The Maine Pine Tree Men’s Baseball League is starting its 2024 season this weekend under a new president. Manager of Bath team the Kennebec Sturgeons for four years, Tyler Rose is now also the league president as the organization enters its 99th year.
The previous president, Kris Targett of Vassalboro, had served as the PTL president over the last 15 years before handing over responsibilities to Rose.
“I was really lucky to have a full season of training and support from Kris, who has basically seen it all,” Rose said in a prepared release.
The Bethel Braves won the Pine Tree Men’s Baseball League championship last year. Courtesy photo
The 12-team league kicks off its season Sunday, May 5, with games at 9 a.m. The Kennebec Sturgeons face the Topsham Udder Tuggers at Brunswick High School and the Brunswick Yard Goats face the Mid Maine River Pigs at Varnum Field in Bath. Visit sites.google.com/site/pinetreebaseballleague for a complete season schedule for all 12 teams and more information.
The historic PTL began in 1925 as an independent semi-professional baseball league, largely comprised of teams from western Maine. Mechanic Falls, Norway, Oxford, South Paris, Turner and West Paris all played host to the original six teams in the league and saw countless games of fierce competition, larger-than-life personalities and hometown pride nearly a century ago. Entering the 2024 season, the PTL’s 12 teams represent towns like the Winthrop Red Sox, regions such as the Central Maine Green Wave and rivers like the Kennebec Sturgeons.
“I always tell people we have teams from Bethel, to Bath, to Bangor and everywhere in between,” Rose said.
In the 1950s and ’60s, teams from the PTL would compete against other top teams in the eastern United States for a chance to travel to Battle Creek, Michigan, to play in a tournament and eventually a championship that would feature the top teams from the east and west of the Mississippi. In today’s league, teams play a regular season that stretches from May through July before giving way to playoffs during the month of August. The league championship game is held the final weekend of August for a chance at bragging rights, a cash prize and, as of 2024, a new league trophy.
As league president, Rose hopes to bring a fresh emphasis on professionalism, communication, organization and philanthropy. In 2023, Rose led the effort to record both offensive and pitching statistics for each player in the league and then post those statistics publicly on the league website. He also added league awards for offense, defense, pitching and rookies complete with a signed certificate in the winning player’s name.
Under Rose’s leadership, the Sturgeons have completed several philanthropic projects. In 2023, the team raised money for the purchase of an outfield fence for Varnum Field. The Sturgeons also partner with Dream Factory of Maine to help raise money for children with both life-threatening and chronic illnesses.
If you are someone aged 18 or older and interested in starting or joining a team in the PTL, reach out to Rose via the league’s website. All games are played on Sunday mornings.
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