The 2020 Hall of Fame Class

Chad Cantrall - Chad was the table-setter for the very successful 18+ Vikings teams of the late '90s and 2000s.  He concluded his career with the 35+ Pirates.  Chad not only got most games started on a positive note from the leadoff spot, he typically ran down anything that was hit from gap to gap in the outfield.  One of the top centerfielders, leadoff hitters & base stealers in our league's history.

Brad Eveland - Brad has been a key member of the league for nearly all of our existence.  Another member of the successful Des Moines Giants teams of the mid-90s to early 2000s, Brad also played a key role in forming what was, at the time, our 38+ Division in 2002 (which has since evolved into our 30+/42+/48+ Divisions with Brad's assistance as well).  Brad has been instrumental in our relationships with Indianola High School, Indianola Little League & Simpson College.  Brad was also a member of the National Champion Father/Son Iowa Cubs in 2007.

Jason McPherson - Not only has Jason been a key member of all three Bruins National Championships (2014, 2017, 2018), he continues to accumulate trophies as a member of the Iowa Oaks (18+), Des Moines Bulldogs (30+) & Des Moines Grays (42+).  One of the top left-handed pitchers to take the hill in Central Iowa, Jason, who just moved into the Des Moines area within the last couple years, for many years made the trip over from Cedar Rapids to play nearly every Sunday.

Bob Newman - Bob was one of the original Des Moines Yankees, highly regarded as a 5-tool player during the 1990s.  Those that played during that time have stated that Bob was always one of the best players on the field.  Bob also won three World Series rings in Phoenix with a team out of Kansas City.

Rob Novak - Rob was a key member of the Des Moines Giants team in the mid-90s to early 2000s, playing a major part of two of the team's undefeated seasons.  Rob also traveled with the Bruins to regional and national tournaments.  One of the best catchers the league has seen, Rob firmly held down a middle of the order spot in the lineup, hitting for both power and average.

Another National Tournament Champion team was also inducted:

Des Moines Bruins 25+ - The 2018 25+ Cactus Division Champion, Des Moines Bruins, will take their place in the MIBL Hall of Fame.  The team repeated as champions at the MSBL World Series in Phoenix in October of 2018.

The 2018 Hall of Fame Class

Rick Fleener - having previously played at UNI & for semi-pro teams in Grinnell & Cedar Rapids, Rick was a staple of a strong Giants rotation in the success of that team in the late 1990s to early 2000s.  Rick has enjoyed playing on Father-Son teams with his son Erick (members of the 2007 Iowa Cubs national champions) and has also played in the league with his brother, Dave.

Jason Ickowitz - made his mark hitting anywhere from 2^nd to 5^th in the order on some of the best teams our league has seen, whether that was the 18+ Vikings, 35+ Pirates or other travel teams.  Part of more than a dozen championships, Jason was arguably the best defensive first basemen of his time.  Ick could pick!  Jason enters the HOF as a top player, outstanding assistant coach & the perfect guy to chat with if you ever made it to 1^st base!

Mike Ray - the league’s top 18+ manager of all-time, Mike led his Vikings teams to a .780 regular season winning percentage with eight division titles, six tourney titles & five other runner-up finishes.  Mike always hit at the top of the order, setting the table with base hits & stolen bases.  He spent his career in the middle infield, mostly at shortstop where he was a wizard defensively.  Mike’s level of all-around success in this league will be hard to be matched.

Clay Rickert - a strong hitter, baserunner & defensive catcher throughout his career.  If you hear the term “tough as nails”, Clay immediately comes to mind.  Clay has managed very competitive teams throughout his 15+ year tenure, leading the 35+ Yankees to three straight division titles.  Clay has also served many roles on our Board & continues to be an asset to our league on & off the field.

Chris Tidwell - “Tid” often unleashed a cannon for an arm, throwing strikes to gun out runners from anywhere in the outfield.  If one ever got away, the cars in the parking lot were in trouble.  A powerful, middle of the order hitter, if you didn’t have someone in a lawn chair up in the trees, you could forget about finding the baseball.  “Tid” continues to provide his services & humor as an umpire for our league.  Known to many as one of the best teammates you could have.

Jerry Wright - Jerry excelled at every position for the Giants, a perennial powerhouse in the 30+ league in the 1990s & early 2000s.  Known as a 5-tool player, Jerry filled important roles in the key positions of pitcher, shortstop, centerfield & catcher while hitting third in a powerful lineup.  Jerry also won a MSBL national championship in Arizona playing with a Kansas City team, which helped generate the impetus for the MIBL to send teams to Arizona every fall.

Our League's three National Tournament Champion teams were also inducted:

2007 Iowa Cubs   Father/Son World Series Champions - Tempe, AZ – our league’s first national tournament champions, led by co-managers, Brad Eveland & Jerry Perkins, the team went a perfect 7-0, defeating a team from San Diego in the championship, 5-3.

2014 Des Moines Bruins   35+ Central Division Fall Classic Champions - Clearwater, FL – led by general manager, Brian Schueller & field manager, Joe Smith, many on this team had finished as a runner-up several times prior.  The team went 6-1, defeating a team from Delaware in the championship, 5-2.

2017 Des Moines Bruins  25+ Cactus Division World Series Champions - Mesa, AZ – led by manager, John Linden & Coach, Joe Smith, the team went a perfect 7-0 defeating a team from Albuquerque, NM in the championship, 11-2.

The 2017 Inaugural Hall of Fame Class

Bill Hyland – a founding member of the MIBL, Bill was part of the New York Yankees farm system in the late 1940s.  Hyland’s advancement as a shortstop was blocked by Hall-of-Famer, Phil Rizzuto.

Joe Reser – an active member of our league since its inception as a player, manager & administrator.  Reser was a regular attendee & contributor at the annual fall World Series in Phoenix.

Warren Anderson – “5’er” continues as one of our league’s top left-handed pitchers.  Anderson has been a player, manager & administrator since our league’s inception.

Mike Bell – one of our league’s most respected umpires, Bell has worked games with a smile on his face for more than 15 years.

David Case – a middle-of-the-order, left-handed power hitter, Case continues to bring a high level of play to each & every game where you will typically find him covering centerfield.

Phil DeVan – a middle-of-the-order, right handed power hitter, DeVan continues to fight off the off-speed pitch in order to hammer a fastball.  He has been a player, manager & administrator since our league’s inception.  Phil is a member of the national organization’s (MSBL) World Series Hall-of-Fame.

Keith DeWitt – a scrappy hitter & baserunner, DeWitt has been a player, manager & administrator since our league’s inception.  He served many years as Treasurer ensuring a balanced budget throughout.

Tim Harvey – one of our league’s more dominant right-handed pitchers, Harvey was handed the ball in many of the biggest games, whether as a Tiger, Bulldog or Bruin & could be counted for a big hit in the middle of the order as well.

Tim Kirgan – one of our league’s top defensive catchers since inception, Kirgan was our league’s first Commissioner, holding that role from 1994-2004.  The foundation of our league is due in large part to Kirgan & those he surrounded himself with early on.  A member of the MSBL Hall-of-Fame, Kirgan continues to be sought after for his catching abilities at the national level.

John Linden – Linden has been our league’s Commissioner since 2008.  Managing & playing in all age divisions, now with his son, Tanner, Linden has been an integral part of over 45 league & tournament titles.  A member of the MSBL Hall-of-Fame, as well as a 2016 MSBL Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Linden has led many of the Bruins traveling teams to successful tournaments across the region & nation.

Scott Littell – Littell has been a top left-handed pitcher since the late ‘90s in each division in which he has participated.  He has been an important piece & winning pitcher of many championship teams/games.

Curt Lyons – your prototypical two-hitter, Lyons has a knack for getting on base with solid line drives or well-placed bunts, then successfully stealing a base or two.  Has been called one of the top centerfielders in league history by many of his peers.

Robin McQuerry – an umpire since 1996, McQuerry is likely our league’s longest tenured umpire, officiating over 30 championship games.  As umpire-in-chief for numerous years, McQuerry was instrumental in ensuring every scheduled game had umpires.

Brian Olson – a member of our league since the mid ‘90s, Olson was a middle-of-order feared hitter while he also managed much of the Des Moines Giants success.  He has participated in many World Series in Phoenix, typically at the hot corner (3B).

Brian Schueller – “Schu” became an important part of our league’s administrative side shortly after joining the league in 1997, holding the Commissioner post from 2004-2008.  He continues today as VP & Webmaster.  On the field, Schueller has played every position over the years, but his success on the mound at national tournaments might be his most surprising statistic with what is believed to be a 13-2 overall record & one big save in an All-Star Game.

Joe Smith – look up five-tool player in the MIBL dictionary & a picture of Smith will appear.  Speed & power at the top of the order has helped ignite every team he has played for.  Has starred defensively in the middle of the diamond, especially at shortstop.  A hard-throwing right-hander on the mound, he can shut a team down as a starter or reliever.

Ron Watson – has won over 200 games over all age divisions as a right-handed pitcher since joining our league in 2000.  His knack for “hitting his spots” led to two wins in Florida during the Bruins 2014 title run.

Bobby Williams – “B-Dub” has been a league member & administrator for nearly 20 years.  A line-drive hitter at the top of the order and a defensive wizard at second base & shortstop, B-Dub has passed his love for the game on to his two sons who he continues to play with today.  He has been the force behind our league’s presence in Newton, IA.

Our League's Six Undefeated Teams were also inducted:

1998 Des Moines Giants, 17-0 – our league’s first undefeated team (30+ division), a perfect regular season& year-end tournament champion, led by manager, Scott Meyer.

2003 Des Moines Vikings, 18-0 – our 18+ division’s first undefeated team, led by manager, Mike Ray.

2003 Des Moines Giants, 17-0 – our league’s first undefeated team at the 28+ level, led by manager, Brian Olson.

2006 Iowa Oaks, 16-0 – led by manager, John Linden, the 28+ Oaks scored 184 runs & allowed only 47 in 13 regular season games.  They scored 30 runs in the tournament championship.

2007 Des Moines Bulldogs, 17-0 – our league’s first undefeated team at the 38+ division level, led by manager, David Less.

2016 Des Moines Cubs, 17-0 – our league’s first undefeated team at the 35+ division level, led by manager, Josh Stewart