Someone once said that softball is “like love: first you learn the rules of the game, and then you forget the rules and play from your heart.” For the members of the Berks County Senior Softball League, this is a love never forgotten.
The league was started for men age 60 and up and women age 50 and up in the summer of 2018 by Rich Stanislaw, 70, and his brother John, 71, both of whom played for the Lyons team.
“We joined the Lyons team in the summer of 2017, and while playing, we wondered why there was only one senior team in a county known for the sport,” explains Rich, who currently serves as the league’s president.
The Lyons team, in existence since the early 2000s, was the only softball team dedicated to seniors 60 years or older in Berks County. That team played other teams outside of Berks, simply because there were no other teams in the county to play.
Enter the Stanislaw brothers.
Feeling that there was a demand for more teams, Rich says they established the league.
“Road signs were placed throughout the county and new members were registered, both men and women,” he says. “There was enough interest that six sponsored teams were set up.”
The new league was a success, expanding to an indoor winter league, which sported five new teams that played inside the Exeter Fieldhouse Bubble during the winter.
The summer league also grew this season and now supports nine teams, with most games played at BIG Vision fields.
“It is our sincere desire that everyone look forward to playing and having a fun time,” says Rich. “Our league’s purpose is to encourage a spirit of friendly competition while simultaneously developing lasting friendships.”
And it has succeeded on all levels.
Rich Blaha, known in the league as “Big Rich” because he is 6 feet, 5 inches tall, says he has loved playing this sport since he was young and dreamed of being a major league player.
Now 62, the Lower Heidelberg Township resident explains, “I'm very fortunate to have found a group of men and women in Berks County that enjoy playing the game and trying to excel at a sport that they can still play in their 60s and beyond.”
The same is true for Bill Jaeger, “Wild Bill,” of Exeter Township.
“My love of sports brought me to join,” he says. “Playing and coaching softball was a part of my life for 35-plus years.”
In 2008, Bill, now 69, suffered a cardiac arrest at work and nearly died.
“In September of 2014, I received a new heart at the University of Pennsylvania,” he explains. “I had some complications over the next two years but remained very active.”
When he heard about the Berks County Senior Softball League, Bill says he called his transplant team to see if they thought he could play. Because he had been healthy and active, they gave him their approval.
“What I find enjoyable is not only playing again, but also the socialization the league displays,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of new people, and we joke around without any animosity.”
Fun Facts:
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- Rules have been changed to lessen injuries. No stealing bases, tagging players at home plate, or sliding. Substitute runners are permitted, and games are played with 11 players.
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- The Lyons senior team, part of the BCSSL, was converted into a competitive traveling team to complete outside the county. Team members also play on Berks County senior teams.
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- Whenever two or more spectators show up to games, the teams ask them to do the wave.
For more info:
610.507.5869
berksseniorsoftball@gmail.com
