Rich Bafia

On a typical Friday night at Triple Crown Baseball Academy, owner Rich Bafia and at least four instructors provide hitting and pitching lessons for more than six straight hours.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:34:51 GMT - Phila.

New owner Rich Bafia has been a hitting instructor with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, training All-Stars like Jeff Cirillo, Marquis Grissom and Fernando Vina.
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"A lot of people wanted a change of pace from other facilities in the area, so we bought this facility and brought in some new people," Bafia said about the place formerly known as Strike Zone.

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Besides the usual batting and pitching cages, Bafia brought in a unique machine that uses a philosophy patented by Mike Bonaventura.

Padres pick Bafia
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The job is similar to that of a scout except that, instead of watching and evaluating amateur talent, Bafia will be examining players already in professional baseball.

They include players currently in the independent minor leagues, including the Northern League, in which the Gary SouthShore RailCats play, and the Frontier Baseball League, represented locally by the Crestwood-based Cook County Cheetahs.

In addition, Bafia said, "Any player in the Midwest who needs development will be able to come to me.He may just need work on his mechanics.We'll work with him and, if we like what we see, we'll sign him up."

Bafia noted that three RailCats pitchers have signed with the Padres organization -- Sasi Guthrie, Tim Burdyk and Jake Upwood.
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"(Former Houston and Detroit pitcher) Jose Lima was 10-2 in the independent league and worked his way back to the big leagues with the Kansas City Royals," Bafia said.
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Padres assistant general manager Bill Bryk is a close friend of Bafia's and an instructor at Triple Crown Baseball and Softball Academy, a Schererville facility owned by Bafia.
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Bafia, a former basketball and baseball player at Lowell High School, has been employed by major league teams in the past.He formerly worked for the Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers as a "tracking coordinator," teaching players different methods to improve their hitting.
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Rich Bafia, owner of Triple Crown Baseball and Softball Academy, will scout regional independent league players for the San Diego Padres.

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More stories from Community Sports:Padres pick Bafia

The camp generated a large turnout, much to the delight of Triple Crown's owner, Rich Bafia.