Largest Amateur League Shines in 2020 Baseball season

SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE BY WORLD IN SPORT

The 2020 baseball season will always be remembered as the lost season. The global COVID-19 virus devastated the sport of baseball in America. Fans were entirely restricted from attending professional or semi-pro live match-ups resulting in low energy games played at empty stadiums. Watching baseball on television or online wasn’t much better. 

Much of the MLB season was cancelled including the pre-season games, World Baseball Classic, the Puerto Rico series, the MLB All Star game, London Series and the much anticipated Iowa Field of Dreams game. Some of the game’s stars even opted out of the season. In addition, dozens of games of the already shortened season were cancelled due to players testing positive for COVID-19. And to make matters even worse, the season was inundated in a controversial political player protest movement which resulted in even more games being called off after players walked off the field. And ratings for the World Series set an all-time low.

It wasn’t just the professional baseball that was affected by COVID-19. The Minor League Baseball season was cancelled. So was the NCAA college baseball season. Independent professional leagues like the Frontier and Atlantic leagues suspended their seasons. The Little League World Series and region tournaments were cancelled. Cooperstown, which is known as the home of baseball, was not spared either. The annual Hall of Fame Classic game, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (which expected to draw the biggest crowd ever this year) and Dream Park youth tournament were all called off. The iconic Doubleday field was closed for baseball. And there was the shutdown of the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum for four months. A depressing set of unprecedented circumstances for baseball fans.

But there was one bright spot in the world of baseball. MSBL (Men’s Senior Baseball League), America’s largest amateur baseball league where former pro and MLB players are also known to play. The league had thousands of fans across the country watching in attendance on local baseball fields during hot, summer, lazy nights. 

The MSBL headquarters and birthplace is located in Long Island, NY. The nationwide league originated back in 1988. It holds annual fall and winter tournaments in MLB spring training stadiums FITTEAM Ballpark (home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training), Roger Dean Stadium (home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals spring training) Tempe Diablo Stadium (home of the Los Angeles Angels spring training) and the historic Doubleday Field (Cooperstown, NY). The league has multiple age brackets from +18, +25, +35, +45 and +50 age groups.

MSBL kept the true pastoral baseball spirit alive in the baseball 2020 season. Local games across small town, suburbia and big city America successfully avoided the effects of COVID-19 lock-downs and politics. Fans enthusiastically attending local parks watching competitive play at all levels. Cheering on their favorite players that were mostly like their husband, father, son, friend or relative. America’s pastime represented by MSBL games played from coast to coast was enjoyable to watch during an otherwise very disappointing 2020 baseball year.