John DeBenedictis: Passion for the Game 

John DeBenedictis, president of the Tri-State 48+ MSBL, is known today in MSBL circles at the man who pushed the age barriers to the edge of eligibility for Social Security and beyond. He motivated the creation of a World Series 50+ Division in 1994, and then a 60+ division in 1999 and a 65+ division in 2002. 

The 50+ limit was lowered a bit to 48+, and, in 2003, 65 teams competed in five different 48+ divisions. In addition, 19 teams competed in two 58+ divisions, and five teams vied for the 65+ division championship. That’s close to 2,000 men competing at the highest levels of amateur play to win coveted baseball championships. 

So how did John DeBenedictis acquire his passion for the game? 

John was a tyke growing up in the seaside (pre-casino era) community of Atlantic City, NJ when the Philadelphia Phillies Whiz Kids of 1950 first sparked his passion for baseball. 

The game so captivated him that he even created a solitaire card game that enabled him to play a simulated season using the rosters from the eight National League teams. After realizing that singles hitters such as Richie Ashburn were hitting as many homers in his card game as were power hitters like Ralph Kiner and Del Ennis, he modified the design to generate more realistic statistics. 

John put the cards away to venture into the real world where he encountered the difficulty of finding 18 players and the necessary equipment. This inspired him to design activities where as few as two could play some form of competitive baseball. In the off-season, the beach proved to be a great  arena for a two player game. Lines drawn in the sand indicated the value of a hit and the sand kept the ball from rolling any distance. 

Eventually, John reached high school age and played competitive baseball in the Camden County (NJ) Semipro League and the Roberto Clemente International Baseball League (formerly the Ruben Gomez Baseball League) until his mid-thirties. After that he played many years of slow and fast pitch softball, and umpired all levels of baseball and softball from Little League through college. 

In 1989, he received a special gift from the family in honor of his 50th birthday. It was a week long trip to Phillies Dream Week in Clearwater. The competition pitted him against players ranging from 30 to 72 years old. Lee Elia, Larry Bowa, and Art Mahaffey coached John’s team. The week was highlighted by a one-inning stint on the mound pitching against former idols like Dick Sisler, Johnny Callison, and Tony Gonzalez. The experience re-kindled his interest in baseball and upon his return he joined the Pirates, a team in an “Over-30 MSBL league out of Norristown, PA. 

The Pirates finished at the bottom of a four-team league with a 1-13 record. However, bolstered by some late season additions, the team startled the league by beating the first place Dodgers. John pitched a doubleheader in 102 degree heat, to lead his team to victories by scores of 12-3 and 5-4. The Pirates went on to win the playoffs. 

Soon the “kids” of 30-something baseball seemed to get younger and the bases further apart. So, John moved on to the 40+ MSBL league out of Bensalem, PA. 

In 1993, John worked with MSBL to stage an exhibition game prior to the 1993 World Series in Phoenix using players 50 and older.  These players were recruited from the rosters of 40+ teams, and they showed that the “old guys” could still play the game. This led to the creation of a 50+ division in the 1994 World Series. 

In 1997, John organized a group of players from Delaware to participate in the first national baseball tournament hosted by the Senior Olympics. Baseball was added as an exhibition sport to the 1997 games in Tucson, AZ. The Delaware squad left with the Gold Medal in the 50+ Division. That was the same year John was convinced by the lovely Lois McKinney to “tie the knot” at home plate at high noon between doubleheader games in Caguas Stadium (Puerto Rico) during the Annual Caribbean Classic hosted by MSBL. (The marriage has since given birth to two wonderful children, Jarrett Ashford and Danielle Elizabeth.) 

The success of 50+ baseball at the tournament level gave birth to the first-ever local 50+ MSBL. The Tri-State 50+ MSBL started with four teams playing double headers every Sunday in April 1997. 

In keeping with his motto of “it is not how good you are; it is the competition you play against,” John helped organize a 60+ MSBL World Series division in 1999, and a 65+ division in 2002. 

Also in 2002, the Tri-State 48+ MSBL expanded to 10 teams. In 2003, the league spun off the West Jersey MSBL comprised of teams interested in playing only single games each week. The combined Tri-State 48+ and West Jersey 48+ now fields a total of twelve teams (six each league). 

For 2004, the Tri-State 48+ MSBL added a 58+ division with three teams. Not to be left out, John’s wife Lois has joined the newly forming Philly Women’s Baseball League also starting with three teams. The women’s group has no age restriction. After playing a pre-season scrimmage, the Tri-State 58+ MSBL reached an agreement with the Philly Women’s Baseball League to play six inter-league games in 2004. 

What’s next for John and the Tri-State MSBL?  Rumor has it he is canvassing all the “Old Folks” homes throughout Delaware for potential players of the future. 

For more information on the Tri-State 48+/58+ MSBL contact John via e-mail at john_debenedictis@hotmail.com. For information concerning the West Jersey 48+ MSBL, contact Bill Curzie at 856-461-1669. For more information concerning the Philly Women’s Baseball League, contact Narda Quigley at phillywomensbaseball@hotmail.com. 

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