From (Left -> Right -> Top -> Bottom)

Top Row(L>R) Bill MacDonald, James 'MAC'McAllister, Brian 'Waldo' Waldschmidt, Dennis Geist, Harold Hunter, Joe Marcus, Bob Williams Bottom Row(L>R) Trevor Ray, Bob Prashaw, Jeff Brooks, Mike Zuffoletto, Keith Lohse, Eric Meyer
Not Pictured: Craig Hulsey, Hector Garcia Jr.

The history behind The “Colorado Rebels Baseball Club”

By Eric Meyer

After years of playing Competitive Softball on various teams including The Littleton Stars, WAPA, The Blackbirds, and Alignment Masters, Bob Prashaw played in the Columbine High School Baseball reunion game in 2004.  He had great success playing against players much younger than him for the most part.  It triggered him to have a yearning to play baseball again.  Through one of his fellow Little League Coaches, Bob Sampson, he found out about the NABA Men’s baseball League and was recruited to play on the Denver Bears, a team Coached by the League CEO, Shane Fujita, who also coached Little League.  He played several games with them in late summer and fall of 2003 and was considered one of the better players on a very good team. The following February he was asked to play in the NABA “Spring Training Experience Tournament” in Tucson Arizona. Upon receiving this invitation he asked Eric Meyer if he would like to try baseball once again.  Eric was not convinced that he could play baseball anymore but through some prodding from Bob, agreed to give it a try.  They also asked Dennis Geist if he would like to go, as the team Bob and Eric were going to play on was short on players for the tournament.  Dennis agreed and they decided to go to Tucson.  The three pioneers along with Bob’s son Blake and Eric’s wife Karen loaded up into Eric’s F-150 pickup and made the trek to Tucson. 

Along the way to Tucson Eric noted several times “I’ll probably get 24 at bats and strike out 18 times!”  Dennis who had also been playing Men’s Baseball in the MSBL tried to convince Eric that it wasn’t going to be as hard as he thought but the trepidation was still there.  Upon arrival in Tucson the three were placed on a team called “The Rangers” and their first game was at 9:00 the next morning.   There was much nervousness going into the game, but after the first couple of at bats Eric found that he wasn’t going to “Go down in flames” and the three were the best players on their team.   The dye was cast, the fever broke and they were hooked on Baseball once again!!!

After returning to Denver Eric and Bob both joined the “Bears”, Bob as a regular and Eric as a sub and they played most of the season with them.  Nearing the end of that first season, Eric wasn’t getting much playing time and the “Grizzlies” needed a player so Eric was “traded” to the Grizzlies for what is remembered as a bag of old baseballs.  After the season was over Eric and Bob made the decision that became the “Colorado Rebels Baseball Club”. 

The Bears had won the league the prior season and they did not have a very difficult time doing it.  Bob had many contacts with people he had played ball with in the past and asked Eric if he thought they should start their own team to “Have someone in the League that could beat the Bears!”  Eric was immediately on board with this idea and the procurement of players began in earnest.  They hooked up with Hector Garcia, who works for NABA and established that they would be a new team for the League.  Hector agreed to join them and help getting players.  They received commitments from Joe Marcus, Dennis Geist, Trevor Ray, Craig Hulsey, Bob Williams, Bill McDonald, Jeff Brooks, and Brian Waldschmidt and the Colorado Rebels (over 38) team was born. 

The team has had very good success over it’s three (3) years of existence but three things remain on the agenda.  Beating the Bears as they have never accomplished that, beating the Shack and winning a League title.  The Rebels have been in the playoffs in each of their years of existence but have never made it to the final game of the season.  The goal for 2008 is to make that game and win it!!!

Several players have been added since that first year including Mike Zuffoletto, Keith Lohse, and James McCallister.  The Rebels feel they have the best roster in their history and this is the year they break through against the Shack and Bears and take their first championship!

It has been a fun ride playing with this great group of guys and we will continue to have fun and success in the future.