It’s that time in the off season where we get more news of start-up leagues showing up.

This league, the Moses Lake Professional Baseball League (MLPBL), plans to be based out of Moses Lake, Washington.  Some readers may remember that this city was the home of the Moses Lake Rattlesnakes in the failed Mount Rainier Pro Baseball League.

This league is being formed by Jim Hayes and Keith Marshall.  If those names sound familiar too, it is because Jim was the manager of the Ellensburg Bulls and Keith was the GM and announcer for Ellensburg and Moses Lake in the Mount Rainier League.

The league claims that: “If you are tired of being told that you do not throw hard enough, are too slow, and too small, then this is the league for you.  Since the MLPBL is one of the last leagues to run a tryout, it will give all players that were not selected from other tryout during the summer one final shot at playing this summer. “

The website provides the “history” and background of the owners.

History:

The Moses Lake Professional Baseball League is being formed by Keith Marshall and Jim Hayes and is scheduled to begin June 13th, 2020 to August 9th, 2020 having a 40 game schedule. Keith and Jim met in 2015 when Jim was asked to manage the Ellensburg Bulls of the Mount Rainier Pro Baseball League and Keith was the announcer and GM for Ellensburg and the Moses Lake Rattlesnakes. 

Our goal is to provide an opportunity for players that were overlooked, not drafted out of college, not given a real chance, and missed their window of opportunity due to personal circumstances.  The Moses Lake Professional Baseball League is providing that 2nd chance for those players who have the dream of playing professional baseball at the next level.

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The MLPBL players will be paid and housed while playing in beautiful Moses Lake, Washington. If you are tired of being told that you do not throw hard enough, are to slow, and to small, then this is the league that is for all of the above mentioned. Keith and Jim met this past August and discussed attempting to put a Professional baseball league together. We have been doing the groundwork needed and constantly correcting and evaluating. The mistakes other start up leagues have done. We want to make sure that we have everything in place to make sure we can follow through in giving the players their chance at playing pro baseball.  

Since the MLPBL is one of the last leagues to run a tryout, it will give all players that were not selected from other tryout during the summer one final shot at playing this summer.

Staff:

JIM HAYES

GM OF BASEBALL

OPERATIONS/MANAGER

I have been involved in baseball most of my life. Since my retirement from public service 10 years ago, i have been promoting ball players to advance to a higher level once they have decided to attempt to enter the pro ranks, no matter which level. I have been involved with the Puerto Rico Instructional BB League for the past 8 years as the head pitching coach and assistant to the CEO.  

the PRIBL has signed 375 players to into Pro BB throughout the world. Check their website player transactions. I have also been an independent agent and scout since 1994. I personally have signed over 200 players to play Pro BB at various levels.  

Most recently, in 2015 I managed in the MRPBL mentioned earlier and the Ozark Pro BB League until each league folded due to financial hardships.  In 2017, I managed in the Empire League for 3 weeks but due to health conditions, it stopped me cold. In 2018, I recovered to the point that i managed again in the Empire league. I have coached at 2 different colleges over 3 year and in 2019, I was head JV BB coach at my alma mater Los Altos HS in Hacienda Heights where I was able to promote 6 players to the Varsity level with impact. My capacity for the MLPBL will be managing a team and GM of Baseball Operations.

KEITH MARSHALL

GM OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS/ANNOUNCER

I, Keith Marshall was born and raised in Ellensburg, Washington. My Dad started a farm when I was young, but being allergic to Timothy Hay pushed me into college at Central Washington University. In 1991 I began my career in radio and am still employed by Wheeler Broadcasting, 98.5 The Key, which broadcasts Classic Rock into Moses Lake and the surrounding communities. I’ve also worked in TV, winning awards and becoming the Sea Galley guy wearing crablegs in 1993!  But radio was my calling and I did nearly every job the business offers including General Manager, Disc Jockey, sales manager and twice I’ve replaced the light bulb on top of a 208 foot tower! 

My biggest success was as a DJ, as  Keith Danson, which lead to announcing for NASCAR at local tracks and so much more. I still emcee many events each year and perform many live remote broadcasts in Moses Lake. All this experience lead me to knowing what needed to be done to make the Mount Rainier Professional Baseball League work in 2015, too bad the owner ran out of money. 

That experience is what I needed to make the Moses Lake Professional Baseball League work, and I’m very fortunate to have the help of Jim Hayes to make his dream, as well as the dream of many deserving baseball players dream a reality!