The Palm Beach County Senior Stickball League is back in action as local enthusiasts gathered to relive their childhoods and create new memories during the season opener at Village Park in Wellington on Oct. 28.
The league has several active adult communities from Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach. The majority of league members played stickball while growing up in the five boroughs of New York City.
Looking to attract younger players, the Palm Beach County Senior Stickball League now has no age limit for adults. Boynton Beach resident Marty Messinger, who grew up playing stickball in East Flatbush in Brooklyn, thinks the younger generation should get involved and learn about stickball.
“It’s a game that is so inexpensive and can be played in the inner cities,” Messinger said. “They just do not know about it.”
The league conducts weekly games on Fridays, and the season wraps up during April with a playoffs period, a championship, all-star game, and end-of-season awards ceremony and barbecue.
Members also hold weekly pick-up games in Palm Beach County, providing an opportunity for beginners and younger players to learn the game. The pick-up games take place on Thursdays at Village Park in Wellington and on Sundays behind the Whitworth Farms Shopping Center on Hagen Ranch Road in Boynton Beach.
Palm Beach County Senior Stickball League participant Mike Levenar throws out the first pitch prior to the season opener. (Alex Kushel / Contributor)
This season, the league is honoring the memory of past participants with a banner at Village Park. The stickball honorees who have since passed away include: Joe Knapp, Dave Auerbach, Bob Cohen, Michael Notaroberta, Ken Ritzer, James Molina, Rick MacInnis, Burt Greenberg, Fred Schartzwald and Manny Cohen.
“These were guys that played for years. They were good guys from the five boroughs,” league president Ron Vernon said. “We are going to put this up every time we play. It’s great that we did it, but it definitely hurts.”
The league consists of five teams, with veteran participants returning and some newcomers who have joined. Vernon said the goal is to have six teams next season.
At 92, Palm Beach Gardens resident Austin Kelly is currently the oldest member of the league. He started playing stickball at age 10 in Manhattan. Kelly had previously resided in Boynton Beach, where he joined a stickball team, so he’s continued to participate in the league.
“I love to see all the guys coming back each year and I really enjoy it,” Kelly said. “All my friends are the guys I play stickball with. It’s been wonderful. The camaraderie is a big thing … I feel good and it keeps me in shape. It’s sort of a new life again for me.”
For more information and to participate in weekly or league games, contact member Marty Messinger at 949-500-2791.