Jun. 29—The Rawlings Tigers summer baseball organization has teams in 37 states. In Ohio, the Tigers have teams in areas including Cincinnati, Columbus and Youngstown.
Greater Cleveland is now a part of that list as the Tigers have partnered with NP Baseball to open 15-and-under and 16U teams with summer 2024 as the inaugural season. Ryan Delaney, the owner of NP Baseball and baseball coach at Harvey, helped orchestrate the deal and make the dream a reality.
Rawlings had been looking to expand into the Cleveland area. When it approaches Delaney, they realized he shared a similar image for summer baseball in Northeast Ohio. It made the partnership a no-brainer.
“The short term goals are to build the program and provide quality baseball instruction to the families in Northeast Ohio,” Delaney said. “Right now we are looking for families and players to join the Rawlings Tiger Family and be a part of this Cleveland Chapter. Long term, we just want to continue to help each and every player meet their own personal baseball/life goals.”
Now that the partnership has been created, they can focus on using their ideas to help area baseball players flourish.
“The process with Rawlings Tigers has been very straightforward with their team helping to guide the way,” Delaney said. “Aaron Rood, our regional director, is excited about getting started and has offered assistance wherever it is needed. We are both passionate about teaching kids how to play this game the right way and how to respect the game itself, yourself, and your opponents . The Tigers team has reached out to me, introducing themselves and providing information I need to make this successful.”
Delaney’s group, NP baseball, stands for Next Play baseball, and the Rawlings Tigers had the same mindset as him. The partnership also gives them a hub in a strong baseball area, as well.
For Delaney, his main goal was always to help provide the players with the best chances to reach their full potential. Whether it was through his work at NP Baseball or at The Hub CLE, an indoor baseball and softball facility, it’s been a goal of his ever since he stepped foot in a dugout.
“What they believe lines up with our hard work, family first, play next approach to this game,” Delaney said. “When I talked with David Birkby and then Aaron Rood, I just knew that it was a great opportunity for our players, coaches, and families to take the next step into the baseball world. As Rawlings Tigers, we can feel the benefits now, but also look forward to getting our players ready for the next level of baseball!! I am really excited for this opportunity and am ready to dive into coaching the first Rawlings Tigers Cleveland Baseball Team.”
First tryouts for the 2023-24 teams will be held on July 19 and 26 from 6 to 8:30 and a final tryout on July 29 from 9 to 11:30 at Kiwanis Recreation Park in Painesville.