USA TRIP - UNBELIEVABLE!!!

In what can only be described as the greatest event ever in the short history of Baseball Ireland, the Irish National Team and the Irish Youth All-Star teams showed themselves to be on the road to bigger and better things. During the baseball '2001 Goodwill Tour' of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut in the US from August 4th - 18th, the Irish were at times overmatched but on the whole exhibited great improvement since the last time the team faced their American counterparts in 1999 as the National Team won 3 and lost 3 in the 6 staged competitive games. See below the schedule of games and results that both the Irish National Team and Irish Youth All-Star Team played during the two-week tour. Our sincerest thanks go to our Sponsors and, of course, the great people of the Slocum Baseball Club in Rhode Island for making this happen! There is no question that the tremendous support and effort by the wonderful baseball people in America were the keys to the success of the trip.

In an effort to promote the growth and awareness of Irish Baseball both in Ireland and the US, the Irish National Baseball Team and an all-Ireland Youth All-Star Team travelled to Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut in the US from August 4th - 18th for a "Friendship Series" of exhibition games as well as clinics and other baseball related events.

The first 'Friendship Series' took place in 1999 when the Slocum Baseball Club of Rhode Island visited Ireland for a series of exhibition games and coaching clinics held in Dublin. It was also the first time an American baseball team had ever played in Ireland.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the trip was the exhibition game held at the 'Cathedral of Baseball', Boston's Fenway Park on August 7th. Later that day, the Irish contingent were guests of the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium.

As with the trip that took place in 1999, the two-week Irish visit this year included skills clinics as well as games. Rhode Islander Mike Roarke, former major league catcher who later gained reknown as a Major League pitching coach, helped with skills clinics in Ireland two years ago and again provided great support this summer.

2001 IRISH NATIONAL TEAM

The Irish National Baseball Team which travelled to the United States for this year's 'Frienship Series' and also competed at the London Baseball Tournament is listed below.