SPORTS
Bethel Journal
July 7, 2011
| YOUTH | Editor Melanie Laughman | mlaughman@communitypress.com | 248-7573 HIGH
SCHOOL
RECREATIONAL
Your Community Press newspaper serving Bethel, Chilo, Felicity, Franklin Township, Moscow, Neville, Tate Township, Washington Township
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Flash Fields owner built it for all ages of visitors By Scott Springer sspringer@communitypress.com
He claims not to be Ray Kinsella in search of Moonlight Graham, but two years after “Field of Dreams” came out, Michael Daly had a staff hand clear a soybean field on his 80-acre property and install a ball diamond. Nineteen years later, the ranch with the westernstyle sign reading “El Bethel,” just east of BethelTate High School on Ohio Pike, has eight fields, five with lights, batting cages, a restaurant, an arcade, a playground, a chlorinated “swimming hole” with white sand and covered seating that includes large fans and water misters. The home of the “Flash” is surrounded by a 19-acre lake. Moonlight Graham has yet to appear, but to those who know youth baseball, Santa Claus has arrived just east of the Clermont County line. Michael Daly is an extremely successful New York Life agent who sells whole life and lifelong dreams. “God made man from dirt and boys like hanging out in dirt,” Daly said when asked why he turned his property into what some call the center of the baseball universe east of Cincinnati. The native of Deer Park spends the warm months in Hamersville. The Daly’s spend eight to nine months in Hollywood where his wife and one of his sons are actors. While admittedly losing
WWW.FLASHBASEBALL.ORG
Michael and Pamela Daly own the Flash Baseball Complex in Hamersville, just past Bethel on Ohio Pike. The organization has nine teams and is hosting 11 tournaments this season. The complex has eight fields, five that are lighted, batting cages, playgrounds and a 19-acre lake. money, Daly doesn’t back away from flashing money on the Flash complex. In addition to the construction crew that’s been on site for the last six years, he flies in Heather Patterson, a Hollywood decorator, to spruce up the ball park. No stone is left unturned. The new restaurant has a $25,000 oven and a fancy ceiling. Outside the arcade, Patterson consults Daly on where to place new baseball statues they’ve purchased. He wants everything top notch, but simple. “I look at things differently because of my faith,” Daly said. “God gave us some resources and gave us an assignment on this one. We don’t serve liquor and we keep it old-fashioned with the wood on purpose.” Michael Daly is a baseball guy. He’s not interested in running a “suds and softball complex.” Profit is not
WWW.FLASHBASEBALL.ORG
The Flash baseball complex map from their website details the eight current fields and the surrounding amenities. Michael and Pamela Daly own the complex in Hamersville on Ohio Pike east of Bethel-Tate High School. More fields and parking lots are planned. the driving force in this endeavor. “Originally, it was just the love of being in the dirt with your sons,” Daly said. “We don’t do social stuff.” Daly’s dirt is different than most though. The calcified clay he has rolled onto the fields goes for about $5,000 per load. Because of that, a brief shower doesn’t cancel a ballgame. “We play when nobody else plays,” Daly said. During high school seasons, when playing conditions are suspect in the area, the Flash Fields have entertained New Richmond, Bethel-Tate and Western Brown. One of Daly’s fields is for high school and college play and more are
WWW.FLASHBASEBALL.ORG
The Flash Baseball Complex in Hamersville, just past Bethel is owned by Michael and Pamela Day. It has eight fields, five with lights, playgrounds, batting cages, a food court, air-conditioned arcade and a 19-acre lake. The fields also offer covered seating with water misters and each has a grass infield and fences.
planned. He also has youth fields with 225-foot walls (Little League World Series standard) and others for bigger kids with “homer-friendly” fences. Daly has turned what looked like a nice place to go fishing into a youth baseball tournament mecca. “There’s Midland out here of course, but that’s more focused,” Daly said. “We’re the east-most travel ball organization. We have about 10 to 12 tournaments a year.” The Daly’s have longterm plans of doubling the amount of fields to 16. When exiting the massive property, most of the land on the left heading back to Ohio Pike is also Daly’s. His selling point is a better seat, sight view and experience for the fan and the player. “When I built the place, I told them here’s the standard, ‘Grandma’s here, she doesn’t get out much, she can’t stand the sun for hours and it’s 95 degrees in July,’” Daly said. “’She’s sitting up there in the shade with the misters going and it’s about 80 degrees.’ That’s the goal.” Meantime, the grandson is playing on a professional infield with fancy dirt that dries in a heartbeat. The skin field mud at the weedy rec center will never be the same. “There’s stuff here that
SCOTT SPRINGER/STAFF
Michael Daly, owner of the Flash Baseball Complex in Hamersville also coaches two of his organization’s nine teams. The complex sits east of Bethel-Tate High School on Ohio Pike and features eight professionally maintained fields (five lighted) with grass infields, covered seating, outdoor batting cages, a food court, an arcade and is surrounded by a 19-acre lake. you can’t find anywhere else,” Daly said. “It’s the best training facility, not just the best place to play.” Truth be told, Daly usually concentrates more on baseball, coaching two of the Flash’s nine teams. He credits his wife, Pamela, for keeping the “ball rolling.” “She originally allowed this, but then actively participated,” Daly said. “She’s
the one that makes this thing work.” To see it work, take the Ohio Pike exit (Beechmont Ave.) off Interstate 275 and drive 18 miles until you see a lake on the right. Send word if Mr. Graham or “Shoeless Joe” arrive. To see Michael Daly interviewed, or two different video tours, go to http:// tinyurl.com/3zq4hfu.
Hamilton summer league team no average ‘Joes’ By Nick Dudukovich ndudukovich@communitypress.com
HAMILTON - At Hamilton’s Foundation Field, there’s a group of guys who couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a summer. The names and the faces are familiar to any high school baseball fan. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that members of the Hamilton Joes collegiate summer league team were dazzling prep diamonds across the greater Cincinnati area. There’s former Princeton High School standout Marcus Davis, who just wrapped up his first season at Walters State Community College in Tennessee. He’s hitting .283 with four extra base hits. The Joes’ left fielder says
Joes’ facts
• Through 17 games, the Joes posted a 7-10 record and were in fourth place of the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League South Division • The Joes won the 2010 GLCSL championship. • The Joes are named after legendary Cincinnati Reds broadcaster player, Joe Nuxhall, who was a native of Hamilton • Foundation Field serves as the home stadium for the Joes. • Players are suggested to Joes' manager Darrel Grissom by college coaches. Ultimately, Grissom selects the players that he believes can best help his team. • The Joes played their first game in June 2009. he’s had fun playing this summer while working to improve his individual skills. He also feels lucky to spend his summer playing ball, while many of his friends are taking summer classes or working summer jobs. “I really enjoy (playing),” he said. “(I’ll) try to play the game as long as you can because it’s better
than having a real-world job,” Davis said. Former Glen Este High School graduate and 2009 Fort Ancient Valley Conference player of the year Matt Marksberry is there too. Working out of relief, Marksberry, who attends Campbell University (North Carolina) has three saves and 11 strikeouts for the Joes in 14 innings. “(Playing this summer)
is awesome,” Marksberry said. “It’s something people dream about and (I) get to do it everyday. It’s pretty cool.” Moeller High School alum Ethan McAlpine, who plays outfield for the Joes, shares his teammates’ enthusiasm. After redshirting his freshman season at the University of Cincinnati because of injury, McAlpine relished the opportunity to play competitively this summer. “This is a lot of fun. Everybody’s here because they love baseball and possibly want to have a career in baseball. It’s just a lot of fun to come out here and do something you love,” he said. McAlpine is making the most of his time with Joes and led the team with a
.358 average through 15 games. He also had six stolen bases. Like McAlpine, former Anderson High School standout Josh Jeffery is also beating the cover off the ball. Through 23 at bats, Jeffrey had eigh hits to go along with seven RBI. The University of Dayton senior-to-be is using the summer to get prepared for his next season of college ball. “It’s about getting better so I’m prepared for when I go back to school,” he said. All agree that those who watch a Joes game will notice heightened competition in the summer league level because the Joes aren’t just competing against their opponents, they are competing against each other for playing time. With college coaches
watching the summer stats closely, all of the Joes want to be on the field. “Everybody at your position can go out and play,” McAlpine said. “You’ve got to do your best everytime you go out there.” Marksberry agreed. “Most of the people that play in this league are tyring to get drafted, so the competition is amazing,” he said. All would contend that playing for the Joes in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League ultimately makes them a better player. “To … get to play in a competive league with a great group of guys, it’s a great opportunity,” Jeffery said. For more coverage, visit Cincinnati.com/blogs/ presspreps