Irish American Baseball Society

09/23/2026

ICYMI: Baseball coach AJ LaMonda discusses how he taught hitting and throwing mechanics to youth rounders players during a two day clinic in County Laois, Ireland! Coach LaMonda is fundraising to support our youth baseball programs in Ireland. Check the comments section and support the cause!

09/23/2026

A BIG THANK YOU to Chase Renner for being the Team Ireland Baseball 11u assistant coach at last weekend's Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Tournament! Chase was selected by the Marlins in the 13th round of last year's MLB draft — but he took time out to work with our players, and we couldn't be more appreciative! Good luck next year, Chase!

09/23/2026

"It was more than just baseball — it was kids with a similar love of being Irish, proudly wearing the jersey and cheering each other on. I have never been more proud watching him play baseball than when he was warming up to pitch, and Irish music was playing over the loudspeakers." - Brian Guinan, Team Ireland Parent

The Team Ireland Baseball program offers players the chance to represent their Irish heritage through baseball. We work with top coaches to deliver a best-in-class program focused on helping players reach their full potential.

09/22/2026

Michael Riley "Doc" Powers was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on this day in 1870. Doc's parents, Michael and Catherine (Haney) Powers, were from Tramore, County Waterford. The Powers surname is particularly common in the city of Waterford. The name, along with the variant Poore, is derived from the French word meaning “poor.”

If you’re looking for a classic nickname origin story, Doc is not your man. His nickname came from his side hustle, which was, as you probably guessed, being a physician!

Doc played collegiately for Holy Cross and Notre Dame, before entering the pro game in 1898. A catcher by trade, Doc had the curious distinction of catching Jim "Doc" Newton — also a doctor — for the New York Highlanders in 1905.

Tragically, Doc was mortally wounded while crashing into the fence while chasing a foul pop-up during the first game played at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, on April 12, 1909. He was honored by the A's the following year, on June 30, 1910, on Powers' Day.

09/22/2026

🚨🚨JERSEY ALERT! ☘⚾

NEXT WEEK: We'll be putting jerseys on sale for a limited time. These are the same jerseys worn by the Irish Wolfhounds — available in green, black, gray, or white — with an optional Ancient Order of Hibernians patch on the front of the jersey and the flags of Ireland and the USA on the sleeves. The best part: YOUR NAME AND NUMBER on the back of the jersey!

Jerseys will ONLY be available to members of the Irish American Baseball Society. Not a member yet? Join today, and we'll send you a free cap!

09/20/2026

CONGRATS! Team Ireland RHP/INF Sean Gaine (Smithtown East 2027) has committed to play D1 baseball at Merrimack College!

Prior to playing for Team Ireland Baseball, Sean was the recipient of the 2025 Irish Heritage Leadership Award, presented by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, for the New York Metro Region!

Sean is a student at Smithtown East High School (Class of 2027), where he is an Honors student with a 3.7 GPA. He also serves as a Lieutenant in the St. James Fire Department (SJFD) Juniors, demonstrating outstanding leadership and commitment to his community. On the field, Sean plays for the Long Island Dodgers, and Perfect Game ranks him as the #12 shortstop and #77 overall player in New York State!

Sean’s great-grandparents emigrated from Ireland, and he recently had the opportunity to visit family in County Kilkenny!

09/19/2026

GREAT JOB, NOLAN! Many thanks to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for having Nolan Sanders of Team Ireland throw out the first pitch before tonight's game! Nolan will be playing in this weekend's Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Tournament in Clarks Summit, PA! ☘⚾

09/19/2026

We’re happy to announce that Heather Woods will be singing the national anthems of Ireland and the USA tomorrow at the Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day youth baseball tournament in Clarks Summit, PA! The anthems will be sung at noon!

Here is Heather singing The Rocks of Bawn on Joanie Madden's Folk 'N Irish Cruise! https://fb.watch/v/2OustX9rH/?mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

09/17/2026

Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are now available for the First Irish Baseball Fall Classic Dinner!

Join us Saturday, November 21 in Tampa, FL, as we honor four new Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame inductees:

⚾ John McCormack — Head Coach, Florida Atlantic University
⚾ Tom McNamara — Special Assistant to the GM, Kansas City Royals
⚾ Tom O'Connell — Major League Baseball Player Agent
⚾ Dan O'Dowd — MLB Network Analyst and former MLB General Manager

The IABHOF got its start at Foley's NY, the legendary Irish pub and baseball shrine on 33rd Street, before it closed its doors in spring 2020. This marks our first Hall of Fame event since Foley's closed — and we're bringing that same spirit of celebrating Irish baseball history to Tampa, with honorees over the years including Wade Boggs, Steve Garvey, Jim Leyland, Jim Palmer, and Joe Mauer.

Supporting this event means more than backing a great night — it means supporting the growth of baseball in Ireland. Sponsorship packages include event tickets, signage, social media features, and program ads.

Interested in sponsoring or attending? Reach out via DM or email us at [email protected].

09/16/2026

☘⚾!

We're delighted to announce that we've partnered with Advantage Baseball Academy of Allentown, PA, for this weekend's Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Tournament!

Advantage will send several coaches with college and professional coaching and playing experience to join Team Ireland's coaches! Stop by the field complex at 140 Ackerly Road, Clarks Summit, PA, for great baseball to support Abington Little League and Team Ireland Baseball! There will be bagpipes, Irish dancers, and more! ☘⚾