Two Butler County natives in their twilight years continue to play their favorite sport of baseball, even though they have a two-hour trip to Ohio to make every time they go to a game or practice.

Seneca Valley graduates Clair and Bob Altemus, 73 and 69, respectively, play in the Ohio Men’s Senior Baseball League, based out of Canton, which they each said has given them an outlet to remain athletic decades after stepping off the baseball diamond.

Western Pennsylvania or, better yet, Butler County would be a great place to implement a senior baseball league. There are a lot of senior citizens in the county who remain active in nonprofit work, volunteerism and other community engagement initiatives. Maybe a few of them have a penchant for deck hockey, and could put out a call for participation at the deck hockey facilities in Butler Township.

A senior sporting league of any kind would be a fun activity for people to partake in post-retirement, and the players’ families would probably get a kick out of seeing their parents or grandparents strap on their tennis shoes and hit the courts or diamonds. Group activity is also a good way to stay motivated to stay active. It’s a win-win.

At the least, having a senior baseball league within Butler County would keep the two brothers from having to make the trek to another state, although they seem to have made some connections on the their team in the few years they have been playing.

Summer is in full swing, so now is the time for people to get these conversations going. Baseball will be in season for a few months still, so if you’re over 60 and feeling frisky, give your friends a call and hit the diamond.

— ET