| BG man rekindles passion for baseball |
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| Written by CHAYSE HELD Sentinel Sports Writer | ||
| Saturday, 09 June 2012 07:30 | ||
In fact, the 68-year-old's passion for the sport has carried over into his retirement years, as Walton still plays competitively in the Toledo-based Mid American Masters Baseball League. The former editor of The Blade is one of the oldest players in the MAMBL, which features players who are 48 and older. The league plays its games at Ned Skeldon Stadium in Maumee, the former home of the Toledo Mud Hens. Walton plays second base for the MAMBL's Michigan Timberwolves. "I don't know what I would do for recreation if it weren't for what baseball has given me," Walton said. "I don't think there's any game that stays with you, and maybe it's because no sport is more tied to its past, the nostalgia, than baseball." Walton played on the1960 Clay High School baseball team that won the Great Lakes League championship, but like most players he hung up his cleats once his high school playing days were over to attend college, pursue a career, and raise a family. Then, in 1990, Walton attended the first Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp in Tuscon, Ariz., a camp designed for men looking to relive their baseball glory days alongside Indian legends. From that point on, from talking with Bob Feller to being picked to be on Larry Doby's team, Walton's passion for the sport was rekindled. He then competed in several tournaments at Doubleday Field at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., which led him to joining the MAMBL. "When I went to the Indians fantasy camp, it was sort of with the intent to say farewell to my youth," Walton explained. "And I think I kind of just rediscovered it. The passion was really rekindled. That's why I was so glad to get into organized tournaments and then this league, because as long as my body would allow I would keep playing the game I loved when I was a kid." The MAMBL has a 24-game regular season and a postseason tournament, playing games every Sunday at Skeldon Stadium. League standings and statistics are kept, but the league's main goal is to provide an opportunity for men to continue playing the game they love. "I always missed baseball. I played some softball over the years and it wasn't the same," Walton said. "The whole point is to have fun. It's not to take it so deathly serious. Some of the guys take it seriously because they just love the game with such a passion. I do too, but I'm out there to have a good time. "We don't win very often, but the guys on my team are just great guys to be around," he added. "Not a week goes that somebody doesn't say, 'Isn't this fantastic at our age to be still playing the game we grew up with?' And they're right. It's wonderful." Walton is an avid Indians fan, and also attends Bowling Green State University and Clay High School games when possible. "Baseball was the only sport of my youth. I played every night until dark. I was the cliché. I was the one mom had to call home for supper. We'd play until the street lights came on," Walton said. "When I'm batting and I hear that crack of the bat and I hit a solid line drive, I remember back to what that sounded like when I was a kid and how beautiful that was. There was nothing like it, and there still isn't." Walton said that the MAMBL is currently looking for players, and those interested in joining the league, or for more information, can visit the league's official Web site at www.mambl.org. Walton and his wife Dianne are approaching their 47th wedding anniversary. The couple has two children and six grandchildren. Officially retired since 2007, Walton still has a column published in the Blade's op-ed section. |
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