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FAIRFIELD, Conn. Chris and Mike Fournier have a new name for the baseball teams they manage out of the Batting Cage in Fairfield. The Connecticut Wolfpack's focus, however, is as old as the grand game.
The Fournier brothers, high school baseball stars in Fairfield who went on to successful college careers, had been affiliated with the Connecticut Blue Jays. Earlier this month, the Fournier brothers changed the name back to the one used in the program founded by their father, Paul. The objectives preparing ball players ages 9-and-up with a diet of basics that they learned from their dad and in other stops during their careers remain the same.
"The goal is to teach them fundamentally, and to get them ready to play on the bigger field when they transition from Little League,'' said Chris, a college player at George Mason and Notre Dame who was drafted by the New York Mets in 2007. "Once they're on the big field, our goal is to get them in college programs."
The Fourniers' instruction proved successful with its 13-year-old team this summer. With players from Fairfield, Westport, Wilton, Darien and Norwalk on its roster, the team went 47-9-1, including a victory in the War at the Shore Tournament in East Lyme.
"You see players go from that 12-year-old level where they can dominate because of their size to see them struggle at 13, where every play has to be clean,'' Chris said. "It's really slow developmentally. They're not as strong or as quick because they're on a bigger field. The distances of the throws are longer. It's a much different game."
The Fourniers started their program three years ago with one team of 11- and 12-year-old players. This year, they will field five fall teams and will have a spring schedule for younger players. Their oldest group of players is 14, and they plan to add teams in older age groups as the current crop moves along. The teams play frequently the 12-year-olds played 50 games this summer and travel a lot. This year's 13-year-olds visited Florida, New Jersey and Rhode Island. "As they get older, we challenge them with a more competitive schedule,'' Chris said.
Much of the Fourniers' teaching expertise comes from Paul, who started The Batting Cage in 1997 and coached at Sacred Heart University. Chris played at Fairfield High School and helped the team win the Class LL state baseball championship in 2002. He was also the state's Gatorade Player of the Year. He was drafted in the 16th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft by the Mets after a standout senior season at George Mason. Mike played at Fairfield Ludlowe and was a college standout at St. Petersburg College and Fairfield University.
When their playing days ended, they returned to help their father run The Batting Cage. When the brothers started their teams, they knew instantly it was the right decision. "We had a chance to stay around the game,'' Chris said. "After that first season, I knew it was the right thing to do. We could see we made a difference in the kids' lives. You get that same feeling like you did when you played the game."
Paul still helps coach with his sons and visits the cage frequently. His sons are following the same time-tested principles that helped them reach extraordinary levels. "We do it because we love it,'' Chris said. "We're just trying to these kids to that extra level."
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