Rhode Island Baseball Institute: My Site News
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Thursday, February 24, 2005
BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer
The crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt, a handful of blisters. That used to come in late March or April, when the snow had melted and baseball players could hit the diamond to prepare for the season. Nowadays, the baseball season never has to end. Until the early 1990s, young athletes usually played a winter sport to keep in shape for baseball. Indoor baseball facilities were scarce, and players were forced to get creative during the winter months to keep their swing and arms finely tuned for the upcoming season. A good, sturdy batting tee and an old mattress would do the trick. Makeshift batting cages would pop up in garages, cellars and even school gyms. But it wasn’t quite the same as live batting practice or a lengthy bullpen session.
The Rhode Island Baseball Institute, which has been in business since 1992, is the practice facility of choice for some of the most talented players in the state. Among those who have practiced there are Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli and former Red Sox pitcher Ken Ryan.
From the time you step through its doors, ommitment is stressed. So, if that’s not your motivation, then there’s no need for you to be there. According to co-owners Mark Cahill, John Mello and Dave Stenhouse Jr. commitment is what separates the really good players from the average ones.
hode Island Baseball Institute is all about instruction. It doesn’t host birthday parties, doesn’t rent out the facility and it doesn’t sell equipment.
“Other facilities want to give you a little bit of everything,” said Cahill, 44, a former All-Stater from Cranston High School East, who pitched in the Seattle Mariners organization. “We’re all about instruction. We have the staff and we can start with kids as young as 5. We have instructors who can deal with kids at that level and our expertise ranges.”
Cahill’s staff includes Dave Stenhouse Sr., a former coach at Brown University; former major leaguer Dave Stenhouse Jr. and John Mello; and local coaches Jim Cavanagh, Craig Giarusso, A.J. Adalio, Bill Campbell and Joe Impagliazzo.
The 11,000-square-foot facility sports a strength and conditioning area, as well as two clay mounds, portable mounds and batting cages for both baseball and softball. It’s not the biggest, but Cahill stresses quality, not quantity. It opened in Johnston and spent two years there before moving to this building at 2011 Post Rd.
Almost 1,000 athletes attend the Rhode Island Baseball Institute during the three-month winter sessions, leading up to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League season.
“When they’re ready to leave here,” said Cahill, “they’re ready to go.”
Cahill and his staff have been so successful, there’s really no need to advertise. Word of mouth has been enough over the years, and it continues to prosper.
Working to get the edge
Greg Annarummo, 15, of Bristol, is a student at Bishop Hendricken and he’s hoping his hard work at the Baseball Institute pays off. Varsity tryouts begin in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, he’s just one of thousands of young ballplayers polishing their skills.
Annarummo, a pitcher and middle infielder, has been attending the institute for six years, and he’s happy with the progress he’s made.
“It’s great to work out during the off-season, because you can’t go out in the snow,” he said before the man paying his fees -- his father, Ken -- interjected.
“We’ve been to every facility in New England,” said Ken Annarummo. “These guys do it the best. Other places have the fancy equipment and carpet, but you choose the place where you can get the work done. This is the place where you get the work done.”
Taking a quick glance around, you will notice many local high school colors, but the green and gold of Bishop Hendricken stands out the most. According to Greg Annarumo, about 90 percent of the Hawk team uses the institute. Maybe that’s why Hendricken is a perennial power.
“This is my first time coming here, and I like it,” said Cumberland High senior Conor Fahey. “The guys here are good guys, knowledgeable guys and helpful. I come here to keep my arm loose, and hopefully I’ll have a good season. I think I’ll do all right this year, but if I had been coming in past years, it would have been a bigger help.”
Late Saturday afternoon, the Baseball Institute was sparkling with young talent.
One of Rhode Island’s brightest prospects is 17-year-old Jim Gillheeney, a junior pitcher at Hendricken. The smooth left-hander is all business during his bullpen sessions at the institute, while Cahill looks on.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid,” said Gillheeney. “It’s very well organized, and a lot of benefit comes out of it. When the season comes around, we’re all ready. They definitely do all they can to get us in shape for the season. They couldn’t do any more. I’m very pleased with it.”
Rhode Island Baseball Institute and Inside the Park are two of the oldest indoor facilities in the area, but more and more are opening.
“They’re popping up all over the place now,” said Cahill. “There could be more of these places and it wouldn’t affect us, because there are a ton of kids out there that want this.” It wasn’t too long ago that baseball players from the North worked under a handicap because by the time high school and college baseball in New England got under way, schools in the South already had played 30 or more games.
Now, with the help of these indoor facilities, players can hone their skills year-round while trying to become the next Rocco Baldelli
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