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More FAQ

Q:  Your book says there are 125,000 senior players in the country.  Where are they playing?

A:  Senior baseball is a nationwide phenomenon and, like the game itself, is spreading worldwide.  We play in local leagues, some which are sanctioned by large national organizations while some are independent.  We play in tournaments all over the country, for example in Florida, Arizona, and Cooperstown.  We play vintage baseball in festivals that use rules from the middle of the 19^th century.  We play in baseball fantasy camps associated with each of the major league teams.  And we travel worldwide to play the game.  I share each of these experiences in the book, including my personal trips to play against local teams in China, Russia, and Italy.

Q:  What advice would you give to seniors already playing baseball or thinking about it?

A:  Few think of baseball as a lifelong sport.  Yet, there are thousands in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond that are playing the game, playing it well, and enjoying it.  Senior baseball is designed to make the game enjoyable at any age or level of play.  You are never too old to play the game.

Q:  What role do wives and girlfriends play in this endeavor or is this purely an “all boy’s club” thing.

A:  Because of the time and financial commitment required to play senior baseball, each player must have the support of his family and friends.  Wives and girlfriends provide this support for a number of reasons.  Certainly, one is that they appreciate their player is enjoying the experience so much.  But, as it turns out, most of the women find they are also pure baseball fans—they enjoy the game for its own sake.  The book dedicates much of a chapter to the women’s role in senior baseball and their relationship with baseball in general.

Q:  Are there different levels of competition?

A:  Yes.  Regardless of the skill level, fitness level, or age of the player, there is enjoyable senior baseball to be played.  The best example of this is major league fantasy camps.  I have played at a fantasy camp with a former minor league pitcher, a 40-year-old who had not played baseball since the fourth grade, a man with Parkinson’s disease, a woman whose sport is soccer who joined her 72-year old father at camp, and a wide range of other players.  To a person, every one of them loved the experience.  Other senior baseball venues also provide a great experience regardless of skill level and many are designed to cater to older players who want to “play with children their own age.”

Q:  How did this phenomenon of senior baseball come about?  How long has it been in existence?

A:  There are as many as 125,000 senior baseball players around the country.  Less than three decades ago, the only senior baseball being played was in pickup games and small independent leagues in several places.  A few visionary leaders saw that if others knew about the opportunity to continue to play baseball while growing older at the same time, the numbers would grow.  As the idea spread and leagues began to organize across broader geographies, regional and national tournaments were planned.  Now the game is nationwide, expanded overseas, and is thriving.  One objective of the book is to make even more prospective players aware of the opportunity for them to play baseball as a lifelong sport.  You are never too old to play the game.

FAQ

Q:  What prompted you to write the book?

A:  I was sitting in a dugout in Ft. Myers, Florida in the middle of winter two years ago thinking—I’m 58 years old, still playing the game I love, it’s snowing back home, I’m surrounded by a beautiful baseball field with palm trees beyond the outfield wall and by good friends and teammates, I’m in Florida with my wife, Ann, enjoying each other and what we’re doing,  and there are thousands of players doing the same thing—someone needs to tell this story.

I was also inspired by a man I met on an international baseball trip to China.  George Goodall was 92 at the time, traveled to Beijing on his own, and played and kept up with the sightseeing all week long.  When George came up for his first time at bat, the Chinese team put down their gloves and applauded him.  They love baseball and revere older people.  It was a thrill to be a part of this and then see George play catch on the Great Wall of China.

Q:  Is this book just for senior baseball players?

A:  Senior baseball players will certainly appreciate this book, as each of them will be able to relate to it on a personal level.  But the book is also written for and will be appreciated by two other groups.  There are many potential senior baseball players out there who played when they were young, loved the game, left it for competing life priorities, and would love to return to it if they knew of the opportunity.  They will appreciate the book for the guidance it will provide them.  Baseball fans in general, both men and women, will also enjoy the book.  The book, as one reviewer says, it “reflects on the purity of the essential game as opposed to MLB’s branded product.”  They will be reminded of the traditions of the game they love and the importance of baseball to many of their intergenerational relationships.

Q:  Playing baseball at 60 can’t be easy.  How do you do it?

A:  The reality is that each senior player is both playing and aging at the same time.  Even the young, in-shape major leaguers spend time on the disabled list.  So, picture the relative physical condition of senior baseball players.  Many of us play not only a couple of times a week in local leagues, but also in week-long tournaments playing a double header each day.  In my case, I spend time in the gym with a workout designed for staying in baseball shape as well as keeping my bad back healthy enough to play.  I provide fitness guidelines in the book.

Q:  What makes you want to continue to play baseball?

A:  I’m both a baseball player and a fan because I love and respect the game.  My dad put a baseball and bat in my hands as soon as I could grip them.  Then he and the baseball culture that surrounds us taught me to love it.  There’s an approach to retirement that says we should be doing later in life what we were passionate about when we were ten years old.  For me, that’s baseball.  In the book, I capture what baseball means to me specifically, which is consistent with what I’ve heard from other players and from fans.