For former baseball players, something was missing.

“So many alternatives exist for fans and former players of a lot of different sports,” said Greg Olenski Sr., the founder of Group G Marketing Partners, an award-winning agency in Ivyland, and a baseball coach for 25 years. “Basketball has 3-on-3, football has flag football, tennis has pickleball, and Tiger Woods just started a new (tech-infused) golf league, but baseball doesn’t have a modified version for people who still want to swing the bat.”

Until now.

Olenski is part of a team of baseball innovators — which includes his son, Greg Olenski Jr., who recently coached Holy Ghost Prep to a state baseball championship last spring — that has launched a reimagined version of the sport that reunites former players and rekindles their love of hitting.

It’s called Sluggball, and it offers a chance for ex-ballplayers to relive the thrill of the game through a situational hitting format with a proprietary, patent-pending scoring system. Sluggball combines competition with camaraderie, all set in minor-league stadiums and other unique venues.

In addition to the Olenskis, the co-founders of Sluggball include:

• Ruben Amaro Jr., retired Major League Baseball player and former Philadelphia Phillies General Manager
• David Amaro, Ruben Jr.’s brother and Executive Director of the Ruben Amaro Sr. Foundation
• Michael Gossner, a finance and operations executive and former Division III college baseball player with more than 20 years of youth and high school coaching experience
• Mike Gossner, a former scout for the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles with 35-plus years of experience coaching youth and collegiate-level baseball
• Ken Byck, a creator of 20-plus experiential sports properties and former co-owner of the largest MLB-licensed baseball fantasy camp operator

“There are millions of adults, between the ages of 25 and 45, who played baseball,” said Olenski Sr. “That millennial audience prefers experiences over products. They’re a demographic focused on health and well-being, one that spends a lot of money playing golf and hanging out. We wanted to create something that could capture this audience and get former players back on the field again.”

Sluggball focuses entirely on hitting, with no fielding or running required. Teams of six to eight players bring their own pitcher and compete in 4-v-4 situational challenges using wood bats, creating a nostalgic yet competitive atmosphere. Events guarantee two four-round games per team, with championship teams competing for cash prizes. Participants and guests also enjoy club-level food and bar service, exclusive on-field player gear, and the chance to meet MLB alumni.

“The great thing about this game is that it’s not a regular batting practice,” said Olenski Sr. “It’s situational hitting, so you have to be able to direct the ball. Each round has a different strategy associated with it.”

Sluggball hosted an invite-only pilot event (see video below) at the Trenton Thunder Ballpark last September. Six teams featuring players with a wide range of baseball experiences and ages competed in Sluggball’s four directional hitting rounds: (1) Pull Side, (2) Up the Middle, (3) Opposite Field, and (4) Around the Horn. The onsite MLB Ambassador was Phillies legend Larry Bowa, who spent time with the teams on the field, took pictures, and signed autographs.

Sluggball will officially debut in multiple states in 2025, showcasing its widespread appeal and potential to grow nationwide. The current schedule includes:

• Saturday, May 10: Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton, N.J. (Trenton Thunder)
• Saturday, June 14 (MLB Playball Weekend): Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio (Columbus Clippers)
• Sunday, July 13: Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio, just outside of Youngstown (Mahoning Valley Scrappers)
• Sunday, Aug. 24: Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton, N.J. (Trenton Thunder)
• Saturday, Sept. 13: SIUH Community Park in Staten Island, N.Y. (Staten Island FerryHawks)
• Saturday, Oct. 11: Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland (Lake Erie Crushers)

Sluggball’s advisors include Kenny Lofton, a six-time MLB All-Star, and Evan Kaplan, Managing Director of MLB Players, Inc.

“Sluggball gives players a unique opportunity to return to the field and embrace the best parts of the game,” said Lofton. “With its focus on hitting in a fun, competitive atmosphere, Sluggball is unlike anything else in baseball.”

Learn more about Sluggball and how to register a team for an upcoming event.