JUPITER, Fla. - Former Minot resident Ronnie Healy, now living in Florida, will play in the Babe Ruth Baseball 14-year-old World Series in Appleton, Wis., beginning Thursday.
Since moving to Florida in 2003, Healy has become well-known in the Triple Crown and AAU Tournament Circuit for his catching and hitting abilities.
While living in Maine, Ronnie started playing T-ball when he was 5 for the Minot-Hebron Athletic Association under coach Scott Bradbury. He continued playing baseball as well as basketball and football while living in Maine. After moving, Healy continued playing football and basketball along with year-round baseball until 2007, when he decided to concentrate solely on baseball.
Healy currently is playing on three different teams, up to 100 games per year. Currently, he is working and training with ex-professional catcher Brook Fordyce, formerly of the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays at Frozen Ropes in Stuart, Fla. Fordyce also is the coach for two of Healy's teams: Frozen Ropes' 16-and-under team and the Palm Beach Rockets. Healy is the starting catcher for both teams.
His third team, the 14-and-under Jupiter All-Star team, formed in June and went undefeated in its district tournament. During the District games, Healy went 7-for-9 (.778) and had the game winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning of the final to move Jupiter into the State Tournament.
Jupiter swept a doubleheader, 16-2 and 10-0, to rally from an opening-game loss and win its state title. Healy batted 13-for-18 (.722) with four home runs. His final round-tripper was hit to right center field over the 385-foot mark in historic Sanford Stadium.
The all-Stars went 6-1 in double-elimination play at regionals. Twelve teams from the southeastern United States and Bahamas participated. Healy hit 13-for-19 (.684), belting a two-run home run in a comeback win against Tallahassee. He also pitched a total of 11 innings with 22 strikeouts and six hits allowed.
Ronnie is not the first Healy to go to a World Series. In 1979, Ronnie's uncle, Lonnie Healy, participated in the Senior Little League World Series in Gary, Ind., under late coach Dennis Sweetzer. Lonnie's team ended up placing third overall.