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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
One on One Mike Snaza
St. Paul, MN
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In the late 1950’s a young boy named Mike Snaza noticed that more and more kids were leaving the St. Paul playground baseball leagues to play in something called the Babe Ruth League. Established in Trenton, NJ and brought to Minnesota in 1954, the League offered kids the chance to play on a field better then any they’d ever seen. They also provided coaches and volunteers that were committed to developing kids into better citizens by providing a properly supervised league.
Today, the grown up Snaza oversees this league that he was so impressed with as a young boy. The field location remains the same for the east side St. Paul league, the corner of Larpenteur Ave and Prosperity, but improvements have been made including field lights and a concession stand for the fans. Through the work of many volunteers, the Babe Ruth League has become the second largest youth baseball league in the country.
“Kids are starting to choose Babe Ruth Leagues over traveling teams because they’re realizing that the competition is comparable and costs are significantly lower,” said Snaza, the State Commissioner. With over 500 teams in the state, the league offers the opportunity to play from age five all the way up to 18. Younger kids play in a division named the Cal Ripkin League, 13-15 year olds play in the Babe Ruth League and the Senior Babe Ruth division is for players ages 16-18.
The league has never been in better hands than it is now with Snaza at the helm. A full-time employee at the American Red Cross Bloodbank, Snaza has volunteered his time coaching sports since he was 14 years old. “I really enjoy it and have probably coached well over 1,000 teams throughout the years,” said Snaza. Two of the most notable athletes he’s coached are Andy Persby, who played professionally in the minor leagues, and Robb Quinlan who currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels and is a product of the Babe Ruth League.
Current coaching responsibilities for Snaza include the North St. Paul freshmen baseball team in the spring and an East Twins team in the Babe Ruth League for summer. Come fall and winter months, he’s standing on the sidelines for the Roseville Middle School football and basketball teams. “I enjoy coaching middle school aged kids because they’re old enough to grasp what we’re teaching,” said Snaza. “ They’re also at a point where they’re starting to make decisions and I think it’s important to be a good influence in their lives.”
As a non-profit organization, the Babe Ruth League depends on selfless people like Snaza to survive. From the field maintenance crew to managers and coaches, each person volunteers their time. They have stayed true to the Babe Ruth mission in order to give kids the best experience possible.
“The volunteers of this league have brought it a long way and take great pride in what they do,” said Snaza.
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