2026 MSBL League Profile: Tri-Valley MSBL, Bruce Fraser, League President
By Steve LaMontia-Carlentini, MSBL Director of Communications
The Tri-Valley MSBL in California has been around since 1992 and is also a major player and force in the MSBL national tournament scene, especially the MSBL World Series, held annually in Arizona every fall.
Bruce Fraser has been at the helm since 2019 and has helped grow the league to 26 teams, representing six divisions, including a new 72+ division in 2026.
Bruce is personally an Oakland (Sacramento-Las Vegas) A’s diehard fan and frequent participant at the A’s Fantasy Camp held in Mesa, Arizona. We sent Bruce a questionnaire designed to dig into some personal and league issues that we hope you will enjoy reading. Thanks, Bruce, for taking the time to fill us in!
League name: Tri-Valley MSBL, Inc.
Your name: Bruce Fraser
What is the history of the league, and how did it start? The Tri-Valley MSBL started in 1992. From what I have been told, the league started with players looking for a way to get back into playing baseball, and from players in other local leagues who wanted to make a change.
What age divisions of play are now offered? We offer 18+, 40+, 50, 60+, 68+ Divisions, and beginning in 2026, a 72+ Division.
How many teams are anticipated this year? We anticipate 26 teams.
When does the league begin play, and when will it finish, including any playoffs? We are planning to start the last weekend in March with the last playoff games ending the first weekend in October.
When did you personally start playing in the league? I started in the Tri-Valley MSBL in 2000.
What is your personal baseball playing history? I started playing baseball at age seven and continued through high school. I took some time off playing to attend college and raise my children. I started playing baseball again in the Bay Area MSBL around 1998.
When did you become president? I became president in 2019.
Who were your predecessors, and are they still involved in any capacity? My predecessor was Mike Protheroe, who is no longer involved with the league.
What is your most memorable MSBL moment as a president or a player? There have been many moments, but probably the most memorable was getting our new league started, as I describe in my response below to challenges when I became president.
What challenges did you face when you started the league or when you took over? The biggest challenge was getting our new Tri-Valley MSBL established as a non-profit organization and finding ways to raise money for the league.
What are your biggest challenges today? The biggest challenge with our league is renting fields. Many field owners prioritize youth leagues higher than ours or the school districts want to charge overtime rates for janitors to be at the school the entire time we are there. The latter situation causes the cost of the fields to be extremely high and not viable for us to rent.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction? What gives me the greatest satisfaction is knowing that we provide league members with the ability to continue playing the sport that we all enjoy playing.
What do you see for the league in the future? I would like the league to grow so that no age division has fewer than six teams and to gain better access to fields. I would also like to find additional ways to ensure competitive balance among the teams. In my opinion, it is so much more fun to play in a close game than to consistently play in games when a few teams dominate the others.
What is the reason for the continued success of the league? The reason for the continued success of the league is due to the coordination of our Board to get things done.
What part of running the league do you enjoy most? What I enjoy most about running the league is the interaction with the other league officials to successfully coordinate the league activities. I am also very proud that we hold a Hall of Fame banquet and crab feed fundraiser that has been extremely successful in recognizing deserving league members and raising much-needed funds to support the financial requirements of the league.
Do you still play in the league? Yes, I play in the 60+ division.
What is the history of your league team’s participation in any MSBL national tournaments? The Tri-Valley MSBL has had many teams participate in the National tournaments over the years. We have a large number of teams that participate in the MSBL World Series, the Desert Classic in Palm Springs, and Las Vegas.
What would you say are the most important accomplishments in your league? We had a situation where our league may not have been able to continue when I became president. I am proud of the fact that we were able to overcome the obstacles and essentially create a new league with bylaws and become a non-profit organization.
How valuable is your relationship with MSBL? The relationship with MSBL National has been very valuable because we are able to get valuable information on continually improving our league, and for our players to have the opportunity to play in the many tournaments held each year.
What advice would you give to new league presidents? My advice to new league presidents is to make sure you create the appropriate officer positions to spread the work that needs to be accomplished each year. This is important for two reasons. One, it spreads the knowledge of the league operations to ensure the longevity of the league, and it helps prevent getting burned out from all of the work that goes into running a league.
How important is family support? Family support is extremely important in my situation. My wife does not have a formal role in our league, but she is such a big help with supporting all aspects of what I need to do. Two key activities she helps with are preparing the division game schedules and coordinating our annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Crab Feed Fundraiser that has been extremely successful the last few years.