WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — One of the largest senior baseball organizations stopped in West Palm Beach for the weekend, hosting its annual fall tournament.

If someone told you that men ages 18 to 65 could win a national championship playing baseball, there’s a good chance you’d think they were lying.

Well, it’s all thanks to the Men’s Senior Baseball League, which has arrived here in Palm Beach County for one of the biggest senior tournaments in the country.

The league was started in 1986 by a group of men from Long Island, New York.

“It was just a group of Little League dads who wanted to get back into baseball. We formed teams, and it was such a novelty that it caught on quickly,” said Gary D’ambrisi, director of the MSBL Fall Classic tournament.

The organization now has chapters in every state and offers teams for men ages 18-65.

The MSBL has arrived in West Palm Beach for one of its biggest events, the Fall Classic.

“Tournaments like this are baseball players’ Disneyland,” D’ambrisi said.

Fall Classic winners receive a ring and championship gear.

With so much at stake, it’s no surprise that teams come from all 50 states to participate.

“I played professional baseball in Indy for several different teams, but I really wanted to continue playing,” said Detroit MSBL member Steve Simmons.

He recently retired from baseball and began working as a medical professional, but wanted to stay in the sport.

“We all kind of have an opportunity to step away from our daily lives and enjoy kind of letting go and relaxing with our families,” Simmons said.

Speaking of family, that’s exactly what this league has been like for John Alutto for 25 years.

“I started playing in 1999 and I have to tell you my baseball friends are my life,” Alutto said.

He plays for Long Island in the 65-and-older division and remembers being a newcomer to the league and how his team rallied around him.

“We’re here for each other; my mother passed away (and) 75 baseball players are at the vigil. It’s a band of brothers,” Alutto said. “You have to be a baseball player to understand.”

While many players in the tournament are well past their physical prime, being on the diamond gives them one last push.

“I first thought about it when I was 50 and playing this,” Alutto said. “Oh, when I start playing at a lower level, I won’t play. Yeah, that’s right, these guys are my brothers.”

If you are interested in learning how to play in a local MSBL chapter, call (631) 753-6725 or email [email protected].