Senior Babe Ruth baseball draws from wider area to create star-studded teams

The Boys of Summer series explores three popular options for summer baseball in Southeast Missouri -- the American Legion, Babe Ruth and traveling prospect teams. Click here to read about American Legion baseball across the area, and be sure to check out Friday's print edition, which will take a closer look at traveling prospect teams.

Michael Minner's vision for summer baseball has evolved into something so much more than what he foresaw 11 years ago when the Charleston Fighting Squirrels took the field for the first time.

The Fighting Squirrels' success on the field has garnered more attention for Minner's team while also drawing attention to Babe Ruth baseball as a whole. Senior Babe Ruth teams like the Leopold SEMO Pirates and the Jackson Cyclones were both started in subsequent years, and with each year, the league's popularity continues to grow.

"People want to be a part of teams that are good," Minner said. "I've been very, very fortunate to just be a part of this organization and to meet some great kids and great families, and ultimately, we've met some great people from far away along the way. I would hate to think it's only because of success that we've gotten to meet some of these kids, but I also know that if we were losing all the time, we probably wouldn't be meeting quite as many people. So the success is a big part of it.

SEMO Pirates pitcher Hunter Eftink delivers a pitch to a Charleston batter in the fifth inning on Tuesday evening at Hillhouse Park in Charleston. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

"I think we do things the right way, and we give kids a great opportunity. We're one of those groups that plays kids. If they come to a doubleheader, they're going to play. You don't hardly ever see a time that somebody comes to play for Michael Minner and doesn't get the chance to play on a night until we get to the postseason. We kind of build our program on trust, and good things happen when you're doing things the right way."

Minner introduced Babe Ruth baseball to the area mostly because of the boundaries enforced by American Legion baseball. Legion teams are constricted to competing with players living in specific areas in accordance to the location of each post.

"There was a Legion team in Charleston before, but they've got to go by the 'ruler rule,' so we're kind of hidden over here in a corner. If we were to continue to play Legion with Sikeston, Cape, Jackson and Dunklin County at the time, what we were going to get were kids that were trapped by other teams," Minner said. "Babe Ruth baseball has a wider boundary, which allows us to have kids from different areas with no restrictions. For us, it was kind of a no-brainer. ... We wound up getting to host a state tournament. We hosted three regionals, so it's been a really big deal for us. It's just created lots of great memories for our coaches, our kids and our community."

The Fighting Squirrels have only flourished since finishing 8-25 in their inaugural season. Charleston has won seven of the last eight state titles and has advanced to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series the last two seasons.

Minner believes his program's success has sparked interest in Babe Ruth baseball across the area.

"Babe Ruth baseball when we first started, state tournaments had four or five teams," said Minner, whose Fighting Squirrels team is one of eight in this summer's state tournament at Hillhouse Park in Charleston. "... There are big differences, and sometimes there's not much difference at all between Babe Ruth and Legion and prospect ball. It's one of those things where it kind of depends on the year. We've had some teams that have been really good that beat a lot of the prospect teams and beat a lot of the Legion teams, and we've had years where we haven't competed as well as others. Ultimately, it boils down to what you want, and Babe Ruth gives us a great opportunity to go out and get kids from different places and also have a postseason to play in."

Charleston Fighting Squirrels infielders chat as relief pitcher Blake Wolferding warms up on the mound in the fourth inning of the first game of a double-header against Jackson Legion Post 158, Monday, June 15, 2015, in Jackson. (Laura Simon)

The Charleston Babe Ruth program consists of five teams, including the Senior Babe Ruth team. Minner said kids begin playing in the program at a young age and said establishing continuity isn't really an issue.

"We have kids come and go, but ultimately, with our groups it's kind of a year-to-year thing," Minner said. "We may not necessarily be looking for the continuity to keep guys together, but we're looking to put together quality teams that can win on the national stage. That's kind of what we do. We might have some guys who play for us as 16- or 17-year-olds who might not be with us as 18-year-olds. We also might have some guys who played with us as 19-year-olds and have never played for us before."

Ty Householder watched his brother, Ian, play for the Fighting Squirrels and is in his second summer with the team.

"I really liked watching them play, and I just heard great things about Coach Minner. I could just tell it's a great program to play for in the summer," said Householder, who will be a senior this fall at Kelly High School. "There's a lot of good competition down in this area with teams playing Babe Ruth. It's just a lot of fun. Everyone that plays Babe Ruth in the area is just really competitive."

Minner said his main objective each summer is seeking out high-character baseball players with good families who want to be a part of a special summer baseball experience.

"I'm going to do my best to try to provide opportunities for kids to play baseball, and I think that's my job," Minner said. "I just want kids to have what I had growing up in Cape. I played for some quality coaches that really cared about baseball. I hope when people are done playing in our organization that they think that of me."

Minner's tutelage is one of several reasons Householder believes in the Fighting Squirrels' program.

"He's one of the greatest coaches I've ever had," Householder said. "Everyone who plays on the team is like a family, and it's cool because everyone gets so close over one summer."

The cost of playing Senior Babe Ruth baseball is comparable to Legion baseball. The cost for the Fighting Squirrels is $350 per player with most of the money going toward affording a player's uniforms, according to Minner.

"This summer, our guys got a helmet, three hats, five jerseys, a couple pairs of game pants, a belt, stirrups to wear, travel shorts and a travel jacket to wear on the road," Minner said. "That's kind of what we do, and then we try to raise money throughout the year. We host tournaments, and we do a lot of the stuff. We don't ask for a lot of the money up front. I feel like $350 per kid is a quality price in today's society."

The Charleston brand has taken on a level of prestige that Minner believes is an important selling point in attracting local talent.

"That's one of the unique things about our program and one of the good draws that gets us some of the kids. It's the fact that those kids come here and know they're going to get five or six uniforms, and they're going to get to wear that squirrel on their hat," Minner said. "We try to do some of the things that rival some of the colleges, and we try to make things as hip as they can be for these young kids."

The Fighting Squirrels have also become a stepping stone for college recruiting. Minner said 17 former players will be playing college baseball this fall, and former Charleston High School standout James Naile was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 20th round of the 2015 MLB Draft in June.

However, Minner said drawing attention from college coaches wasn't easy when the program first began.

"In the beginning, you always hope and just never know if it will get to a certain situation," he said. "We're really proud of the situation that we've created down here, but you just never know if it's going to get there. ... The one thing I'll always say is, 'You can never trade the whippings that you take in the beginning for anything.' That's kind of one of those things about our team.

"I remember the days with the guys that started this, and we kind of came down and said, 'We're going to do things different. We're going to play 50 games in the summer. We're going to travel around.' Those first years were tough when you're 8-25 and losing lots of baseball games that aren't close and you're getting [10-run-ruled] and it's something new to people. That laid the groundwork for the success that we were going to have -- those guys who bought into it, those guys that were always here and showed up every day and were proud to be a part of our organization."

Minner strongly believes in the Babe Ruth system but isn't sold on the idea that it's a good fit for everyone.

"I believe if you're a kid that can throw it, people are going to find you. I think a big thing the kids need to do is find a good fit for them," Minner said. "Find out what's going to be a fun summer for them, and if you can give me a good kid that throws 95 mph, he's going to find a college scholarship. There's no question about it. If you give me a kid that throws 76, we're going to have to fight for him.

"No matter if he's a Legion kid, a Babe Ruth kid or a prospect kid, it kind of depends on the fit that you're looking for in the summer. Nobody's right or wrong. People are really into playing for the Bulls. That's a great organization. People are into playing for Cape Legion. That's another great organization. People enjoy playing for the Fighting Squirrels. We feel like our organization is as good as anybody's. It's all about what you're looking for and what you want."

When organizing a team each summer, Minner focuses on finding the best players from around the area. His goal each year is to put together an All-Star unit.

"Babe Ruth baseball is a really unique setup. It's kind of based on All-Stars," Minner said. "It's kind of that Junior Babe philosophy where Charleston has their team and East Prairie has their team and Cape has their team and everybody in that league puts together a team to create an All-Star team that goes and plays at the state level. We kind of forgo that process now. We kind of put our All-Star teams together, and that's kind of our 19-and-under team. ... It's created a very unique summer tradition here. It just keeps getting stronger."