The Rhode Island Baseball Experience Final Swing – Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Luck

Posted December 31, 2022 by theribbe

Ever heard a baseball announcer or a fan standing next to you at a game or a fellow coach in the dugout utter the phrase, “Good morning, good afternoon, and good night?” Me too and it is just one of hundreds of baseball slangs, slogans, and sayings that make the game of baseball so timeless and precious to me. The phrase is uttered when a pitcher throws three consecutive strikes (most often without the batter moving a muscle at the plate) freezing him/her at the plate and recording a very impressive strikeout. Coincidentally, it is also the phrase I often used in greeting players, coaches, and families at baseball games, events, tournaments, and practices these past few years as the Rhode Island Baseball Experience.

So here is one more Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night post to try and thank all the amazing people in the Rhode Island Baseball Community. It has been (in Rhode Island terms) a wicked awesome time covering Rhode Island Baseball players, coaches, families, leagues, tournaments, games, fundraisers, and events these past 5 years. An experience that this baseball fan will never forget.

Thank you Eric and Matt and the staff and volunteers of the Ocean State Waves. Thank you Michael and Ed and Don and the staff and volunteers of the Newport Gulls. You all made me feel like a sports writer and I can’t thank you enough for the incredible interviews and insights you provided on the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Good luck in the Summer of 2023 and beyond.

Thank you to Joe and Alex and the front office staff of the former Pawtucket Red Sox, now Worcester Red Sox. I loved getting to walk the hallways and underbelly of McCoy Stadium, meeting staff and Larry before you departed, and finally making it Worcester to see Polar Park. Good luck and continued success in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you to the hundreds of Moms and Dads who sent me photos of their Rhode Island Baseball Experience. An away tournament in New York, a first home run in Cranston, a fundraiser for a local cancer survivor – you shared your special experience with me, so I can share it with the Rhode Island Baseball Community. Thank you for trusting me with your story. Good luck at your games and tournaments in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you Rhode Island Interscholastic League staff for granting me media access to Rhode Island High School baseball games, especially tournament time. Many, many games I sat and watched the best of Rhode Island baseball on display at McCarthy Field, McCoy Stadium, and now Pontarelli Field – and just was blown away by the talent. Good luck to you and your staff as you approach the 2023 Spring Sports season.

Thank you to all the coaches I have been lucky enough to work with over the years, who have now become incredible resources for others. Often times, I would reach out to a former assistant coach or head coach I worked with and asked them for a game time or location or event information. More often than not, you had the right answer and I was able to attend a game and promote a local Rhode Island league, player, or event. Thank you and good luck in your future coaching endeavors.

I would be super sorry on so many levels if I didn’t mention my wife Rachel. She has attended baseball games with me from Pawtucket to Newport to Long Island to Boston. She rode along with me as I photographed and documented over 100 baseball fields on my bicycle some 3 or 4 years ago. She has been a tremendous supporter of my passion for baseball and writing. Thank you Rachel for your undying support and letting this baseball fan experience all that Rhode Island Baseball has to offer.

Thank you to all the players who took the time to answer my interview questions and respond with just the most amazing answers. In my time on this blog, I have had the honor to interview Rhode Island baseball players who have accomplished amazing feats, attending top tier collegiate baseball programs, some even signed to play professional baseball. What a thrill it has been for me to get to know them and how they became so successful. Good luck to every single one of you!

Thank you to Lenny for probably my favorite set of interview questions and answers to date. Your insight on pitching and guitars and holy s#$t you played with Eddie Vedder!!! Thank you for helping the youth baseball community here in Rhode Island as a baseball coach and mentor. Great to meet you and good luck to you and your family in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you Dave for the most incredible half hour of talking baseball and for your razor sharp memory of your career. I was blown away by the accounts, the descriptions, learning about your basketball prowess, your time in the Minors, your time in the Bigs, and your contributions to Rhode Island Baseball in general. Good luck to you Dave and your family in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you to all those great local and national organizations for giving girls and women the opportunity to play, coach, and lead in the game of baseball. Women are doing amazing things in the game at so many levels – from Little League age to High School Baseball and now in the collegiate and summer baseball ranks. To the Slaterettes and every other organization that promotes opportunity, thank you and good luck in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you for letting me share my love of baseball with you these past few years. Every game I have attended from Bristol to East Greenwich, from Cranston to Cumberland, from Newport to Block Island – I have enjoyed every pitch and every inning. It has been great to reconnect with high school teammates and rivals who are coaching and mentoring the next generation of Rhode Island Baseball players. It has been so much fun traveling to hundreds of fields and reading all the interesting historical plaques and memorial. The Rhode Island Baseball Experience is alive and well in so many incredible members of the Rhode Island Baseball Community and I was very lucky to have been a small part of your story and share it with others. And so, with that, I will sign off as I tend to do around game, event, or tournament time. Good luck to all the players, coaches, and families today, tomorrow, and beyond.

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The RIBBE is The Rhode Island Baseball Experience. It is promoting the game of baseball here in the great state of Rhode Island for the entire baseball world to see. The RIBBE is positive stories, photos, videos, and responsible social media posts. The RIBBE is an information resource for families looking for an AAU team or a summer camp or a great place to buy a first baseman’s mitt. The RIBBE is a network of coaches, tournament directors, parents, leagues, and baseball junkies whose passion of the game of baseball is unquestioned. I believe that providing expert analysis, information and directions to ballfields, and coaching advice from some of the top RI baseball minds will help promote the game of baseball here in RI to a whole new level.