Recalling Little League’s Games And How RGMVM Got Home Stadium

Who remembers the Ridgewood-Glendale-Middle Village- Maspeth Little League’s 2002 All-Star Day?

The coverage that follows originally appeared in the June 6, 2002 issue of the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times:

All-Star Sunday

The RGMVM Little League held its 51st annual All-Star Day on Sunday, June 2.

Games were held in the Instructional, Rookie, Minor, Major, Girls Major Softball and Girls Senior Softball divisions.

The fans were treated to some great action by the best of the league’s players.

New awards named

This year marked the debut of two new perpetual league awards: The Captain Pat Waters Memorial Courage Award in the Girls Seniors Softball Division and the Presidents Sprit Award in the Girls Major Softball Division.

The Captain Pat Waters Award is given to the player who shows team spirit and never-say-quit attitude. It was created in memory of FDNY Captain Pat Waters who died heroically in the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack.

The Ridgewood-Glendale- Middle Village-Maspeth Little League held its 51st annual All- Star Day on June 2, 2002 at Seither Stadium in Glendale. Pictured are trophy-winning players from the various divisions. (photos: Don Baldi) He was a former coach in the league as well as being involved in the community in various other kids sports programs. Pat’s widow Janice and their son Danny—who plays in the league—were on hand to present this prestigious award.

Award winners

The Danny Saccomanno Award for the Instructional Division was presented to Samantha DiGiovanni of the Giants Post 1815 team.

The Dickey Koehler Award in the Minor Division was presented to Robert Pelligrino of the Robart Construction team.

The Presidents Spirit Award in the Girls Major Softball Division was presented to Melissa Endres of the Middle Village Republican Club team.

The Captain Pat Waters Award was presented to Justine Venezia of the Caya Materials team.

MVP in the All-Star Games

Instructional Division

American Division: Christopher Piteo of the Giants Post 1815 team.

National Division: Jonathan Murphy of the Mets Assemblyman Michael Cohen team.

Rookie Division

American Division: Christopher O’Connell of the Cutrone’s Lawmen team.

National Division: Joseph Byrnes of the Myrtle Bagels team.

Minor Division

American Division: Frankie Stimmel.

National Division: Vincent Manning.

Major Division

Andrew Viola Lopez of the Schwille Funeral Home team.

Jared Macchirole of the Ridgewood Savings team.

Girls Major Softball Kelsey Fuchs of the Schawaroch Chapels team.

Samantha Stallone of the Glendale Diner team.

Girls Senior Softball

Katie Scotko of the Caya Materials team.

Justine Venezia of the Caya Materials team.

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Who remembers how the Ridgewood Glendale-Middle Village- Maspeth Little League acquired its current home ballpark?

The RGMVM Little League didn’t always play at Seither Stadium in Glendale. A front-page story in the Jan. 18, 1968 issue of the Ridgewood Times provides some historical background.

Headlined “Little League Gets Site For Ball Field,” the story appeared as follows:

A three-block site at Woodhaven Boulevard and Union Turnpike, formerly known as Certified Industries, has been leased to the Ridgewood- Glendale-Middle Village Little League for playing fields, Louis Seither, president of the league, announced this week.

For the past 18 months, Seither and City Councilman Arthur Katzman have sought a permanent home for the league. Last year, the league had to carry out its program on a piecemeal basis, playing on fields in Juniper Valley Park and Highland Park, which necessitated dropping the farm system.

That meant that 100 fewer eager youngsters were able to participate in the Little League program. Many adversities existed and prompted numerous appeals to city officials to locate a site to fulfill the requirements of the program.

The league formerly played on the Cooperdale Dairy property which has been converted into home sites. Seither made a public appeal to all city officials to make fields available for youth programs such as the Little League, but his appeal went virtually unheeded until the latter part of 1966 when the Little league program seemed doomed.

Many enthusiastic conferences between Katzman; George McArdle, assistant district administrator of New York District No. 27 for Little League Baseball; and Seither, district administrator culminated in leasing the field.

Even though they are aware that the field will not be ready for usefor 1968 and much hard work is in store for them, their spirits are high, knowing that they can serve youth with a full program in the near future.

Councilman Katzman was greatly instrumental in convincing those involved that programming industrial use or low-income housing was of lesser importance than serving youth with a program of “healthful, character building activities.”

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Who remembers when star football players from the NFL Giants and then-AFL Jets were presenters at 1968 awards dinner for the Black Falcons?

An account of the affair was published in the Feb. 8, 1968 issue of the Ridgewood Timres Headlined “Football Stars Give Trophies To V.F.W. Black Falcons,” the story appeared as follows:

Jim Katcavage of the New York Giants and Don Maynard from the New York Jets were guests of honor at the Pop Warner Football Conference held in the Showboat Restaurant.

The football stars presented trophies to the outstanding players of the V.F.W. 123 Black Falcons, Ridgewood Post.

Quarterback Tommy Brewer of of Glendale was the recipient of the All- Star Trophy, while honorable mention awards went to Mike Holmes, Dan Jurgens, Joe Occhioto, Richie Perry and Gary Schmidberger. Mike Annerella, who was killed recently in an auto accident, also received honorable mention.

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Five years ago in the RGMVM Little League ... The following game coverage appeared in the Oct. 7, 2004 issue of the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times:

Game One 10-and-under RGMVM Tournament

Team

On Saturday, Oct. 2, the RGMVM 10-and-under tournament team took its 4-0 record on the road to North Riverdale.

The results were favorable as the boys from RGMVM won both ends of a doubleheader against the North Riverdale All-Stars by scores of 4-3 and 6-1

In Game One, RGMVM scored twice in the first frame, thanks to a two-out, RBI double by Joe Mortillaro that plated Chris Hardardt, who had walked, and a single by Chris Piteo to score Joe Mortillaro.

RGMVM would score two more runs in the second inning without the benefit of a hit, as four walks, a hit batter and three stolen bases sent Mike Guglielmi and Patrick O’Reilly across the dish.

This would be all the runs RGMVM would score in the game, but they proved to be enough as starting pitcher Ryan Schultz, who pitched into the fourth, allowed only three runs.

Patrick O’Reilly closed out the victory in relief, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and then pitching a scoreless fifth and sixth innings, striking out four All- Stars along the way.

Ryan Schultz and Patrick O’Reilly were backed up by strong defense highlighted by Mike D’Agostino’s sliding catch in right field to end the second inning. A nice, barehanded pickup and throw to first by third baseman Joe Mortillaro ended the third inning.

It was another strong defensive game by catcher Mike Guglielmi that helped seal the 4-3 victory.

Game Two

In the second game, repetition proved to be a good thing as RGMVM scored three times in the first inning.

Rob Hofmann led off the game with a single to left field. After two outs, a pitch hit Patrick O’Reilly and Joe Mortillaro singled to center, driving in Rob Hofmann. Mike Guglielmi followed with a double to bring in Patrick O’Reilly and Joe Mortillaro.

RGMVM’s bats would remain cool until the fifth inning. Then Nicholas Picht’s double scored Mike D’Agostino, who led off the inning with a single.

Chris Piteo singled to score Picht and Joe Mortillaro’s grounder was mishandled by the second baseman, allowing Piteo to score the sixth and final run for RGMVM.

Those six runs would be all second game starting pitcher Joe Byrnes needed, as he was in control, allowing only one run and recording six strikeouts.

The RGMVM defense shined through the cloudy weather with a nice catch by Rob Hofmann in center field, good glove work on hot grounders by Joe Mortillaro at third and a cat-like Joe Byrnes on the mound.

All this good defense was highlighted by first baseman Nicholas Picht’s eight put-outs and a web gem unassisted double play to end North Riverdale’s first-inning rally.

This well-rounded team is now 6- 0 in the Diamond Pros Fall League.

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