By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Baseball is upon us all, one way or the other. Some warm weather leagues are underway while others are working out as a Memorial Day opening day looms. Stories are being created, pictures and videos are being taken and the Men’s Senior Baseball League wants to share your experience.
Yes, this is a tried and true plea that I continually place in front of you but the thing to consider is that the MSBL is a fraternity of men and women who share in a passion for our great game and a desire to know what their family is up to.
I post many different topics on the Website, Facebook, Twitter and in our newsletters. I have found that the types of stories that resonate more than any others are about our members, their teams and their leagues. If you have an interesting story to tell on a personal or ‘on the field’ level please shoot me an email at msbllamontia@aol.com. I’ll get back to you right away and we’ll see what we can accomplish together to share your story or pictures.
Good luck this year and we hope to see you in the dirt somewhere. Thank you all for making the MSBL the number one adult baseball organization in the country. Without you there would be no us. Take care and play safe!
Kirk was able to reunite with high school friends and follow his passion of playing baseball by joining Tucson MSBL and ultimately becoming the league President. In 2017, Kirk joined Arizona Sun Sales as an outside Sales Representative where he was currently employed. Kirk’s family and friends will always remember him for his kindness, generosity and competitive spirit. His overwhelming passion for baseball was magnetic. Kirk was an avid all-around sports fan as he truly loved all sports. However, his favorite teams were the Denver Broncos and the New York Yankees. His enthusiasm towards sports has transferred to his children as you can always catch them playing football, baseball or impersonating Giancarlo getting a home run.
I love reading baseball books. My current read is ‘The Arm’ by Jeff Passan, written in 2016. No, I am not endorsing the book nor recommending you purchase it. Occasionally I run across amazing statistics that are guaranteed to entice a ‘say what?’ response or potentially an even more graphic one. Before dozing off and laying in bed reading about pitcher’s arms who qualify as freaks of nature, I realized that I needed to share a few tidbits.
of chronicled elbow trouble. Before elbow ligament problems were even diagnosed, which has happened within our generation, there were guys who just went out and pitched through the pain and just assumed it was the price of doing business.
The risky and fragile Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) is located in the elbow and is what needs to be repaired when you hear of Tommy John surgery. Thanks to Dr. Frank Jobe and his courage to try an experimental procedure on then Dodger Tommy John in 1974, they have now shifted the landscape from a 1 in 100 chance of success to a current hourly cattle call of patients to doctors across the country. Dr. Jobe was quoted as saying to Tommy John, as he was being sedated on the table, “Tommy, I don’t know what I’m doing.” Well, he knew what he was doing and what took four hours on that day is now an hour-long procedure followed by a 12 to 18-month rehab. Super-agent Scott Boras has called the procedure ‘a rite of passage’ and likened it to an oil change and not to be feared in changing the value of the recipient as being perceived as damaged goods.
because of all of the fluid congregating in the elbow joint. The Dodger trainer had to insert a needle to drain the fluid before he pitched. This was caused by three or four spiky bone spurs, that weren’t operated on. He would take the anti-inflamatory Butazolidin the day before, the day after and the day of his start. This drug is intended for horses and has since been banned for human consumption. Koufax also had the trainers slip on their rubber gloves and slather on tons of Capsolin on his shoulder and arm. Capsolin includes the active ingredient found in chili peppers, turpentine, camphor oil and other elements meant to punish the body with heat. Koufax needed this to manage his misery. This was no Ben Gay topical we old guys use! His after-game routine of his elbow submerged in the ice bucket, alongside the beer in the clubhouse, is legendary.
“Alan got me started about a dozen years ago with the 55+ Diamondbacks in what was then called the Tri-State League,” explained Ben. “When enough of us properly aged I “graduated” with many of my teammates to the new 65+ division, playing with the Plymouth Braves, with whom I still play. I am an off the bench first baseman and outfielder when I play the field—adequate at best.”
The San Diego Mudcats earned their second Las Vegas title in as many weeks with a 14-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies to capture the 70+ title in week two of the MSBL Las Vegas Kickoff Classic. The championship game started much the same as pool play game one as Mudcats starter John Hopkins faced the Philadelphia Phillies just as he had in the opener, a 12-9 complete-game victory.
‘Weathers and Jungston Share MVP Honors’
‘Iron Man Trimarco Steps Up on the Bump’
Both teams went 3-0 in pool play and, as top seeds in their respective divisions, met up for the National Division final. The Wolfpack jumped ahead early with three runs off of MLB All-Star Jeff Cirillo on hits by David Oliver and Russ Ward and a perfectly executed safety squeeze by David Benedict. But the Rangers battled back with Mo Jackson tripling in two runs in the sixth off Wolfpack starter Jim Kearschner and two more in the seventh on a Phil Hayden triple to take the lead. Boston’s chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh failed when Cirillo hustled after an errant throw and gunned down Mike Smith at the plate.
‘Dan Clemens Throws Complete Game Championship Victory’
In game two of Pool Play against a very stacked Colorado Bandits team, it was a true slugfest, resulting in a 17-10 Rattlers win. Then on Sunday the Rattlers came from a deep hole to escape with an 11-9 victory over the Dallas Spirits. The Spirits held an 8-0 lead throughout the first half of the game. But our Rattlers have faced adversity in the past and came back from that eight-run deficit to defeat the Spirits, finishing Pool Play as the #1 Overall Seed of the 45+ Division teams, landing the Las Vegas Rattlers a #1 Seed in the National Division spot, reserved for the top four teams.