2017 MSBL Honor Roll Inductee: Tony Martin, Cleveland MSBL
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Tony Martin is the league president of the Cleveland MSBL, a league he started in 2011 with six teams and has remarkably expanded to 16 teams in a few short years. His teams are also frequent participants in the MSBL Fall Classic and Holiday Classic in Florida and will be kicking off their season the end of April. For Tony’s hard work and dedication, MSBL Founder and President Steve Sigler has honored Tony with induction into the 2017 class of the MSBL Honor Roll.
We asked Tony to tell us a little about himself so that we could share his successes with the MSBL nation. Congratulations, Tony!
Biographical Information:
Your name: Tony Martin
City or town of residence: Cleveland, OH
Age: 45
League name: Cleveland MSBL
Town where league is based: Cleveland, OH
Where did you grow up? Cleveland, OH
What do you do for a living? Safety Director. I also umpire high school and summer league games.
Family information: Married with 2 children. I coach my daughter’s softball team.
General Questions:
Describe your baseball resume: I grew up with a baseball field behind my house so I climbed a fence every day after school and threw against the backstop until my friends joined me for a pickup game.
I played throughout grade school and high school but not in college. I then played
softball but came back to hardball in my late 20’s. I started managing in 2005 and am proud to say that our team has won three league championships (2006, 2014, 2016)
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing? As player manager in 2012 on my adult team, we were down 6-4 with the bases loaded and I got the game tying hit on an 0-2 count in the bottom of the 9th to advance to semi -finals in the playoffs after we started the 9th inning losing 6-2.
Also, developing positive relationships with my teammates will truly be the most valuable thing I will take from my years managing a team. We will have these memories for the rest of our lives.
When did you start playing for MSBL and how did you hear about it? I played in the Fall Classic for the first time in 2006. I started the Cleveland MSBL League in 2011 with 6 teams and now have expanded to 16.
Do you still play? Yes I get my token at bat at the end of games and I pitch on occasion, but my team is very good and I enjoy staying with them as opposed to getting more playing time with a new team. We have a large roster with many fathers and coaches, so everyone shares time on the field.
What team and age bracket? Cleveland Cubs in the 25+
What is the best thing about your league? The best thing is the camaraderie and respect that each team has for each other on the field. I appreciate the willingness to work together to make this league successful. Teams pull together to work on the fields and are flexible for game changes due to weather. We also have league indoor workouts together and multiple teams throw to each other. We are a small baseball community.
Do you participate in any MSBL national tournaments? Fall Classic many times – and this year was my first Holiday Classic in OrlandoQuestions just for fun:
Who is your favorite player of all time and why? Manny Ramirez – his signature swing and ability (stupidity???) to forget about the last game and last at-bat and succeed
Are there any additional personal comments you wish to add about your playing or life thus far? The sport has truly added to my life experience and made me a better leader on and off the field.
Are there any comments about MSBL you wish to share? Great support and communication. Very professional approach and a pleasure to do business with.