The story of Campenelli Stadium and the Bay State Bulldogs
Many of you have wondered about the significance of Campenelli Stadium and the Bay State Bulldogs. Year
after Year, parents, players, siblings, grandparents and friends all
show up one night each year to wrap up a glorious season of baseball. It’s a night that serves as the official closing ceremonies for the Bay State Bulldogs Baseball program. This one special night has been a ritual for the program since it’s inception over 3 ½ years ago.
Today, I share with you the significance of Campenelli Stadium & the Bay State Bulldogs.
In
June 2006, I sat in the beautiful Campenelli Stadium watching a
baseball game with my wife and two children, when I was suddenly hit
with something that took me away from reality. To this day, I don’t know what struck me, but whatever it was, it quickly took me to a place I’d never been before. As my mind began to wonder far away from the game at hand, I found my mind wondering to this place-a place, I refer to as the Land of Dreams!! As I began to fade away from reality, I do recall my last words before entering the Land of Dreams, began with the words “What if”…
What if I could somehow fill this stadium with young boys who shared a passion for the game of baseball-kids that I could teach?
What
if instead of just watching the game, these kids could actually get to
play the game and feel like real life major leaguers themselves?
What if I could have these kids get on the field and perhaps feel the soft grass under their feet?
What
if I put together a team of young aspiring major league hopefuls whose
innocence and love for the game would transcend onto the baseball
diamond?
What if I could help build a training facility to help these kids learn how to play the game- a place they could call home?
What
if I could create a place where I could keep track and acknowledge the
boys achievements both on and off the field-perhaps a website, a place
they would go to every day to see if their achievement was posted yet?
What
if we could travel and play at the most beautiful ball fields in the
country and give these kids a feeling in their hearts they never
experienced before?
What
if I could help influence these boys beyond the baseball diamond in the
form of giving something back to the community in some way?
What if perhaps someday, these boys could help teach other aspiring kids what they learned?
What if I could give out a game ball for every single achievement these boys made? They could label it and look back years later and say I remember how I felt that day...
What if I brought together a group of strangers and could make them part of this dream?
What
if I brought together a group of men and women, who share a similar
love of the game and who understand and believe in this dream? Volunteers, who want to be a part of this dream-the good people of the world, coaches….
What if I did something special for a group of kids for no other reason than to just give something back? Perhaps folks from the heavens above would see? Perhaps Joe would see?
What if everytime I looked into the eyes of a player, there was a special bond only the two of us could understand?
What if I come out of this Land of Dreams and go back and try to re-create this dream and turn it into a reality?
What if I called this dream the Bay State Bulldogs?
June 25th 2009,-Don’t miss the BIGGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR-OUR CLOSING CEREMONIES-ALL PLAYERS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS!! All Bulldog current and alumni players will be invited!!! Players are Free as this is included in the package!!
