Comments on: Adult Baseball in the DC Area

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 22:21:15 +0000

Hi Reginald. Well all the links for the leagues in this area were in this article. The DCMSBL has literally dozens and dozens of teams; its the 2nd largest adult amateur league in the country. So there’s a LOT of baseball going on. If you want to wait, i’m pretty sure you can sign up for Ponce league and you’re guaranteed to be placed. In the meantime you should go to the msbl waiting list and signup; you may very well get a call. I know a few of those teams are hurting for players right now.

By: Reginald Williams

Reginald Williams — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 01:30:00 +0000

hey I’m trying to find a baseball team to play for i really miss playing i live in DC and cant find one here can someone help me plz

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:22:18 +0000

Thanks Bob! I always thought the Clark Griffith vs Credit/Industrial was the other way around; at least thats what my dad told me when he was GM of the Fairfax Nationals (that the Fairfax team would always crush the Industrial teams). Maybe back in the 90s the talent levels were reversed, which is fair to think about honestly. The CGL was definitely weaker back then while the Credit Union was inarguably stronger. Still saddens me that the CGL guys couldn’t work something out with the Cal Ripken guys to keep both leagues active and doing inter-league play.

Good to hear from you!

By: Bob Schnebly

Bob Schnebly — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:03:46 +0000

Todd:

I ran the Diamond Baseball Club in the Credit Union then the Industrial Baseball League from 1989 through 1998. In my ten seasons in the league we were 17 wins and 6 lost vs. CGL teams. Fairfax Furniture, Mercury Van Lines, Washington Union Printers and Joe Antonellis various teams from Classic Printing to Fed Lock Falcons all crushed CGL teams. Ask Billy Emerson or JJ Bolton. JJ played for me after your team left/folded and Billy played both for me and Joe.

Also, the Chesapeake Independent Baseball League is still alive and well although they now play as a smaller league with 6 teams. The Charles~St. Mary’s League also still plays however, these have ALWAYS been separate leagues.

Thanks so much for getting the word out there and thanks for mentioning my website. My wife and I now live in California, (Murrieta) however, I still keep my hand in with baseball back in the Washington, DC area.

Bob Schnebly

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:37:50 +0000

Completely agree. I was a big fan of Clark Griffith and hoped the two leagues could combine forces or be a “north” and “south” division, but apparently travel difficulties in the area made that nearly impossible. The Cal Ripken league organizers are doing things the right way and I expect the league to continue to gain credibility and standing nationwide, as you say.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:05:54 +0000

The Bethesda Big Train has been very good from pulling in star players from the California colleges as well as standouts from other regions.

Its very good baseball and the players double as camp counselers in the youth baseball camps at Big Train where the Nats and Chad Cordero have participated.

With Cal Ripken behind this league, I would expect it to keep improving in talent. The Baltimore team has Ryan Ripken as one of their star players.

By: John C.

John C. — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:46:03 +0000

To my knowledge, there is not matching pitching restriction for the 48+ Ponce. I guess they figure that the age distinctions have ironed themselves out by then

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:36:40 +0000

Wow I had no idea there was a woman in our league. I never knew that. Cool.

I’ll modify the Ponce posting to add this distinction. What are the pitcher rules then for the different divisions? If you have to be 36 to pitch in 30+, do you have to be 50+ to pitch in the 48s? I didn’t see that distinction on their website.

By: John C.

John C. — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:23:38 +0000

Thanks for posting this, Todd! I will note that the Ponce league divides into two divisions, 30+ and 48+. At least one of the women from the EWBC used to also play MSBL; with the Angels, IIRC. Pitching to her was annoying – not because she was a woman, but because she was really pesky. As you might expect, she had little power but was really fast. Someone told me she used to play with the Silver Bullets (http://www.coloradosilverbullets.org/) but I don’t know whether that was actually true.