Ryan Beal is critical of himself, but he passes tougher judgment on the professional baseball players he so idolizes. And when Beal is watching his favorite Boston Red Sox players on TV, he finds himself most analytical of the game he loves to play.

“I’ll always watch them real close and see what they’re doing well and then get annoyed when I think they’re doing something wrong or someone makes a mistake,” said Beal. “I’m pretty tough on myself and we’re (my teammates and I) always trying to help each other and get better, but I’m even worse when I’m watching the (Red Sox) games.

”Recently, Beal helped lead the 13-year-olds of Goffstown Babe Ruth to their best tournament finish in Goffstown Babe Ruth history. Beal finished the postseason with a .500 batting average, going 20-for-40 with 22 RBI and 18 runs scored.

For his accomplishments, Beal has been named this month’s “Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month.

”Batting third in the lineup, Beal anchored the high-powered offense of the first Goffstown team to play beyond the district tournament, helping the squad come within one win of a berth in the Babe Ruth World Series.

Besides his prowess at the plate, Beal helped with his pitching, taking the ball at various times during tournament play.When he wasn’t slamming doubles – including a walkoff blast against Keene in the state tourney – and triples, Beal called games from his post at catcher or played second base.

He worked during the offseason on his swing mechanics and regularly sought pitching pointers from his father, Steve, who managed the 13-year-old all-stars.Ryan emerged as one of the squad’s most potent offensive weapons, alongside leadoff hitter Jake Glauser and Dylan Bisceglia.

“I think it helped having my dad as a coach because it just gave me someone else to watch me and work with me on things during the season and in the winter,” said Ryan. “Since he was there coaching, he has a different way of seeing what I need to work on instead of if he was watching from the stands.

”His successful season also attracted the attention of Goffstown coaches Tony Shaw and John Allard. Both said Ryan, who used to play soccer and hockey but now focuses on basketball and baseball, played an integral role in the squad’s stellar finish.

“He’s a good, solid player,” said Allard. “The kids were just great this year. They all played so well together, and no one, really, thought they’d come this far. Ryan really helped be a big part of that offense that led us so deep into the tourney.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)