Northstars welcome McCarthy to Belfast

Moving into the playoffs of the 2016 season, the players of Baseball Ireland had a little extra coaching from an unexpected source.

Mike McCarthy of the Boston Red Sox organisation spent some time in Ashbourne and Belfast this weekend, sharing knowledge and tips on pitching, fielding and conditioning to a rapt audience of players young and not so young but the consensus was everyone got some invaluable advice for the future.

Baseball Ireland president Peter Kavanagh said 'It was great to welcome Mike to Ireland and to have him impart some of the knowledge he's picked up over a six-year career to our pitchers and catchers. Players from Dublin, Meath and the greater Belfast area all got the chance to work out with Mike and he demonstrated his willingness to give something back to the baseball community in a way we will forever be grateful for.'

McCarthy, who has played with the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs also became a fan on Sunday, taking in the Giants and Buccaneers wild card game as well as the first game of the North finals between the Giants and the Northstars.

He was also kind enough to spend time between the games on Sunday giving hints on baserunning and was even convinced to toe the rubber on the Hydebank mound and throw a session with Bucs coach Jose Santos.

'Mike was a very welcome visitor to Hydebank this weekend, it was great fun to watch a player of his calibre interacting with younger and veteran players to help improve their techniques. We managed to coax a few stories out of him too – the dedication and drive he has shown over the years to carve out his career is admirable. We wish him all the very best for the future.' - Neil Boyd

McCarthy continues his travels on Tuesday as he heads to Norway then eventually home to California. Hopefully our paths will cross again.