers.”

There is an amazing Forkballer story coming at you shortly, but for now, we need to address the arm surgery issue.  Bret is quite the bionic pitcher!

“I have had surgeries on the labrum and/or rotator cuff in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2021.  Throughout all of this, I have only missed one trip to Arizona.”

I feel compelled to explain who the Forkballers are, for those of you who aren’t acquainted with the working of the 40+ division of the MSBL World Series.  They are technically entered as the Baseball BBQ Forkballers from the Greater Philadelphia MABL and are managed by League President Brett Mandel.

These guys are a powerhouse and a growing legend.  They won the 40+ Mountain Division in a ‘three-peat’ fashion in 2021, 2022, and 2023.  Anyone who has participated in Arizona knows how extremely tough that is to accomplish.  I will interject, however, that they got knocked off in 2024.  But the legacy has been established!

“The Forkballers are a family, a true sense of community.  We didn’t do that well in the decade prior to the three in a row, but we are primarily the same guys who go down, have a great time, and it equates to winning, too.”

Here is where Bret’s personal story serves as an inspiration to pitchers everywhere.  I asked Bret what his favorite moment has been on the mound, in the league, or at the World Series.  I’m still in awe as I type this.

“In 2009, we went down with only 11 total players because of some last-minute emergencies and injuries.  We had a double-header on the very first day.  I was asked to start game one and ended up throwing 152 pitches in our 5-2 victory.

They then asked me how I felt, because they needed me in game two.  After an hour break, I threw another 150 pitches over nine innings, and we also won!  I threw 302 pitches of a double-header and we won both of them.

However, I was on the shelf for the remainder of the tournament.  It was the most fun I ever had on a baseball field.  I went ahead and did it because I knew I had surgery scheduled for when I got back home, so what more damage could I do?

We didn’t win that year and ended up with only nine guys at the end.  That isn’t exactly a recipe for a championship run!”

His performance in 2009 certainly is worthy of trading in his judicial robes for a cape and a mask!