Some people's idea of a vacation is lounging on a beach, with occasional waves hitting their feet while they relax with a fruity tropical drink on one side and perhaps a half-naked partner on the other, taking in a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Meanwhile, another person's idea of vacation might be sliding into second base to try and break up a double play, pants full of swass during the eighth inning of a midweek doubleheader in blazing sweat your bag off sunshine.

The guys traveling in the coming weeks probably choose the latter option.

First up are the teams participating in the Roy Hobbs World Series in Florida. Four teams from Minnesota will compete in the 35+ Legends Tournament starting this weekend: Lakeville Lobos, The Oilers, Minnesota Blenders, and Minnesota Web Gems. All teams feature one or more players from the Federal League.

For Tori Holt, this will probably be his last games with the Lakeville Lobos. “I think we have a fun group of good friends put together, trying to enjoy playing in our older years. For me personally, I just want to enjoy my final baseball games with the Lobos after many great years. It’s been a lot of fun on the field.” The Lobos will feature red and black favorites like Joe Witt, Matt Meyer and Nick Rathmann. We hope Bryan Ludwig has healed up enough after a mid season injury to get some hacks down in Fort Myers. In 2021 Lakeville went 5-0 in pool play and hope to have the same success this time around for Tori's last hurrah.

The following week, the MSBL 35+ World Series will be held in Arizona. Only one Minnesota team will be heading down— the Minnoka Grays— as they try to reach the Championship game for the third year in a row, having won it all in 2023 and finished as runners-up in 2024. The roster has changed somewhat; no Dan Skog or Alex Gonzalez this time around, but the team features several Federal League All-Stars like Cliff Christopherson, Derrick Pfeffer, and Jeff Clabots. The Minnesota Bruins, who usually travel to Arizona, didn’t go this year, but Brandon Casa de Calvo and Joe Collier had the opportunity to join the Grays.

The Minnesota Mammoth—or rather, the Minnesota Lumberjacks—moved up to the 40+ World Series in Arizona. Ken Wangler and Tom Genrich started the original iteration of the Minnesota Lumberjacks in the early 2010s, initially as a 35+ Federal League team and later as a 35+ AZ World Series travel team. After COVID, the Lumberjacks evolved into the 35+ Minnesota Mammoth. Now, we’re bringing back the Lumberjack name and the old-school approach, emphasizing meaningful playing time for everyone rather than maximizing roster size.

Tom Genrich is excited about the team’s throwback, team-first approach but remains cautious about the unknowns. “We’re going to be long in the tooth and short in pitching. We’ll need to avoid injuries. This will be the first time in the 40+ division for everyone, and we're not sure what to expect,” says Genrich. Due to the limited number of teams participating in the 40+ tournament this year, director Steve Sigler combined the Pros and Non-Pros divisions to make the schedule work. The Lumberjacks will be one of the teams with no ex-pros on the roster but will feature Federal League standouts like Matt Grill, Casey Johnson, Nate Stark, and fan favorite Brian Bushman.

Three more older teams will take the field in Florida at the 45+ Roy Hobbs World Series. The Minnesota Diamonds feature eighteen players across six Federal League teams. Names like Todd Haag, Chad Stewart, Isaac Wales, and Buzz Hannahan are familiar to Fed followers. The Diamonds have had a few good runs and hope this is the year they can bring one home. The Minnesota Catfish, which includes Federal League board member Jamie Houselog, will make its second appearance at Hobbs. The Minnesota Web Gems and the Minnesota Bandits will also field 45+ teams. Additionally, you’ll find the Bandits in the 53+ Hobbs Series, along with the Minneapolis Millers and HPK Oilers.

Last but not least, one team has already traveled and won a tournament. Dan Tupper and his band of legends traveled to Cooperstown, New York, to win the Legends of Baseball World Series. The Twins played at the historic Doubleday Field and took home the 2025 title. This is the second time Tupper has won this tournament, having previously won in 2021.

No pressure to the rest of the teams traveling but we already got one trophy home in 2025, let’s grab a few more. Good luck to all the lucky ball players and their frequent flyer miles.

2025 MINNESOTA BASEBALL TRAVEL TEAMS

Sept 9-11, 2025
Legends of Baseball World Series - Cooperstown, NY
Minnesota Twins - 2025 LOB Champions

October 18-25, 2025
35+ Veterans Roy Hobbs World Series - Fort Myers FL
Lakeville Lobos, Minnesota Blenders, Minnesota Web Gems, The Oilers

October 20-25, 2025
40+ Central Mountain MSBL World Series - Phoenix, AZ
Minnesota Lumberjacks

October 27 - November 1, 2025
35+ Cactus MSBL World Series - Phoenix, AZ
Minnoka Grays

October 25 - November 1, 2025
45+ Masters Roy Hobbs World Series - Fort Myers FL
Minnesota Bandits, Minnesota Catfish, Minnesota Diamonds, Minnesota Web Gems

November 1-8, 2025
53+ Legends Roy Hobbs World Series - Fort Myers FL
HPK Oilers, Minnesota Bandits, Minneapolis Millers