The Fort Wayne Baseball Federation is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. In case you are in the dark, it is a recreational, wood bat, adult baseball league. The league is designed for anyone 18 years or older to play the game of baseball. It is a refreshing alternative for people that would rather play baseball than slow-pitch softball like a lot of adults do.
This isn’t just some adult league though. This league has a dynamic prestige to it that has been built for a century. We were able to chat with the current Commissioner of the league Richard Brown to learn a little more about this historic organization.
There isn’t much information when it comes to the early days, but things changed when Red Carrington named the league Fort Wayne Baseball Federation in the 1940's.
“One interesting fact is the Portland Rockets have had a team for the last 65 years, they started in 1959,” says Brown. Typically, most of the home games are played at Carrington Field, which is located on the by-pass by the old Lakeside Golf Course. “Teams travel to Battle Creek, South Bend, Portland, and Plymouth to play,” adds Brown.
Although things have been up and down, the league is getting stronger than ever before. The advancement of travel baseball and semi-pro leagues has made things difficult for different leagues all around, but that is a topic for another day. This league remains alive and well today and is a testament to how well it has been run.
“In the 90’s we had 12 teams in our league, over the years we were down to 3. However, last year we had 6 teams, 3 from Fort Wayne, and one each from South Bend, Mishawaka, and Portland. We have played our World Series in Battle Creek over the years, but this season we will be changing to a suburb outside Chicago,” Brown proclaims.
With many reasons to believe this league is special, some of the best talent from the area has played in this league. There have been many college players playing in the league. Some of whom have been drafted and played at all levels of Major League Baseball.
“Too many to name them all but high level MLB included, Mark Parker, Eric Milholland, Jesse Hoover, Neuens Hawarden, Brandon Soat , Tom Davidson, Kenny Fischer, Glen McClain, Zach Tanner, Justin Libey, and Will Carson Carr have played in our league and played college ball.
“Players from our league to play in MLB include Keith Shepherd, Mike Roessler, Zach McKinstry, Josh VanMeter, Brent Gaff, Merv Rettumund, and Josh Phegley, and Mitch Waters played pro ball in Italy for 3 years as well,” says Brown. Some Fort Wayne royalty on this list and just adds even more credibility to the league overall.
As an important role in baseball in Fort Wayne, the FWBF has become a staple for the city and creates endless opportunities. “FWBF gives players who still want to play at a competitive level a great place to play. We have solid competition playing wood bat, our rules are structured to the MLB rules. Teams play 20-25 games a year with the possibility of playing in the postseason. We are always happy to have new players join or if teams want to join,” says Brown.
It’s amazing for any business/organization to be around for 100 years. If you have a chance to check out some games if you ever have the chance. In addition to the Fort Wayne Tincaps, you could be watching a college star or future MLB baseball player when you attend these games at Carrington Field. Be sure to follow their Facebook page and look out for more updates and team schedules.
Dedrick Hendrix is a contributor to Old Baseball Co. As a Fort Wayne native, he grew up playing in Elmhurst Little League, Wildcat Baseball, and two years at South Side High School. He is also a baseball writer for Just Baseball and Fansided.
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