NEWS

By Don Leypoldt

“Structure and discipline” are seldom fun words.

But they are words that Mike LaBarbera swears by.  Which means that any aspiring head baseball coach should study them carefully.

LaBarbera, the athletic director and head baseball coach at the Prout School, has engineered a baseball machine.  In the last four years, Wakefield, Rhode Island-based Prout has assembled a 63-9 won-loss record. 

“I think it’s so important that on a team, not everybody is a starter and that you understand your role.  In every career, there will be a time to take orders and there are times when we can speak up and be leaders.  I certainly look at my team that way,” LaBarbera believes. 

“I won’t name captains.  We have senior leaders.  If you have been a member of my team who has shown leadership and been a positive role model, you’re going to be in charge. “

A Prout Crusader baseball player may not get a “C” on their uniform, but they more than likely will get to a state title game…or two…or three…or four.  Prout has advanced to the best-of-three Rhode Island state finals in each of the last four years.  The Crusaders have not yet claimed a state title, but they took two of those state title playoff series to the full three games.  In three of the four series, they suffered a one-run loss.

Despite the success on the diamond, La Barbera remains grounded in what Prout’s, a private Catholic high school, true mission is. 

“Obviously wins and losses are important, but I definitely want to go back to the words ‘Structure and discipline.’  Families invest a lot in their sons and their son’s opportunities.  I truly understand and respect that,” LaBarbera stated.  “They can come to the baseball field every day and for two hours, Mom and Dad understand that their son is going to work hard and know the rules.” 

Before he was a teacher and a young (LaBarbera just turned 32) coach/athletic director, the Long Island native was a student at the University of Rhode Island.   But LaBarbera was hardly an ordinary student-athlete.  The infielder left URI as their all-time leader in hits, runs, RBI and doubles.  He is still the Rams’ career steals leader and his lifetime .366 average, highlighted by his .404 clip during his senior year, is the third-best in URI history.

Just as importantly, LaBarbera helped to launch a culture change at URI.  From 1988 to 2000, the Rams had an unsightly .338 winning percentage.  Since LaBarbera’s senior year, Rhode Island has won over 56% of their games.

It’s funny how one undersized infielder- many D1 schools didn’t give LaBarbera a second look because he was just 5’6” coming out of high school- can help a program.

In between swings at Kingston, LaBarbera played two seasons with the NECBL.  As a member of the inaugural 1999 Rhode Island Gulls, he made the All-Star team and stole 13 bases.  His Gull teammate was future Big Leaguer Jason Szuminski.  LaBarbera also got to play with future Major Leaguers Jeff Keppinger and Mark Malaska at the All-Star game.

“I was fortunate enough to make the All-Star game and I remember two very distinct names from that game,” recalled LaBarbera, who called the All-Star experience at Keene ‘tremendous.’  “I got to spend the night before with Keppinger.  I also remember Malaska, and getting a dose of reality.  I was just a kid on the playground and they were so many notches above me.  I think that that All-Star game humbled me about how good some of the baseball players are around the country.

“Frank (then URI, now William and Mary head coach Frank Leoni) worked his butt off to get me on the Gulls,” remembers LaBarbera.  “He realized how important summer baseball was and what it meant for URI kids.   I learned well after the fact how important it was for kids from schools like URI to play in the NECBL.”

URI’s first All-American, LaBarbera signed a free agent contract with the Expos and suited up for their Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2001.  Playing 34 games in the Minors’ hinterlands, he hit .231 and made just four errors.

He also brought back life lessons that would make him a successful coach.

“I can put this in context of the Gulf Coast League and the NECBL.  I was an extremelysuccessful college baseball player,” says LaBarbera, not to brag but to make a point.  “I put the hard work and effort in, but it seemed like when the summer came around – whether it was the NECBL or the Gulf Coast League- the talent pool was way better.  Each of those times was taking in really high level baseball. 

“Playing professional baseball gave me a great opportunity to see the game at a level that 99% of kids don’t ever do.  I learned a structure and discipline to the game of baseball that is extremely important and I learned that structure and discipline in the NECBL and the Gulf Coast League.  That’s what I try to bring to my players the most.”

LaBarbera got released from the Expos in October 2001 and was 12 credits shy of his degree.  He student-taught at North Kingstown (RI) High School to complete his diploma and in doing so, got a call from rival South Kingstown High.  They heard that LaBarbera was student-teaching and per a recommendation from Leoni, asked LaBarbera to fill their varsity assistant slot.  

That spring, South Kingstown became the first South County team to win a state title since the Eisenhower administration.  One of his players, Shawn McGill, played two summers in the NECBL and spent time this season with the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate.

“According to a lot of the parents on that team, I brought a good approach and a lot of energy,” LaBarbera assesssed.  “Because of that success, I landed a full time teaching position at South Kingstown that Fall.  My career as a teacher will obviously long outlast my professional baseball career. “

In the years that followed, LaBarbera made career moves that helped to determine his fate as a coach.  He did not pursue Independent League baseball, despite several options.  He did pursue and obtain a Masters in Education from Providence College.  LaBarbera also took over both the head coaching and athletic director positions at Prout. 

“My kids play for me only about two months a year.  From a physical standpoint, I don’t get that much across to my players.  Their skill set is their skill set,” LaBarbera declared.  “What I think I can help any baseball player with is an approach to the game, and more importantly, a mental analysis of how to approach baseball situations. 

“I really believe that our Prout success has been an approach on how to play the game of baseball versus the skill set of individuals.  Our guys are good, but we’ve certainly implemented a structure and discipline on how to analyze baseball situations.”

One situation that doesn’t require a lot of analysis is this: Expect a LaBarbera-led baseball team to be smart, disciplined…and probably have a lot of numbers in the win column.

Mike LaBarbera’s Advice to the NECBL Class of 2012:“You probably don’t know what you’re going to be.  I never once, in their shoes, thought about coaching.  Every kid in a summer league has a higher mindset: they want to play pro ball.  It’s a great goal to have. 

“Your coaches and managers have been doing this for a while and there is a reason for that.  Take every bit of advice and listen to them to the best of your ability.  There is something to be said for people who have been there and done that.  If I had taken that advice, as someone who has played in the NECBL, that probably would have helped me to do better.  I think every player who plays the game at that level is very confident in their own ability.  I’d just ask those guys to open up a little more, ask a few more questions and be open to a little more advice. 

“One of my best friends says ‘Be a sponge and absorb everything you can.’  If those guys ever want to be a coach, the sponge mentality is a tremendous thing to do.  They’ll be so far ahead of the game when they get out.”