MARBLEHEAD — What started as a simple idea has now become a decade-long tradition at Seaside Park. The Marblehead Seasiders, a men’s amateur baseball team competing in the North Shore Baseball League, are celebrating their 10th anniversary season — a milestone that means a little extra to founder Joe McKane.
“I grew up in Marblehead, played baseball at Seaside Park, and when I came back to Marblehead in 2011 after being on the West Coast, I kept driving by Seaside — which is the best park in our league — and it was awful because no one was playing baseball on it,” McKane said.
From that disappointment, a team was born.
With the help of Marblehead High golf coach Bob Green and his son, Connor — a former Magician baseball captain — the Seasiders took shape. Connor helped build the original roster and even designed the team’s hat and uniform.
The Seasiders now play a full summer schedule in the NSBL, which features teams from across the region. While wins have been hard to come by throughout the years, the team’s foundation has been built on friendship, community, and a love for the game.
“In 10 years, this being the 10th year, we have one game left on Wednesday against Swampscott,” McKane said. “We need to win that game and have a bunch of other things happen for us to get into the playoffs. We’ve never had a winning season.”
After starting the summer 1-11, the Seasiders bounced back and went 5-5-1 across their next 11 games.
“We started really slowly and there are reasons for that,” McKane said, “but we have a wonderful group of guys who love playing with each other — we just don’t have enough pitching.”
Finding consistent pitching and player availability have been ongoing challenges. McKane noted that through 21 games this summer, only six players have appeared in at least 60 percent of them.
“Players recruit players,” he said. “We have a league portal, but the best way to get guys is by our players going out and recruiting others to join.”
One constant has been team captain Trey Blackmer, who has been with the Seasiders since the beginning.
“He’s our captain — he runs this team in regard to controlling the lineup [and] the pitching. They make the decisions,” McKane said. “He’s an original Seasider and an incredibly talented guy. He’s always up to play and one of the best center fielders in the league. He’s a wonderful leader and is always so positive.”
The current roster, mostly consisting of players in their early 20s, has brought a renewed sense of energy and chemistry.
“They fool around, but have a lot of fun with each other,” McKane said. “The difference between a win and a loss is a big deal. When they win, it’s great to witness how they react. In the last 10 years, this is the best group of guys we’ve had.”
One of the biggest highlights of the season — and perhaps the team’s 10-year history — came earlier this summer.
“We beat the Peabody Champions at Seaside, 6-5 . . . in extra innings,” McKane said. “We only had nine guys, but that could honestly be the signature win in our 10-year history.”
Peabody, coached by multi-sport Marblehead High coach Mike Giardi, has won the league championship the last two seasons.
Despite the ongoing grind of fielding a competitive team, McKane remains deeply proud of what the Seasiders have become.
“It’s very special to me,” he said. “Seeing these guys interact and seeing how much fun the players are having — it’s really gratifying.”
