Adult baseball league looking to expand

The Western Nevada chapter of the National Adult Baseball Association is looking to expand this summer and they have their eyes on the Minden-Gardnerville area.

The league, which currently has teams in Fallon, Carson and Reno, is hoping to add teams in Tahoe, Truckee, Hawthorne, Fernley, Yerington, Mason Valley and Douglas County, along with additional teams in Carson and Reno for the upcoming season.

"It's good competitive baseball," said league president Bobby Amos, who also manages the Fallon Black Sox during the season. "We're trying to get the word out, trying to expand. Ultimately what we want to do is bring baseball back to what it was in the '20s, where you travel around and play the best each town has to offer.

"We represent our towns in a professional way, we use major league rules, use metal spikes and wood bats. It's real baseball and we want to get out in your area and let people know that there is a high level of baseball being played in western Nevada."

The league is open to any players over the age of 18. Amos said the oldest player in the league last season was 58.

"Eventually we want to grow so that we can add 38-plus, 48 or 58 teams, but right now it is open," Amos said. "I'm 36 years old and I am playing. It provides rec baseball for anyone with a love for the game."

Amos said there are several players who come in from junior colleges for the summer just to keep in shape before heading back to school. He said many high school grads who get left behind during the recruiting season have a chance to make a name for themselves in the league.

"We had a guy last season, he ended up being the league MVP, but we were able to hook him up with a full-ride baseball scholarship to University of North Dakota," Amos said. "He'll be playing pitcher and shortstop for them this year."

To have a team, Amos said he'd like to see 15 to 22 players, but the smaller the roster, the better so that everyone gets playing time. He wants to have each team managed within its town.

"It's going to be up to managers to find a home field," he said. "There's a field in Fallon, we're going to have some games at the Governor's Bowl in Reno and we've got a field in Carson.

"Basically once someone contacts me about starting up a team, we put together a schedule and a budget. The good thing is that we're all within about an hour in terms of traveling distance. Ideally, we want to get each team fully sponsored with uniforms and such.

"We'll do a league championship with trophies, and an all-star team. We want to Moana Stadium last year with the all-star team. It's just good old-fashioned baseball."

The season will run from April 26 through August. The league is part of the larger National Adult Baseball Association, and Western Nevada will put together an all-star team to compete in regional and national tournaments after the season.

Amos encouraged anyone interested in starting up a team to contact him at 775-426-8003 or at bobby_amos2002@yahoo.com.

More information on the league, and on the National Adult Baseball Association, is available at www.dugout.org.