Story posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Renegade Road
Niles Travel Team Enjoys Baseball, Learning Experience On 'Barnstorming' Trip
By BOBBY CHILVER Journal Sports
The Niles Renegades travel baseball program focuses on encouraging all-around skills both on and off the field.
This summer that has included everything from playing with wood bats to enjoying bull riding.
The Renegades are a Niles-based travel team that includes 12, 13 and 14-year-old teams.
They are kept busy during the summer months, traveling all-around the Midwest to find the best competition. But Renegade coaches make sure it's not all about forming better baseball players, but also better men.
Each year the team goes on a 2-week "barnstorming" trip around the country. This year, from June 12 to June 21, 28 players from the 13 and 14-year-old teams, plus three coaches, simply jumped on a bus and took off.
On their trek they visited Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois.
They played baseball against local teams about every other day and enjoyed some great bonding experiences.
From going to the rodeo to visiting the Negro League Museum and Hall of Fame, to standing at the site of the infamous Oklahoma City bombings, the boys learned as much off the field as they did on. They also stopped by college programs like Wichita State and Oklahoma State to see where their baseball careers could take them.
"It's a lot of fun for everyone," Tim Murphy of Renegade baseball said.
He added that the regular season has gone well too, with the 14-year-olds playing about .700 baseball.
The 12-year-olds just returned from Sylvania, Ohio, where the team took the runner-up trophy at a statewide tournament. They played six games there, advancing to the title game before falling to the Ohio state champion team.
"The boys have all done real well," Murphy said.
And if you check out one of their games this season, remember the faces. The Renegades usually turn out to be some of the key varsity baseball players at local high schools. Renegade alumni can be found on the rosters of schools like New Trier, Loyola, Niles West, Maine South, Notre Dame, St. Patrick's and Maine West.
Murphy said they even prepare kids for the highest levels by playing about half their games with a wood bat.
Murphy said he enjoys having the kids play the game like it used to be played, as it gives them an extra challenge and an appreciation for the game's past.
He's even trying to start up a wood bat league in the area. He said he only received minor interest this summer but hopes to market it more this fall and get a league going next season.
Either way, the Renegades will continue their success, continue their bus trips and continue on their road to becoming better both on and off the field.
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