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It was brought to my attention over the weekend that the Baltimore Metro Baseball League has folded.  What an absolute awesome run by two great baseball guys – Roger Faw and Bill Allen.  They started the BMB in 1977 and it’s definitely been the premier amateur baseball league in Maryland for the past 37 years.  Their plan was simple – they brought the best players together and they were passionate about the game being played the right way.  Best wishes to both of these guys in whatever they choose to do to fill all of those hours they put in throughout the summer running the League.

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My son started in this league here is a long post coyped from there site.

 

AFTER MUCH THOUGHT AND CONSIDERATION I REGRETFULLY TELL ALL THE FORMER BMB TEAMS AND FANS THAT BMB HAS COME TO AN END AND WILL NOT HOLD LEAGUES FOR THE 2014 SEASON.  SINCE 1977 WE HAVE BEEN THE PREMIER AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE IN MARYLAND AND DURING THIS TIME WE HAVE HAD GREAT LEAGUES AND TEAMS.  OUR TEAMS HAVE WON MORE THAN 55 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AABC, DIZZY DEAN AND NABF.  ALL OF THESE TOURNAMENTS REQUIRED OUR TEAMS TO QUALIFY THROUGH LEAGUE PLAY AND THEN WIN STATE / REGIONAL TOURNAMENT BEFORE MAKING IT THE WORLD SERIES.  FOR ALL YEARS UNTIL THE EARLY 2000's AABC, DIZZY DEAN AND NABF WERE THE ONLY TOURNAMENT CHOICES MADE BY BMB TEAMS.  THEN IN THE EARLY 2000's THERE WAS A CHANGE AS THE PAY AND PLAY TOURNAMENTS COME ABOUT.  MANY OF THESE BMB TEAMS DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO PAY FOR A GUARANTEE TO PLAY IN AN INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN LIEU OF EARNING A SPOT IN ONE OF THE THREE BMB FRANCHISED TOURNAMENTS.  THE NEXT TURN OF EVENTS WAS TEAMS DECIDING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO PLAY IN A LEAGUE TO BECOME A "SHOWCASE" OR "TOURNAMENT" TEAM.  IT WAS AMUSING BECAUSE MANY OF THESE TEAMS COULD NOT PLAY .500 BASEBALL IN OUR LEAGUE!  THIS STARTED THE DEMISE OF OUR LEAGUE.  WE WENT FROM A HIGH OF 135 TEAMS IN 9 AGE DIVISION TO A LOW OF 30 TEAMS IN 3 AGE DIVISIONS.  MANY TEAMS WERE A RESULT OF A PARENT STARTING A TEAM SO THAT THEIR CHILD COULD BE GUARANTEED A PLACE TO PLAY AND A TOURNAMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN.  ALL OF THESE CHANGES AND THE SIGNIFICANT DETERIATION OF THE PLAYER POOL RESULTING IN SMALLER NUMBERS OF TEAMS OR TEAMS THAT FELT BMB WAS TOO COMPTETIVE FOR THEM ARE THE KEY REASONS THAT I HAVE DECIDED TO END THE LONG RUN OF BMB AFTER 37 SEASONS.  ALONG WITH THIS WAS THE ADDITION OF OTHER LEAGUES THAT TRIED TO DUPLICATE BMB.  THEY COULD NEVER DO THIS AS THEY ONLY ATTRACTED REC TYPE TEAMS SO THEY QUICKLY LEARNED HOW TO MAKE THIER LEAGUE A HUGE MONEY MAKING BUSINESS.  CHARGING TEAM 2 TO 2 1/2 TIMES MORE THAN BMB AND OFFERING THEM ZERO TOURNAMENT BERTHS.  NOW TEAMS ARE FREE TO PLAY IN THOSE LEAGUES THAT ARE DRIVEN BY MAKING MONEY AND NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE TEAMS AND THIER PLAYERS.  I WISH ALL TEAMS THE BEST OF LUCK AND HOPE THEY SUCCEED IN ALL OF THEIR BASEBALL ENDEAVORS.  ALL MANAGERS AND COACHES NEED TO REMEMBER THAT YOUTH AMATEUR BASEBALL IS A GAME THAT TEACHES SKILL, DISCIPLINE AND PREPARATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE BASEBALL.  LOSING A GAME IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD AS ALL PLAYERS MUST LEARN HOW TO LOSE BEFORE THEY CAN EVER UNDERSTAND THE SUCCESS FOUND IN VICTORY.  PLAYERS NEED TO ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO EARN A PLAYNG POSITION ON THE FIELD.  GIVING THEM A SPOT WITHOUT EARNING IT WILL ONLY CAUSE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY GO TO HIGH SCHOOL AND ARE FORCED TO MAKE THE TEAM AND EARN A POSITION.

The message from the league leadership tells it all!  Everyone wants a guarantee in life.  We are handicapping our youth with participating trophies and guarantees for post-season participation.  It is killing the incentive to work hard, earn your spot and most of all...learn how to compete.  Sad times but I doubt most people will look at it this way.  Roger and Bill - thanks for the memories!

Originally Posted by MDOGDAD:

The message from the league leadership tells it all!  Everyone wants a guarantee in life.  We are handicapping our youth with participating trophies and guarantees for post-season participation.  It is killing the incentive to work hard, earn your spot and most of all...learn how to compete.  Sad times but I doubt most people will look at it this way.  Roger and Bill - thanks for the memories!

College football has turned into a participation trophy sport as well. Go 3-6 in conference play, beat three mid major cupcakes and go to a bowl with a 6-6 record.

Originally Posted by upthegap:

Agreed.  This is sad/bad news.  Many young players got their start in BMB.  I know of 2 2014's that signed NLI's yesterday (one at a major DI) who got their feet wet and honed their craft in BMB.  I guess the dominant league in this area is now MABA?

MABA is a fine league, but it is not the same.  BMB had affiliations with Dizzy Dean, NABF and AABC...nationally recognized organizations with championships that mean something on the national level.

First off, I was a huge fan of BMB. However, like many great institutions, they did not adapt to the changing world around them. Based on their announcement, it sounds like this was mostly a conscious decision, or at least on their own terms. With 35+ years of service to MD amateur baseball, they have certainly earned that right.

 

Today, amateur baseball is all about college recruiting. You just aren't going to accomplish that at the Dizzy Dean WS. It's a shame, because I think there is still a place for high-level league play.

God Bless Roger Faw for providing our youth players a Baseball League, for the past 37 years, that was built and operated with the utmost INTEGRITY. BMB was a win-your-way to a national championship appearance...not a pay to play program that even the so called SHOWCASE tournaments have turned into. The Best Nine Played when we and our kids played BMB ball... THANK YOU ROGER!!! 

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