At the moment, the United Shore Skilled Baseball League introduced the hiring of Ray Ortega to guide their new initiative described as “Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable.”
Ortega is a product of indy ball himself as each a participant and coach and had coached within the minor leagues earlier than turning into an assistant coach for the Savannah Bananas final yr.
I’ve recognized Ortega for over a decade starting together with his rookie yr within the Frontier League as a part of the street warrior Frontier League Greys. His infectious perspective and love for the sport drew me in immediately.
When he just lately contacted me about his concepts for “Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable,” I used to be instantly bought.
I’ve all the time liked unbiased baseball due to the gamers and folks concerned. It’s why I began this weblog within the first place; to attach gamers and followers and inform tales that deliver out the human facet of the game. I like when gamers can simply be themselves and present that facet to the followers.
In my view, the core of the sport of baseball doesn’t want to alter, however the interactions and fan help wants an improve as a way to keep related.
The Savannah Bananas promote out ballpark after ballpark due to the enjoyable interactions and the bigger than life characters that they gamers have became. However far too many baseball purists assume that their makes an attempt to “enliven” the sport itself have ruined the sport.
The United Shore Professional Baseball League lead by Ray Ortega is aiming to bridge that hole.
Indy Ball Island is trying ahead to working with Ray and the USPBL to showcase how this initiative performs out all through the season and the years to come back.
You’ll be able to learn the official press launch from the USPBL Beneath:
March twelfth, 2025
ROCHESTER, Mich. – March 12, 2025 – The United Shore Skilled Baseball League (USPBL powered by UWM) is thrilled to announce the addition of Ray Ortega as USPBL Assistant Director of Baseball Operations & Hitting Coach. With the brand new motto of “Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable.”, Ortega is ready to deliver contemporary vitality and experience to the league.
Ortega, 35, from Miami, FL, has an in depth background in baseball, each as a participant and a coach. Ortega beforehand spent three years with the USPBL, as a catcher for the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers in 2016 and 2017, and because the Beavers’ Assistant Supervisor and league Catching Coordinator in 2018. In 2019, Ortega left the USPBL to change into the Participant Growth Coach for the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, and that workforce received the 2019 AAA Nationwide Championship. After leaving the River Cats, Ortega joined the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League, the place he served because the Hitting Coach and Bench Coach for 2 summers. Over time, Ortega has coached greater than 200 gamers who’ve performed Main League Baseball.
In 2024, Ortega immersed himself into the baseball leisure expertise of the Savannah Bananas, serving as an Assistant Supervisor of the Savannah Bananas throughout their tour throughout the nation. As Ortega returns to the USPBL this season, he shall be serving to the league to extend participant engagement with the followers, ramping up the enjoyable and leisure on the sphere whereas nonetheless staying true to the standard guidelines of baseball. “My aim is to reimagine the tradition surrounding the sport. I need to change the fan expertise and total presentation of the sport, however not the sport of baseball,” mentioned Ortega. “Baseball is enjoyable. I need to remind individuals of that. The USPBL is – Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable.”
Ortega could have a key function in participant growth and neighborhood outreach, whereas additionally serving to to implement the elevated engagement of our gamers with the followers, and the extra leisure on the sphere throughout USPBL video games in a approach that won’t influence the result of the video games or the chance for USPBL gamers to be signed to contracts by Main League organizations. His appointment marks an vital step in USPBL’s continued dedication to excellence each on and off the sphere.
The evolution of the USPBL, now getting into its tenth season of baseball, will deliver a model of baseball with unmatched vitality, persona, and creativity. Extra on-field interactions, extra player-led promotions, and deeper fan connections – from the dugout to the stands, the gamers would be the heartbeat of the expertise at Jimmy John’s Subject. This isn’t simply baseball. That is Actual Baseball. Actual Enjoyable.
Along with bringing Ray Ortega again to the USPBL in 2025, the USPBL shall be welcoming again all of its senior Baseball Operations and training employees from the 2024 season. Main the USPBL Baseball Operations employees as soon as once more is Shane McCatty, Director of Baseball Operations, whose operational excellence is invaluable as we try for continued success. Moreover, we’re thrilled to have Paul Noce, Subject Coordinator, returning to supervise on-field instruction and preparation. Justin Karn is returning this season as USPBL Pitching Coordinator, the place his experience in pitching growth has been an important asset in making ready our gamers for fulfillment on the mound. His give attention to mechanics, technique, and participant development will proceed to play a vital function in strengthening our pitching employees.
The USPBL is also lucky to have an excellent group of returning workforce managers who deliver a wealth of expertise and management to their respective groups. Jim Essian shall be managing the Utica Unicorns for the ninth straight season. John Dombrowski will as soon as once more handle the 2024 USPBL Champion Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. Taylor Grzelakowski continues on the helm for the Westside Woolly Mammoths, and Ryan Kottke will handle the Eastside Diamond Hoppers. Their capacity to develop gamers and foster a aggressive, fan-first tradition is a key part to our league’s success.
All the USPBL Baseball Operations Division is totally engaged in and embracing the “Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable” initiative. This initiative is reimagining the tradition across the recreation whereas preserving its essence and the principles of the particular recreation of baseball. The USPBL is creating an electrifying fan expertise that makes baseball enjoyable once more.
We imagine the “Actual Baseball, Actual Enjoyable” initiative will appeal to each passionate followers and top-tier baseball expertise, as a result of this isn’t nearly making the video games extra enjoyable for the followers—it’s concerning the gamers, too. We’re empowering our athletes to embrace their personalities, construct their manufacturers, and have interaction with followers like by no means earlier than. From on-field celebrations and workforce dances to signature handshakes and social media storytelling, we’re giving gamers the instruments to show their careers into platforms that stretch past the sport.
“Baseball ought to be enjoyable—for the gamers and the followers. We’re bringing the fervour, the vitality, and the showmanship that makes this recreation nice,” mentioned USPBL Proprietor, Commissioner and CEO, Andy Appleby. “We’re excited to welcome Ray Ortega to our workforce. His experience, management, and keenness for the sport shall be invaluable as we proceed to develop and improve the expertise for our gamers, followers, and neighborhood.”
