Subscribe!
Sports in RI: Wayne Freitas and RI Indoor Softball play while others sleep – John Cardullo
by John Cardullo, sportswriter – photos: Wayne Freitas
RI Indoor Softball’s driving force, Wayne Freitas, warms those cold winter nights with a year-round softball season. Founder of Rhode Island Indoor Softball, Wayne Freitas, is celebrating his 15th season as director of what was once an out-of-the-box idea.
Once when he and his team went down to New Jersey in 2010 to play in an indoor softball event, Freitas brought the idea back home to Rhode Island, and the rest is history. The newly inducted member of the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame as of November 2024 was no stranger to the softball scene.
Playing in adult leagues at the young age of 15, he demonstrated both a talent and passion for the game. As with most movers and shakers in the local community, he found ways to enhance the game both on and off the field. As a sponsor, coach and player of one of the state’s premier softball teams the “Dirt Dawgs” became a regular on the softball circuit. But it was that trip to New Jersey that would change his softball career and life for many years to come.
The indoor season kicked off the weekend before Thanksgiving, 2010. By that time the outdoor season was complete. The colder weather was moving in and most of the annual outdoor Turkey Trott tournaments concluded, but for softball players, the “hard core” softball players, they wanted more.
Enter the venue called the Wide World of Indoor Sports. The original opened in northern Rhode Island, soon to be followed by the sister facility that opened in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, the designation was #2 South, and there are four, total, in existence today. Freitas made a deal with the management of the North Kingstown facility. He would run weekend tournaments throughout the winter, and the games would begin at 10 pm in the evenings and will be finished by 7 am. This would enable the facility to keep their daytime hours available for the soccer, lacrosse, and basketball leagues that they had already committed to.
Grip it and Rip it!
The sprawling facility has three softball fields, the infields are measured as a normal outdoor infield, with the pitcher’s mound 50 feet away from home plate. The length down the lines can go from 180 feet to 190 feet. Over the outfield “fence” is the home run line. There are a couple unique alterations to make up for the smaller than average size of the field. The first is the ball that is used is not quite a regulation softball that teams use in their outdoor leagues. It is a Rawlings “Rag Ball” which is much softer – think about a “pickleball” ball on steroids. Batters can hit as hard as they can, and it will travel only a limited distance. The other alteration is that if a home run hits the wall and bounces back into the field and it is caught by a member of the defensive team, the batter is recorded as an out. The batter enters the batter’s box with a one ball, one strike on them and have no foul balls to waste; this speeds up the game a bit. They double up innings by having a team bat through 6 outs as opposed to the traditional 3. The teams rotate this format, so it evens out by the end of the game.
The tournament events never lack for teams, often Freitas has up to 20 men’s and 7 women’s teams entering any given event. Co-ed tournaments are hosted as well. The entry fee is $350 per team. It is a 3-game guarantee pool play event that after the pool play portion is over, the tournament converts to a single elimination tournament.
Freitas created his own umpire’s association. The 7 members include Frank Naugler, Chris Carr, Cal Cocks, Eric Gibree, Calien Maxwell and Tadji Chatman who are considered as some of the top slow pitch umpires in New England. These dedicated men who make up the association have been with Freitas for an average of 7 to 8 years.
“They are very experienced in the rules and regulations that make up the RI Indoor Softball League.” He said, “it helps having those guys here, knowing that when they are doing a game, the game will be well run and on time.” He goes on to say that, “in addition to the commitment of the players and the teams, I have a great support staff here”.
He credits John Rousseau who runs the concession. As sponsor/player of his own team, the Rhode Island Ducks, Rousseau has started to become a force of his own on the Rhode Island softball scene. Freitas says of Rousseau, “Can you imagine the dedication to the sport and his team this guy has? He is here from the time we begin, to when we end! All night long he is cooking and feeding the players, who get very hungry around 3 or 4 in the morning!” Freitas also credits sponsors who have helped him along the way, like Mike Almedia of OSS Apparel and teams like the Mexicans with Derek Therien (who have won every men’s and Co-ed team in a season, losing only one game in total for the entire year). Teams that enter every event are FAFO, Wasted Talent, and Jager Bombers.
It is the New Year’s Day Rag Ball Bash that is the hallmark event of the RI Indoor Softball program, traditionally the biggest attended event that he holds. It is also the only tournament where he also plays in. “I play for a team called ‘My Dudes’, which is comprised of members of ball players that I had coached in their younger days.”
The tournaments are also wrapped around giving back. The first tournament is a toy drive, where all donations are given to the Woonsocket Police Association to distribute throughout the community. The New Year’s event is combined with a Food Drive. “We will also be holding the 9th annual PB&J tournament, the teams are asked to bring large jars of peanut butter and jelly as donations for us to donate to help feed the homeless,” Freitas said, “In years past there have been coat drives, sock drives and clothing drives. The teams are very generous with their donations.”
The response to the overnight tournament events has been surprising from the start, what began as a curiosity has become a Winter off season tradition. Freitas acknowledged Eric Rich who has played in every one of the New Years Day tournaments. He is the only player who has never missed that event.
It is the work, commitment and dedication to create and guide the RI Indoor Softball that Wayne was recognized and nominated and elected to the class of 2024 Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball’s Hall of Fame. It was his foresight and out-of-the-box thinking that made him a softball pioneer in Rhode Island. When his indoor season ends after the 2nd weekend of March, he’ll be ready to head outside to start the 2025 season. Perhaps he’ll take a few weeks off, maybe until the first week of April.
___
John Cardullo, sportswriter. John is a lifelong Rhode Islander. His sports experience is extensive, as a player, coach and sponsor of youth and high school sports. He has been the Public Address Announcer for the CCRI Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams. Both the Cranston East and Cranston West football, Cranston East Boys and Girls basketball for 12 years before moving onto the Central, Juanita Sanchez and Mt. Pleasant football teams. Also, Central HS Boys and Girls Basketball, Scituate High School Boys and Girls Basketball, Johnston High School Girls Basketball, Boys Volleyball, Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Soccer teams, and CLCF football.
John has been involved in Men’s softball for 61 years, starting as a batboy for his father’s team in 1964. He moved to the teams scorekeeper then became a player in 1975, and created the men’s team, Players Corner Pub, that went on to win 20 State Championships in their 35 year history. In the 1990’s he published the statewide softball magazine “The Fielders Choice” which was dedicated to all topics related to adult softball. As a feature writer, John and the publication won several media awards. In 2019 he was elected and inducted into the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame which he also helped create. John is a softball umpire in Warwick, Rhode Island.
In his spare time John golfs with his life long friends in season. After retiring from the printing Industry after a 45-year career, he now writes specialty sports columns for RINewsToday.com, is still actively engaged in the high school sports scene, and will soon launch a radio show/podcast on high school sports.