SARASOTA BABE RUTH
Fall 2026 Season Information - Coming Soon!
Registration and Tryout dates and times for the Fall 2026 Season will be posted in early August.
2026 Season Highlights
2025 Season Highlights
About
Babe Ruth League Baseball operates four fields at 185 South Pompano Avenue, just south of the Boys and Girls Club, and across the street from Robarts Arena. Seasons are conducted every fall (beginning in October) and spring (beginning in February).
Founded in 1951, the Babe Ruth Baseball League was initially created for ballplayers ages 13-15 who wished to continue their baseball playing experience beyond the age of 12.
This is where players get their baseball cleats muddy for the first time on standard 90-foot diamonds under Official Baseball Rules used by Major League Baseball. In this division, teams are eligible to enter tournament competition and advance through the tournament, culminating in a World Series.
Three World Series are held in this division: one for 13-year-old players, one for 13 and 14-year-old players, and the renowned 13-16 World Series. 13-Year-Old Prep Players often express a fear of competing with 14 to 16-Year-Old players who have already experienced one or two years playing on a standard 90′ diamond.
Babe Ruth League introduced this prep league, comprised of teams with only 13-year-old players, to foster more participation in the game for this age group. This league offers the 13-year-old player the assurance to play without age intimidation and the chance to participate in the 13-Year-Old World Series.
History of the League
Sarasota Babe Ruth has a long and storied history, and has even helped coach and train several future Major League ballplayers. Babe Ruth League Baseball started in Sarasota in 1955 with four teams of 14-15-year-olds. Games were played at Payne Park and Fruitville Park.
About 50 boys participated in the program. In 1973, a group of men led by Woody Hodges acquired the property now used by Sarasota Babe Ruth Baseball, Inc., on Pompano Road, and one field (now Field 1) was built.
By then, the league had expanded to six 14-15-year-old teams with 80 boys participating. In 1975, the Prep League (13-year-olds), with four teams, was created. This expansion led to the building of a second field (now Field 2). In 1977, a Senior League (16-18-year-olds), also with four teams, was formed. By the end of the 1983 season, the league’s growth required another field, leading to the construction of a third field (now Field 3), designed as a Prep League field.
By 1998, more expansion was needed, and a fourth field (now Field 4) was built for the 1999 season. The league has continued to grow in popularity and success over the past 20 years.
League Honors
In 1985, the Sarasota Senior League All-Star team, with Manager Tom Lucas, won the Babe Ruth League World Series in Fredrick, MD. In 1988, the Sarasota Babe Ruth Prep League All-Stars, managed by Bob Dean, won the Babe Ruth World Series in Vallejo, CA. In 1999, the Sarasota 15U All-Star team, with Manager Steve Hardee, won the Babe Ruth League World Series in Abbeville, LA.
Over the many years since, we have been fortunate to see our teams advance both at the state and national levels. Take a trip down memory lane with some of our league highlights…
