Mookie Wilson and Bruce Beck Open Scarsdale Little League Spring Season

Former Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson and NBC sportscaster Bruce Beck kicked off the spring season of the Scarsdale Little League on Saturday, April 14. The teams gathered in their designated spots on the Crossway field, the Boy Scouts raised the American flag, Beck provided words of inspiration, and baseball star Mookie Wilson, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. A notable difference in this year’s program from prior years was the selection of local sponsors to help fund maintenance costs of the playing fields and to underwrite various capital improvements. According to Scarsdale Little League President James Carnicelli, “over $10,000 was raised in this year’s sponsorship program with expectations of a growing number of sponsors in the future.” The complete list of sponsors who chose to help out can be found on the league’s website.

For the second year in a row, the league is using minor league team associations with names like the Savannah Sand Gnats, Midland Rockhounds and Bowling Green Hot Rods versus the old system (where major league team associations were used) in an effort to add a little more fun. From an informal survey of the kids at the Opening Day ceremony, the change has been a big hit!

The theme of fun was consistent in the speeches delivered Saturday morning. Bruce Beck mentioned that even though he was at the Opening Day game for the Yankees the previous day, the Scarsdale Little League Opening Day was a bigger event for him and his family (Beck and his sons all played Little League ball). He noted that Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter actually said that “at Opening Day at Yankee Stadium you feel like you’re in Little League”. Beck went on the say, “This is true baseball – this is pure baseball”.

SLL President Carnicelli encouraged players, coaches and parents, to “have fun,” adding, “that’s why we’re out here.” Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser got right to the point and encouraged the players “to just have fun”. Mookie Wilson closed the ceremony with the reinforcement “above anything else – always have fun”.

Scarsdale Little League is the largest youth athletic program in the Village with over 1,200 registered participants (grades K-8) in the leagues Spring, Summer and Fall programs. The common goal for the board members and parent volunteers is “the desire to promote the development of baseball skills, emotional growth through a team baseball experience and, ultimately, a love of baseball itself.”

Writer Will Heffner played 10 years of Little League, junior league and high school baseball. His brother James is starting his 5th year of Little League ball.