“It was great being around Frank Niles and the other coaches at SSBC,” Mark commented. “I was there because of Frank, pure and simple. He got everybody excited about playing baseball. I’m not surprised SSBC is doing so well all of these years later. I had a great opportunity to be around baseball people, talking baseball and learning how to play the game. “I learned a lot of things about how to practice. It wasn’t about showing up at the cage and taking 10 rounds. It’s about being focused on your rounds of practice because there was time and space to explore baseball. Quantity of practice is important; quality of practice takes you to the next level.”
Mark Woodworth (Wesleyan College)
"I could be involved and around baseball 365 days a year. I was around people who loved the game and had the desire to play baseball as much as I did. I remember Frank Niles gave me my first hitting lesson. Unlike some practice sessions that dragged on, the SSBC instructors made everything fun for us, they made every drill better. I liken SSBC to a gym, only for baseball; it was a great atmosphere to grow up in."
Matt Thomas (Umass Boston 02')
"I grew up there (at SSBC) and they (instructors Frank Niles, Tim Daley & others) pretty much taught me everything I know about baseball. I played on the AAU teams (Seadogs) there from the age of 11 through 16. When you play with and against the best, it brings out the best in you. I was coached by the best coaches, too. The knowledge I got from them really helped in my development."
Ryan Morgan (Boston College 05', Chicago Cubs Organization)
"SSBC filled the gaps when I couldn't play because there was snow on the ground. I got the opportunity to hit, catch and receive instruction. It was nice playing indoors. I've always felt players from the Northeast have been at an unfair disadvantage with Southern players who play outdoors year round. It always drove me crazy that they thought they were better than us. Those guys at SSBC are synonymous with baseball. I'd like that, too."
Billy Fitzgerald (Babson College 03')
"I met so many of my friends today, ones that will be lifelong friends, playing AAU ball for the Seadogs. We had such a tight knit group, playing ball all summer together at camps and on trips. Me, Ryan (Morgan) and Mike (Conroy) are from the same town, Weymouth, and we've played ball together for years. We met Jason (Delaney) on the Seadogs' 15-and-under team. Mark (Rosen) is a good friend, too. We've played on teams with so many good players that it made you want to be a better player. "I remember going out for the high school team (B.C. High) feeling, as a Seadog, better than the other players trying out. We had about 100 freshmen tryout and only six or seven guys had played AAU ball. It (Seadogs experience) really helped."
Drew Locke (Boston College 05', Las Angeles Dodgers Organization)
"I went to the 'early bird' clinics every year it was offered and used the South Shore Baseball Club until my senior year of high school. I picked-up a lot there, especially at the clinics with Frank Niles. I became better skilled and better understood the fundamentals of baseball, things like the proper grip. I had good hand-eye coordination and also played soccer, football and basketball. But the drills I learned there helped me better understand the fundamentals. "The same drills I learned at the South Shore Baseball Club I now teach to my players. We don't get super athletes in Division 3, so the players we have need to develop their skills. I teach them fundamentals that I was taught at SSBC."
Marc Thibeault (John Carroll University 98')
"My father brought me to the South Shore Baseball Club when I was young. I'm not sure if he read about it, knew somebody's son who was a member, or was told about SSBC by a friend. That's how I got to know (SSBC president/director) Frank Niles, though. "I'm a pull hitter. I knew that I had to learn how to go the other way. I didn't want to do it in high school, but I knew I had to and I learned how at SSBC. I have a big lower body. Frank got me to get my legs into it (swing), rotating, and hitting the ball hard. I started getting all of my body into it instead of just my hands and arms."
James Marino (Davidson College 02')
“New England high school seasons are so short, maybe 20 games, and it was good to have a place to go year round for hitting lessons, clinics and getting my arm in shape. Every one of the kids who worked out there (during the off season) was ready to go once the high school season started. I went to the Florida Spring Training Camp before my senior year. In high school, you can't get individual attention and coaching like you can at SSBC.”
Matt Devine (Harvard University)
"My
brother, Dave, was one of the first to join the Club. He signed up
the first week it opened and I joined a month or two behind him.
SSBC's great because you can do baseball year round --play, talk,
think and work out. You always run into somebody you know or heard
of from the Club. Our (Northeastern) team was filled with SSBC guys
this year, my roommate, Joe Paolucci, Todd Korchin, Greg Kelley,
Jason Estano, Anthony Falco, Jody Corcoran and Chris Walsh. When
I was 14 and 15 years old, I worked the cages. Other than basketball,
the only sport I played was baseball, so I spent a lot of time at
the Club in the Fall. You can only get in so many swings during the
high school season in New England and coaches were working under
time restrictions. If you were in a batting slump, you couldn't get
in any extra swings. Serious baseball players never get in enough
swings. SSBC's great because it's year round and you can always get
in your swings. "I'd like to give something back to the game I got so much out of," Tim commented. "So many guys go to the Club (SSBC) because it's all baseball. Everybody at SSBC (instructors) is there because they want to help baseball players. They're there for the love of the game, not the job."
Tim Daley (Northeastern University 98')
"I was just talking to Frank about that '95 team (Seadogs). Out of the 15 kids on the roster, I bet two-thirds have gotten shots at pro baseball. We had (Mike) Spinelli, (David) Lightbody, Dan Morse, Anthony Falco and some other great players. I realized then how well I could play. And you can't beat being around a guy like Frank who's been around baseball for so long."
Mike Calitri (Clemson University, Boston Red Sox Organization)
"Young kids can get more individual instruction at SSBC than in Little League or Babe Ruth where coaches are usually parents volunteering to help. They aren't necessarily knowledgeable baseball people. SSBC has experienced baseball guys like Frank (Niles). "There's a big difference playing for and against all-star type teams like I played for SSBC. You get better playing with and against better competition. The SSBC team I played for in Florida as a senior in high school had (present minor league) pitchers Mike Spinelli (Red Sox) and Pete Fisher (Minnesota). It helped me become a leader, too. When you're a veteran on a team like that, some of the younger players look up to you, and that also happened to me at Tufts. "SSBC definitely affected my baseball career. It really helped me a lot as a kid, the education I received and individual instruction. The people at SSBC know how to talk to young players."
Dan Morse (Tufts University 99')
South Shore Baseball Club • 55 Recreation Park Drive • Hingham, MA 02043 • 781-749-6466 or 1 800-GO4-HITS