Best Baseball in Chicago Can Be Found in the Burbs

Major League Baseball has become rather easy to dislike and resent over the past few years and specifically over the last decade with the rampant use of steroids, inflating salaries, escalating ticket and concession prices, player misconduct, and the general malaise and disrespect of the game shown by the professional players of today. Some fans have been completely turned off by our national pastime and football has enjoyed national success like never before. The World Series used to be an event, much like the Super Bowl is now, when children would be held out of school for afternoon games or at the very least televisions would be wheeled into classrooms. People would take off of work, pay anything for tickets, and hang on every pitch of every game. Such is not the case any longer, as television ratings for the past two World Series have been the worst in history and for no other reason than resentment from the fans due to the off-field problems within the sport. People still love the game, but it seems like they love it more than the ones playing it for a living, and that just kills those fans that would do anything to play ball and get paid for it.

Baseball is America's game, a love for this game is almost instilled at birth. Americans love to watch, play, and talk about baseball and it's popularity is suffering because we have nothing to talk about except the negative aspects of the game. Well, there is a solution, one that could benefit the game as a whole for years to come. A solution that would appease the unsettled and unsatisfied legions of baseball fans wanting to see good baseball played by those with talent that love and respect the game. The solution is amateur baseball, which just happens to be played in almost every suburb, city, town, and village all across these United States and beyond. Chicago is a town blessed with not one, but two Major League Baseball teams with the Cubs and the White Sox residing in our fair city, so there is no lack of baseball in our town, but not everyone can afford to go to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular and buy tickets and beer and food, it is just too expensive. This is a sad and unfair fact of life in America today that many cannot even afford to enjoy the national pastime. Unfortunately, many of those that can afford to take in a game have chosen not to based on their negative feelings towards those that play the sport, and those that police it. Major League Baseball has gone from a national obsession to a national embarrassment.

As sad as this is, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, good, passionate baseball is still being played at levels above little league or high school ball. There is hope for baseball to continue and prosper in this steroid-filled era and this is due to the weekend warriors that make up amateur baseball in America. The finest of all amateur leagues, of which there are many in Chicago, is the Men's Adult Baseball League or MABL, which is a national organization encompassing leagues in every state in the U.S. and even some teams outside the States. The MABL is the governing body of amateur baseball that holds tournaments nationwide throughout the year and is responsible for overseeing all teams and leagues throughout the nation. Chicago has more than a few leagues in the MABL, probably the biggest and most popular being the Midwest Suburban League or MSL, (www.midwestsuburbanleague.com) which is run out of the western suburbs of Chicago and boasts an astounding 50+ teams spread over three different divisions based on age and talent levels. The MSL uses only the best fields in the Chicago area, mostly college fields or high-end park district fields are used, unlike other adult baseball leagues in the area that use park district fields that are really nothing more than a dirt lot with no mound and a rocky infield. The MSL uses fields like Oakton and Judson Colleges, St. Charles North High School, Rec Park in Arlington Heights, Wing Park in Elgin, and Grosche field in Waukegan for the Championships. The MSL has also been honored with the use of the Schaumburg Flyers Alexian Field for the annual All-Star game in mid-July.

The type of player in this league ranges from ex-major and minor league players, college and high-school level players, and some that haven't played an inning outside of little league. There are those aged 18 playing with men pushing 60, there are guys that can throw 90mph, and those that throw 40mph. The range of talent is vast and diverse and yet the games are close because they all play with heart, determination, and a passion for the game they love. These men give up time with their families, time at work, and time to themselves just to be a part of a team and play a child's game, and they do it for free. Well not for free, they do have to pay for the privilege of playing, and if asked, every last one of them would say it is worth every penny. Some players pay upwards of $250 for the honor of playing in the MSL, the fees vary from team to team based on sponsorships and fundraisers, but every team pays over $4000 just to be a part of the league. This fee provides fields, balls, and umpires, but little else. Uniforms are the sole responsibility of the team, as are practice balls, bats, helmets, and whatever equipment is necessary including offseason indoor field time, which can get pretty costly, especially in Chicago where it doesn't get warm and fields are not playable until early April, and even then it isn't exactly ideal weather for baseball.

The players in the MSL don't get paid millions of dollars, they don't have endorsement deals, they don't sign autographs before the game, and they always run out ground balls and pop ups. These players play for the name on the front of their jerseys, not the one on their backs, in fact most teams don't even have last names on their jerseys as the cost of nameplates is usually a luxury most teams cannot afford. Spectators are treated to full-throttle baseball all the time, MSL players don't take games off, they don't take anything for granted, and they never disrespect the game by giving anything less than 100%. The men in this league go to work all week long, provide for their families, then when the weekend comes they hit the field and in most cases work harder than they have all week. The quality of baseball being played in the MSL is not up to snuff with the Majors as far as talent goes, but no one can question the heart and determination that lies in every player in the MSL.

Parks and fields across the nation are filled with weekend warriors swinging, sliding, throwing, and fielding
baseballs in organized leagues every weekend and even on weeknights. These players don't get paid to play, they usually have to pay a fee just be on a team, and they must furnish all their own equipment from uniforms to bats, gloves, and even bases and balls. The expense is not small, both in monetary terms and in terms of time spent as playing organized baseball takes a lot of dedication and energy. Those that play are often in pain for most of the week, especially the pitchers and catchers, and all have constant nagging injuries that make it hard for them to do the little things like going to work, mowing the lawn, or even lifting a gallon of milk! But these warriors press on through the pain and not only complete their daily regular life duties, but also are part of a team to whom they dedicate more than just their time to, they dedicate their lives. So if you love baseball and are sick of the major league attitudes, prices, and hassles that come with a trip to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular, come and see a game in the MSL. Check the website for a game near you, pack up a lunch and some sunscreen, and come out and see baseball played with heart and passion by men that play for glory and a sense of personal joy and accomplishment, instead of a paycheck.