NEO Roy Hobbs Baseball

“You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing” 

Roy Hobbs Baseball started in the late 1980s in Akron with local enthusiasts forming pickup games, leading to the official Northeast Ohio Roy Hobbs league for over-30 players in 1989, spearheaded by founder Tom Giffen to bring organized adult amateur baseball to the region. From these humble beginnings on local fields, the league grew, adding age groups and eventually competing in national tournaments, cementing Akron as a key location for this brand of adult baseball.

We want to rekindle the original mission of growing participation with emphasis on 30 – 60 year olds. Currently there are no Akron-based 30 – 60 age divisions that once thrived from 1990s – 2010. 

Today, NEO Roy Hobbs has a premier competitive age 18+ league with 16 teams competing May – July with a game during the week and DHs on Sat or Sun. Additionally, we have 5 teams aged 65+ competing on Thursdays or Saturdays.

We are proud of our 18+ league and 65+ divisions. We want to provide the opportunity for individuals to play baseball – competitive or casual -  regardless of age. Hundreds of former high school through college baseball players are in Greater Akron that have not played the game for 20+ years or are new to the Akron area. Get back on the diamond! And bring a friend.

Starting in July 2026, we are hoping to start with pick-up games -- or workouts if not enough players -- on either Saturday or Sunday mornings at 10 AM depending on what the majority prefers. 

 Contact NEO Roy Hobbs board member Mike Hoffman by text or phone at 330.671.6453 or bazeball5@sbcglobal.net.

p.s. there are existing established NEO competitive leagues from Canton to Cleveland that I can share information about also