2026 MSBL Player Profile: Travis Lear, Florida Adult Baseball League (Sarasota)
By Steve LaMontia-Carlentini, MSBL Director of Communications
Travis Lear is a member of the successful Florida Adult Baseball League, located in and around Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida. League President Roman Katynski recommended we speak with Travis about his impact in the league
“Travis is an English school teacher, a great ball player, and a stand-up guy who is a huge part of our league, said Roman. “He is a major factor in the successes our league has experienced.”
We caught up with the 38-year-old middle school teacher between classes.
“I have been a middle school English teacher for the past ten years, with a few years on the high school level before that,” explained Travis. “I grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Florida right after college in 2011. I married my high school sweetheart 15 years ago, and now we both teach at the same school. Our kids are 13 and 11 and are in for an interesting time this fall with Mom and Dad always there!”
The Florida Adult Baseball League consists of 19+ and 30+ divisions. Travis, an eight-year veteran in the league, is involved in both divisions, but in different capacities.
“I play for and manage the Braves in the 19-over division. I occasionally strap on my catcher’s gear in the 30+ division, but I am primarily an umpire. We tried to get a 40+ division going, but couldn’t quite get the numbers. We’ll try again this fall.”
The league offers two seasons, appropriately labeled Fall and Spring. The Spring session runs from the end of January to the end of May, while the Fall season begins just after Labor Day and runs through December.
The Florida Adult Baseball League is not a ‘win at all costs’ organization, and doesn’t have any intention of being one, as outlined in their mission statement below:
FL Adult Baseball is a non-profit organization for all adults who enjoy America’s pastime and just want to play baseball. This league is built around friendship, respect offering a fun, safe, and competitive environment. Baseball for everyone!
“Our Fall league consists of 12 games. As you can see, we don’t play in Florida in the summer. The weather is just too brutal!”
You are listed as a league board member. What are your duties?
“I concentrate on league outreach and public relations. I am always trying to recruit players and teams, and to get the word out about our league. Florida is a hotbed of baseball, and we are always trying to reach players who have played high school or college ball and want to stay active in the game.
We try to help them find a comfortable home to do so. Next year, we hope to expand the 19s from 7 to 8 teams and the 30s from 4 to 6. But the lack of fields is a major problem; more fields are needed. More people keep moving in, posing a huge challenge. Players want to join, but we only have so many slots available where we can play.”
What are the plans to send some league teams to the MSBL national tournaments?
“We are hoping to start sending league All-Star teams to MSBL tournaments more regularly. Our league has many talented players and some play now nationally, but it would be nice to send a complete team or two and see what they can do.”
We asked Travis about his playing resume and what led him to the Florida Adult Baseball League.
“I never played for a college team, but I played during college in a competitive men’s league. But in 2012, I broke my leg in 12 places while catching and getting barreled into at the plate! That took me out of the game for a while, but we moved to Florida during this window, and it eventually led me to our current MSBL league.”
What is the best thing about your league?
The core group of guys who started it have put in a lot of work, time, and money from the ground up, and it resonates. Getting fields and securing umpires is very difficult. There are also untold behind-the-scenes efforts necessary to ensure you provide the best product possible.
We can be competitive, but we are also like family. We enjoy the meshing of young and old together. I was in my 20s when I started, and now I’m the oldest guy on the team. We have a guy in his 80s who continues to make solid contact!
Do you personally participate in any MSBL national tournaments?
“I have played in one, maybe six years ago, right before COVID, at the Space Coast Complex in Florida. Being a teacher doesn’t lend itself to taking off in October or November.”
Who is your favorite player of all time and why?
“Being a catcher myself, Jorge Posada is my guy. I love the Yankees. We would go to Yankee Stadium every summer. He was a great defensive catcher. I have tried to emulate his game and follow the way he called a game and talked to the pitchers. I feel fortunate that I was able to witness the ‘Core Four’ in real time.”
What is your greatest baseball moment, either watching or playing?
My favorite playing moment was back in the summer of 2019, when I got to play with my brother and my dad in Pennsylvania. We all played in the same game together. My brother is four years younger, so we just missed playing together on a team. My Dad taught us the love of baseball, and we certainly carry that forward.
Another memory is secretly playing on my wedding day. The game was in the morning, and we got married that evening, so I assumed there wouldn’t be a problem.
I hit a shot in the game that hit the top of the fence, and I just kept running. It was the game-winning hit, but I pulled my hamstring. That was a little tough to hide. I told my wife as we were walking down the aisle, but it was worth it. I pulled off two amazing feats in one day!
How has the league’s association been with MSBL?
“Our partnership has been beneficial because it gave us a structure on how to run the league. Steve (Sigler) has always been there as a guide. We didn’t have much experience, and he was always there to help.”