PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Thirty-eight teams across the country were in Port St. Lucie home this weekend, vying for the chance to call themselves the USAB Adult Spring Training Classic champions.
For 10 years, the event has been a staple in St. Lucie County.
"It's an opportunity for adult men baseball players to keep playing," USAB President Mike Darnell said.
The tournament featured age divisions: 25 and up, 35 and up, and 45 and up, with 38 teams from 10 states and Puerto Rico.
"It's a good way to meet new people, have a good time, and pretend we're young again," retired professional Matt Campbell said.
Since Campbell was five, he's had a baseball in his hands, and he was pretty good playing for the Phillies single-A team in 2011 and 12.
Since retiring, he has called Tampa home, and for the past two years, he's been the ace of the Bad News Bears, enjoying every moment of the game he loves.
"It's great. It's one of those things that you always hear: if you don't use it, you lose it," Campbell said. "There seems to be some truth in that. It delays that soreness to the next day, then you just get out the next day and do it all again, and nothing ever hurts."
Second baseman Nelson Quintero fell in love with baseball back home in Venezuela.
Coming to America, he secured a Division II scholarship at the University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas, and enjoyed a semi-pro baseball career.
Now he's taking over the diamond at the USAB.
"It's always a good experience. Coming back this second year, we got a championship last year, so we're defending the championship," Quintero said.
While all the men would love to win the championship, they admit that the best part of the tournament is enjoying brotherhood.
"Just fooling around between us all the time; that's the best part of the family," Quintero said.
