Soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., face an uncertain future, knowing they could be called to serve at any time in the ongoing war with Iran.
But for a few hours each week, active-duty personnel and veterans can escape from the anxiety of war through the game of baseball.
The Braggs Baseball League (BBL), founded in 2024, gives more than 150 veterans and active military members a chance to relive their athletic glory days while bonding with fellow soldiers.
“We have anywhere from privates brand new in the Army, all the way up to general officers who come out here and play,” Tanner Kruse, an Army veteran and commissioner of the league, told WTVD.
With the war in Iran out of their control, the BBL provides a sense of normalcy for anxious military members and veterans.
Kruse began the league two years ago with only 40 soldiers. Since then, it’s ballooned to over 150 players, carrying a deeply personal mission for Kruse, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
“My unit lost about 15, 16 guys to suicide within the first six months of being back,” Kruse said. “I want to do whatever I can to prevent that from happening.”
Master Sgt. Mark Williams, serving in the 3rd Special Forces Group, believes the BBL eases players’ minds, shifting their focus from the conflict in Iran to baseball for a short time.
“I think it gives everybody kind of an escape to shut their mind off,” Williams said.
Having served for 18 years and counting, Williams has fought his share of mental health battles.
“After being in this many years and deploying as many times as I have, I’ve obviously had struggles,” he said. “This is another outlet, something to look forward to, a way to decompress.”
Pursuing a Passion from the Past
While some veterans and current military members look to the game to de-stress, Sgt. Anthony Armand said it’s a great way to reignite an old flame.
“After a little injury, baseball wasn’t in my future anymore. But once I heard about this opportunity, I was excited to try it out,” Armand said.
Armand, who serves as a medic and civil affairs team sergeant, suits up for the Goats, a member of the six-team league.
For more than a century, baseball and military service have forged a strong connection. During World War II, future hall-of-famers Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson, were just a few major leaguers to join the war effort.
Now, more than 80 years later, some players in the BBL are being called to duty.
“We were in the middle of our season and, obviously, world events happen. People said, ‘Hey, I’m no longer going to be able to play this season.’ Obviously, they can’t tell us why, when, or where, but they had to drop out,” Kruse said. “We had teams losing half their players.”
Break From Stress
No matter what happens overseas, the league will be there for soldiers and veterans as an oasis from the stress of current and post-military life.
This is something that is certain that I enjoy, and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can,” Armand said. “Work can be very stressful. You don’t always know what’s going to happen, but we do know we have this team here.”
Through multiple deployments, Williams experienced the rigors of serving up close. That’s why it’s valuable to have an outlet like baseball to vent emotions in a healthy way both on and off the field.
“I’ve been dealing with it through Iraq, Afghanistan, throughout other regions of the world,” Williams said. “Having this area to come and talk to people and knowing that they have a voice. I think everyone understands that they can voice their questions, voice their opinions and not be judged.”
On the baseball diamond, ranks are set aside for camaraderie and connection. Spc. Matthew Gainey, a paratrooper serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, is excited about hitting the field every weekend.
“A lot of weekends, I’m chilling in the barracks and relaxing, going to the gym. But coming here, it’s just something I look forward to,” Gainey said.
Besides the thrill of playing a kid’s game again, players use the league as a sounding board, discussing sensitive matters with teammates.
“When you buy into this community, when you’re active duty, going through trainings, deployments, whatever it may be, when you come back, you’ve got support here,” Kruse said.
The league is currently hosting a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for field renovations.
This year’s season will conclude with a championship series on July 25 at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C.
