AKRON, Ohio — Michael Poole grew up going to Canal Park to watch the then-Akron Aeros take the field. Sitting in the stands with his family around him is a memory that he holds dear to this day. But Akron isn't just a memory for the baseball coach. Poole's journey has brought him back home to the 330 in a true full-circle path.
Poole was born and raised in the Akron area. He went to Field High School in Mogadore, where he played for the Falcons' baseball team.
Baseball was a major part of his life as a young boy, and that continued as he grew. From high school, Poole went on to play ball at Cuyahoga Community College and later transferred to play at Lake Erie College.
"Ended up graduating with early childhood education and then started my coaching career after that," Poole said after recounting his journey into adulthood.
While Poole's playing days were all spent in Northeast Ohio, his coaching career began away from home.
"Started in Bradenton, Florida, a post-grad school called Inspiration Academy," Poole said. "I was there for about a year. After that took an internship with the Milwaukee Brewers, which lasted about three weeks due to COVID. After COVID, came back home...and then took a job in Louisiana at a junior college called LSU Eunice."
Poole then hit the Pacific Northwest, taking a job in Seattle for Driveline baseball. He'd been all over the country, but it wasn't until three years ago that he realized the road was leading him right back to his roots.
In 2022, Poole took a job with the Cleveland Guardians organization as a pitching coach. It was a dream come true for the Northeast Ohio native. When he learned he'd be serving on the team's Double-A affiliate, the Akron RubberDucks, it became a full-circle moment.
"Born and raised here in Akron, right down the street from the ball park. Grew up going to these games when they were the Aeros," Poole said. "Surreal looking up in the stands thinking about being a kid and watching the games here and watching the Aeros, and the RubberDucks even, before coming into the organization and now being able to put the uniform on every night and come out here for game time and get going with these guys."
Poole grew up watching players like José Ramírez and Francisco Lindor play at Canal Park. Now he's coaching guys in the same ballpark.
It's an opportunity he doesn't take lightly and a role he owns proudly under an organization that values pitching perhaps more than most.
"Being the pitching powerhouse that we are and just developing pitchers and the mindsets that we have within the organization. The opportunity to come in here and learn from everyone, it has been awesome," Poole said.
