Irish national baseball team slugs way into region
KITCHENER — Soccer, rugby and hurling rule the sports fields in Ireland.
But the country is also trying to climb the ladder on the international baseball circuit and a group of Canadian players are doing their part to help.
Kitchener-raised middle infielder Pete Molloy is behind the diamond tour that has the Irish national baseball club train and compete in a series of exhibition games at parks around Waterloo Region during the next week.
“I felt like I had to bring these guys to Canada,” said Molloy, who was born in Dublin, but grew up in Kitchener. “I wanted to give something back to the team.”
Molloy moved to Canada when he was seven, but has never forgotten his roots. So when the lifelong baseball player came across the upstart Irish program via social media about six years ago he reached out to see if he could take part.
And he’s been playing for the team ever since.
The lads compete in the European Championships which run every two years. During the off-year, the lineup travels to North America to train and compete.
The team, which is made up of Irish born players and foreign recruits with ties to the homeland, practised at Jack Couch Park Friday and will face local men’s league teams over the next week.
Sightseeing trips are also scheduled and the team will be special guests on the field during batting practice at a Detroit Tigers game.
“I’m super excited to host the guys and give them an opportunity to see where we play baseball,” said team catcher Mike Ferrato, who hails from Windsor.
“I take a lot of pride in getting a chance to represent the country because I know what it means to the guys I’m playing with.”
Baseball only goes back about two decades on the island and is still catching on. Softball is actually more popular but Ferrato says interest is growing even though there are only two regular sized diamonds in the country.
“A lot of kids in Ireland grow up with the hand eye co-ordination from playing hurling,” he said. “So that aspect of baseball isn’t foreign to them. We’re hopeful it catches on.”
Ferrato, whose mom is Irish, was recruited by Molloy to catch for the club about five years ago, but is currently transitioning to the mound to make room for some homegrown backstoppers.
“They have some catching prospects that are ready to compete at this level,” said the former University of Windsor swatter. “I’m all for them getting more exposure and experience. I’m trying to contribute in whatever way I can going forward.”
Ferrato initially got his Irish passport for travel and employment opportunities and never thought it would be the key to playing international baseball.
“Italy and Canada were less interested in me,” he said with a laugh.
“For me it has been awesome to reconnect with my roots.”
The national team is currently ranked 50th by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and slotted in Pool C at the European Championships. Finish top two there and they’ll bump up to the next grouping.
“We’re at the point with the team where we are able to really compete in Pool B,” said Ferrato. “But we’re taking it one step at a time.”
One day they hope to earn an invitation or qualify for the World Baseball Classic. Teams that reach that level usually see a flood of Major League Baseball players sign up as they suddenly rediscover their heritage.
“That’s something we all think about down the pipe,” said Ferrato. “But the main goal right now is to get Irish kids to enjoy the game and appreciate it growing up.”