When Jeff Bettelon was growing up in Highland Township, he’d gather with other children in his neighborhood for street ball, yard ball, you name it. 

“No one was spending time with anything even close to a PlayStation or other gaming system like kids are doing today,” he said. “We’d find as many ball players as we could and have an instant baseball team. It was great, we’d be out there for hours.”

While his sandlot days have passed, Bettelon — a sales representative for a box company in Plymouth — got back into the game nine years ago as a board member for the Troy Baseball Boosters (TBB). He's now enjoying his second season as board chairman of the Boosters, which celebrates its 50th anniversary as a league this year.

“I just love the community aspect of the game,” Bettelon said. “Being outside with the kids and coaching is fantastic. It’s definitely more fun than watching professionals.”

Fields of Dreams: Past to Present

The Boosters got its start in 1961 when former  baseball coach Don Hill was joined by Homer Ford, Don McCatty and a few others to form the league. McCatty and Ford laid out and plowed the fields that are now diamonds No. 1 and No. 2 in , said Boosters coach and former player Jamie Ryan. 

“Without these founding men, TBB would not be what it is today," Ryan said.

Don McCatty's son, Steve, played in the Boosters league before graduating from Troy High School in 1972 and becoming a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics in 1977 until 1985. He was later hired as a pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers and most recently was named interim pitching coach for the Washington Nationals in 2009.

Ryan recalled McCatty's return to Troy as a professional player while Ryan played in the Booster league. As a special guest, McCatty signed programs and played with the children.

“Those kinds of memories are hard to beat,” Ryan said. “I think some of my best times as a kid were when we’d win, because we’d get a card to go for a free  root beer. We’d all pile in a car and go. There was nothing like it.”

Ryan still has his 1971 yearbook from the league.

“I was 6 years old when they took this picture,” he said, pointing to his photo and reminiscing about his 11 years of stolen bases and chilly root beer.

Today, he coaches his son in the league.

Boosters Step Up to the Plate

Longtime sponsors help to keep the league strong, as do new sponsors. Nearly 30 years ago, it cost about $175 to sponsor a team. Now, it’s about $250. Usually, board members sell the sponsorships, or coaches can provide sponsorship.

The city's financial change-up and balks in services have also thrown a curveball at the organization. The league starts children in a T-ball program, which, until this year, fell under the Troy Parks & Recreation umbrella.

“We’ve had to get more involved with field issues,” Bettelon said, “making sure they are prepped and safe. ... It used to be that the city would handle those issues on weekends, but now it’s only during the week.”  

After T-Ball, players move to machine-pitch, coach pitch and eventually teammate-pitch leagues. The Boosters also offer a senior leauge for players 18 and older. In its 50th year, the Boosters have 93 active teams and nearly 1,200 players.

Squeeze Plays Optional

Paul Adamo's son, Max, 14, said the league is a great way to meet children from throughout the city. Bruce Kowalik, a recent graduate of , said the league provides a change of pace.

"I like it because there’s not a ton of pressure to perform,” said Kowalik, who plays second base and outfield for The Doughboys. "It’s not like a high school team or a travel team. It’s just fun, more laid-back."

Paul Hoef, a banker in Birmingham with two sons in the league, described the peace and tranquility he enjoys as a parent as his fondest memory.

“It had to do with being in the moment,” Hoef said. “It was a bright, pleasant summer evening. ... We had plenty of parents out in field helping, and they were having as much fun as the players.

"The worries that they may have had hours earlier from their jobs or the other stresses in their lives had melted away, because they were out playing a game with their sons in the most peaceful of environments.”