2026 MSBL Player Profile: John Wetter, Indiana Baseball League
By Steve LaMontia-Carlentini, MSBL Director of Communications
You have all heard of Batman and Robin, Mickey and Roger, and Barnes and Noble. The Indiana Baseball League boasts its own version, with the dynamic duo of League President, Mike Shadoan and his Vice President, John Wetter, who the following profile digs into.
John has served stints in the Marine Corps and was also a sheriff’s deputy and firefighter, though exposure to 300 gallons of chloride damaged his lungs and vocal cords, and forced an early retirement. At the age of 50, John is an integral piece of Mike’s arsenal and assists in many facets of league operation. By the way, as you can see from the picture above, he remains the guy you would want to be pulling you out of a burning building!
“Being retired, I have the time to help Mike,’ said John. “Mike handles the financial and detailed side of things, while I tackle coordinating umpiring scheduling with our umpire association, and am also the webmaster. We are proud of our website, and it is very entertaining and easy to navigate. (Click HERE to visit)
I try to help with the scheduling, though we have a set schedule for each league, so it’s not too difficult. However, it helps that Mike and I are friends when things get a little sticky! I essentially do anything Mike needs, from field maintenance to buying supplies.”
The Indiana Baseball League is one of MSBL’s largest leagues, as it offers competition in 18+, 25+, 35+, 45+, 55+, and an HTA division. What is an HTA division?
“HTA is a separate league that was started by Matt Nelson, and he tired of running it. It is comprised of players who didn’t want a long season, as they were also coaches and followers of traveling teams, etcetera, that took up a great part of their summer,” explained Wetter.
“They only played ten games and listed around eight teams, and began in mid-July. It’s a 27-over league, but you have to be 33-years-old to pitch. They were on the verge of collapsing, so we decided to make them a part of the Indiana Baseball League, and it is a happy marriage. I’ll occasionally fill in for them once they get started.”
John plays in the IBL and doubles as manager of the 25+ Bombers and the 35+ and 45+ Yankees. Along with his duties helping Mike and the league, his dance card is definitely full. Because of John’s background in the military, the sheriff’s department, and as a firefighter, he admitted to having PTSD issues.
“I need to stay busy. When I have too much time on my hands, is when it gets a little tough to handle. My family and my baseball activities have been my greatest assets in keeping me leveled out.
I used to coach high school ball and offer private lessons, but had to back off. There is only so much time in a day, even for me. I have been playing in the league for 18 years, so I am pretty invested in what I do.”
We asked John about his personal life’s journey that brought him into the MSBL world when he was 32 years old.
“I did play in high school, and received a partial scholarship to play football in Illinois. It was a small school, so I could also play baseball, where I was a catcher. Then I stupidly got tied up with steroids and lost my scholarship, so I went into the Marine Corps, as my family had a long history of military service.
I came out of Marine Corps and played a little independent league ball, but shattered my hand and lost my catcher’s position. I went back into the Marine Corps as a reserve and then got deployed.”
John has a son from his first marriage, while his current wife brings two children to the family, who are both in their 30s.
“My son is in college to become a firefighter. I’m very proud of his career choice,” boasted John.
We asked John about his favorite baseball moments, from either on or off the field.
“I loved watching Jody Davis and Ryne Sandberg, and growing up as a Cubs fan. They were classy individuals, along with great ball players. I feel the same way about Derek Jeter, and how he handled himself on and off the field while coming right from high school. Because of the way he quietly did his job, now everybody wants to make spectacular jumping plays like Jeter.”
Do you play in any MSBL national tournaments?
“I play in Florida once in a while, because my family lives there, so I can also visit them. I haven’t been to Arizona (MSBL World Series) yet, but maybe someday.”
In conclusion, we asked John what the best thing was about the successful Indiana Baseball League and what made it so special.
“With me personally, the guys in the league are always who I think of first. Not everyone is going to be happy, but I try to listen to the players. We are one big family and respect one another. Ignore all of the fluff and the rumors. Narrow the issue down to the facts. Listen to the guys. Work together to make it better.
People respect that Mike (Shadoan) and I lead by example and remain open. We’ll listen to anybody and are always looking for a way to make the league better. That cements a positive image of our league in the minds of our players and their families, as well as prospective players.
We had a tryout for our 18+ and 25+ divisions, and over 200 players came out! I would like to think that is because our reputation as a league is so solid, and word of mouth is a powerful tool.”