Ridgefield residents and longtime baseball coaches, Dan Corbin and Ray Piniella are going to bat for young Ridgefield athletes
“I want to make Ridgefield a Hub for Baseball,” says Corbin. And Corbin is already rounding the bases.
Corbin and Piniella are the men behind the Ridgefield Rays, a Travel Baseball Program operating under the umbrella of Ridgefield Babe Ruth that is specially designed for players looking for a competitive and fun baseball experience. Up to this point, players aged 13 to 18 who were looking for a top-notch baseball program, staffed and managed by professional coaches with significant playing and coaching experience, would have had to leave Ridgefield for this level of play.
Corbin and Piniella bring a stellar group dedicated and talented professionals to the Ridgefield Rays.
Ridgefield Rays Director is Stamford resident and renowned player, Michael Megale. “He is one of the greatest players out of Connecticut,” says Corbin, who is not only a lifetime friend, but shared the baseball field with Megale since the age of 7. Megale, a free agent draft pick by the Pittsburg Pirates, turned down the offer to pursue his academic career with a full scholarship to the University of Pittsburg. Megale retired in 2010, playing minor league baseball for the Sussex sky Hawks under manager Ed Ott.
Corbin, who has coached Babe Ruth for six straight seasons, recalls reaching out to his buddy from time to time for baseball advice. “I would call Mike and ask him for pointers so he came to one of our practices and ran the practice.”
Megale is creating a Coaches Training Program for The Rays and will also run a winter training program for players. “He will get the kids in shape from December through March, we’ll have two sessions,” explains Corbin.
In addition to Megale, John O’Leary joins the Ridgefield Rays as coach. O’Leary, also from Stamford, was two-year starter at Trinity Catholic and a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball. He went on to Georgetown University where he was QB for the Hoyas.
Corbin, Piniella, and their team of professionals want to take young baseball enthusiasts committed to the sport to an entirely new level. From helping them to acquire the necessary skills to excel on the field in high school, to preparing them for college level play, Corbin says, “We’re going to take them through the entire process.” And beyond college? “The connections I’m going to offer these kids is endless,” says Corbin.
For questions, email RBRBaseball@gmail.com
To learn more about Ridgefield Rays, including try out dates and winter clinics, click here.