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Youth Baseball: ‘World’ renown has become tradition in Ridgewood

maple+field1-300x19911

AUGUST 28, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD — Charlie Ponkop and a five-line blurb in The Ridgewood News started it all.

The Ridgewood U14 Raiders’ recent trip to the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Mich. — and welcome home celebration staged on Monday — marks the latest chapter in the village’s longtime devotion to youth baseball.

A glance at the archives of The Ridgewood Herald-News (as it was then called) revealed an entry in then sports editor Bob Curley’s column, “Curley Cues”, on June 16, 1949 that extended an invitation to youngsters seeking a summer activity:

“Boys in the eight, nine and ten year old age group, who are not playing baseball, should contact Charlie Ponkop at the Ridgewood YMCA … Should interest warrant, Ponkop will organize a league for you fellas [sic].”

One year earlier, former Ridgewood High School athletics coach Minous Cannon had helped launch the town’s Midget, Junior and Young Mens’ Baseball Leagues, according to the July 11, 1948 News.

It was Ponkop, however, who initiated the Ridgewood Small Fry Baseball League that produced the village’s first “Little World Series” qualifiers.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/world-renown-a-long-standing-tradition-for-village-1.139996

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Reader says Let’s look at what’s needed to support the needs of youth sports in town

maple+field1-300x19911

One of those 3 60×90 fields is a mess. Lower Hawes barely fits 90 foot baselines. First and third are at the edge of the infield. I think the RBSA has proposed addressing this field but have been turned down by the BOE and the neighborhood. The Somerville field is in good shape and functional but is also a full dirt infield, not the best for ‘true’ baseball. The primary field at Vets was in rough shape at the end of the high school season. Too many teams playing too many games on that field.
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I’m a broken record — let’s thank the Willard school district for all of this. They helped pass the vote for getting their school extended while including the field changes at the high school and BF (removing a 60×90 and a softball field). We can go back further to who proposed putting into that vote the field changes and Willard changes. Can’t continue to post-blame at this point.
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Let’s look at what’s needed to support the needs of youth sports in town. If soccer, baseball, softball, lax and other field sports can use the field, why is that such a bad thing? I believe (and could be wrong) that there was a review of the field usage and needs in town and we came up short. Schedler will help alleviate these needs.

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Ridgewood Celebrates the Junior League All Star Baseball team,winners of the Junior Little League East Region Championship

RBSA Champs rn-eastchamps

RBSA- Welcome Home – Celebration for U-14 – Monday, August 24th

The RBSA will hold a victory celebration for the U14 Ridgewood Junior League All Star team, winners of the Junior Little League East Region Championship. The team is competing the week of August 16-23 in the Junior League Baseball World Series in Taylor, Michigan. There will be a welcome home celebration taking place on Monday, August 24 between 2-4pm at Van Neste Park in the Village of Ridgewood. The team will have a police escort down East Ridgewood Avenue to the park, where they will be greeted by Mayor Paul Aronsohn, the Town Council and town residents to commemorate their accomplishments.

There will be food and music. Please come out to line the streets in celebration as we welcome home our U14 East Region champions.

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Youth Baseball: Memories of Ridgewood’s 1979 World Series team

Billy Martin Kicking Dirt

bronx zoo memories

AUGUST 21, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Terry Cardew understands the emotions the Ridgewood Raiders’ U14 Little League team is experiencing at the Junior World Series in Michigan.

Cardew was a star on the last Ridgewood team to get that far, back in 1979.

“We went into that year with the goal to win the state tournament, so when we got to the region and faced a bunch of 6-foot-tall, huge guys, we were relaxed, because we had achieved our goal,” he said on Sunday. “We were playing with house money.”

His Ridgewood National team won the East Region title and then went on to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

“Back in those days, it wasn’t double elimination,” Cardew said. “It was single elimination, and we lost in the first round to Arkansas. Every game we played in the tournaments was sudden death. We lost, and that was it. We were done with no chance of winning the whole thing. We did play some consolation games, but that loss meant it was over for us.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bridging-a-36-year-span-1.1395971

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Youth Baseball: Ridgewood team reaches Junior League World Series

RBSA Champs rn-eastchamps
PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA POWERS
 The Ridgewood Raiders U14 baseball team qualified for the Junior League World Series Taylor, Mich. by winning the East Region championship on Aug. 13. FRONT ROW, from left: Garret Thompson, Coleman Clauss, Alex Facini, David Kleiman, Dan Boucher, Avery Scott, Kevin Seitter and Bret Thompson. BACK ROW, from left: Coach Craig Frisina, Ben Geraghty, Mike Breiter, Pat Higgins, coach Marc Favieri, Dylan Black, Brady McSwigan, Sam Favieri and coach Will Seitter. Not pictured: Coach Dave Wang.

AUGUST 21, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY RON FOX
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Raiders’ bats were quieted only once in five games during their successful run to the USA East Regional U14 championship. They rebounded quickly and emphatically from that one mishap to stamp their tickets to the Junior Baseball World Series in Taylor, Mich. that began Sunday.

It is the first time a Ridgewood team has reached a World Series in any age group since 1979.

The World Series field consists of five U.S. teams, including Ridgewood, and five international squads. The Raiders’ schedule featured Pearl City, Hawaii (West Region champion) on Sunday; Johnson, Iowa (Central) on Tuesday; Weslaco, Texas (Southwest) on Wednesday; and Frederick County National East, Va. (Southeast) on Thursday.

A champion will be crowned this Sunday, provided the weather holds up during the weeklong, double-elimination tournament.

Ridgewood routed Great Valley, the Pennsylvania champ, 8-1, on Aug. 13 to take the East Region title after losing the previous day to the same team, 2-1.

“That was a clean game with great pitching,” Raiders biographer Steve Facini said over the weekend. With head coach Marc Favieri and his assistants off to Michigan for the World Series’ start, Facini served as team spokesman.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/village-fields-1st-world-series-team-since-1979-1.1395992

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Ridgewood Welcomes Home U14 Ridgewood Junior League All Star team

ridgewood Baseball state champs

RBSA – Welcome Home – Celebration for U-14 – Monday, August 24th

The RBSA will hold a victory celebration for the U14 Ridgewood Junior League All Star team, winners of the Junior Little League East Region Championship. The team is competing the week of August 16-23 in the Junior League Baseball World Series in Taylor, Michigan. There will be a welcome home celebration taking place on Monday, August 24 between 2-4pm at Van Neste Park in the Village of Ridgewood. The team will have a police escort down East Ridgewood Avenue to the park, where they will be greeted by Mayor Paul Aronsohn, the Town Council and town residents to commemorate their accomplishments.

There will be food and music. Please come out to line the streets in celebration as we welcome home our U14 East Region champions

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RIDGEWOOD: JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES

ridgewood Baseball state champs

RIDGEWOOD: JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

Taylor, Michigan
August 16 – 23

https://www.cityoftaylor.com/worldseries

(All times listed are Eastern Standard Time. Box scores are unofficial.)

Junior League Baseball World Series

International Teams
Asia-Pacific, 0-0
Canada, 0-0
Europe-Africa, 0-0
Latin America, 0-0
Puerto Rico, 0-0

United States Teams
Central, 0-0
East (RIDGEWOOD!!), 0-0
Southeast, 0-0
Southwest, 0-0
West, 0-0

Sunday, August 16
Game 1 – 11:00 AM
Score
East
0
West
0
Game 2 – 2:00 PM
Score
Asia-Pacific
0
Latin America
0
Box Score
Game 3 – 5:00 PM
Score
Southeast
0
Southwest
0
Game 4 – 8:00 PM
Score
Puerto Rico
0
Canada
0
Monday, August 17
Game 5 – 11:00 AM
Score
Southeast
0
Central
0
Game 6 – 2:00 PM
Score
Canada
0
Europe-Africa
0
Game 7 – 5:00 PM
Score
Latin America
0
Puerto Rico
0
Game 8 – 8:00 PM
Score
West
0
Southwest
0
Tuesday, August 18
Game 9 – 11:00 AM
Score
Asia-Pacific
0
Puerto-Rico
0
Game 10 – 2:00 PM
Score
West
0
Southeast
0
Game 11 – 5:00 PM
Score
Latin America
0
Europe-Africa
0
Game 12 – 8:00 PM
Score
East
0
Central
0
Wednesday, August 19
Game 13 – 11:00 AM
Score
Latin America
0
Canada
0
Game 14 – 2:00 PM
Score
East
0
Southwest
0
Game 15 – 5:00 PM
Score
West
0
Central
0
Game 16 – 8:00 PM
Score
Asia-Pacific
0
Europe-Africa
0
Thursday, August 20
Game 17 – 11:00 AM
Score
Southwest
0
Central
0
Game 18 – 2:00 PM
Score
Asia-Pacific
0
Canada
0
Game 19 – 5:00 PM
Score
Puerto Rico
0
Europe-Africa
0
Game 20 – 8:00 PM
Score
East
0
Southeast
0
Saturday, August 22
International Final
Game 21 – 3:00 PM
#1 Seed Pool Play
0
#2 Seed Pool Play
0
United States Final
Game 22 – 6:00 PM
Score
#1 Seed Pool Play
0
#2 Seed Pool Play
0
Sunday, August 23
Championship Game
Game 23 – 1:00 PM
Score
Winner Game 21
0
Winner Game 22
0

ESPN | Watch

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Second Update: Ridgewood’s 14U Raiders, the New Jersey Junior League Champs

Ridgewood U14 team

Second Update: Ridgewood’s 14U Raiders, the New Jersey Junior League Champs, are playing in the East Regional Tournament championship game tomorrow morning, 10:00am in Freehold, having taken the winner’s bracket with three straight wins!

JLBWS RESULTS

JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL EAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

Freehold, New Jersey
August 7-12

https://www.ftll.org/regionals/index.htm

(All times listed are Eastern Time. Box scores are unofficial.)

Junior League Baseball East Regional Tournament
Results through Monday night, 8/10
Connecticut (0-2)
Delaware (1-2)
Host – District 19 (2-1)
Maine (1-2)
Maryland (1-2)
Massachusetts (3-1)
New Jersey (3-0)
New York (1-2)
Pennsylvania (3-1)
Rhode Island (0-2)
Friday, August 7
Game 1 – 10:00 AM
Score
Maine
3
PennsylvaniaSecond Update: Ridgewood’s 14U Raiders, the New Jersey Junior League Champs, are playing in the East Regional Tournament championship game tomorrow morning, 10:00am in Freehold, having taken the winner’s bracket with three straight wins!

JLBWS RESULTS

JUNIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL EAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

Freehold, New Jersey
August 7-12

https://www.ftll.org/regionals/index.htm

(All times listed are Eastern Time. Box scores are unofficial.)

Junior League Baseball East Regional Tournament
Results through Monday night, 8/10
Connecticut (0-2)
Delaware (1-2)
Host – District 19 (2-1)
Maine (1-2)
Maryland (1-2)
Massachusetts (3-1)
New Jersey (3-0)
New York (1-2)
Pennsylvania (3-1)
Rhode Island (0-2)
Friday, August 7
Game 1 – 10:00 AM
Score
Maine
3
Pennsylvania
1
Game 2 – 1:00 PM
Score
Rhode Island
4
Delaware
7
Game 3 – 4:00 PM
Score
District 19
5
Massachusetts
2
Game 4 – 7:00 PM
Score
New Jersey
12
Connecticut
0
Game 7 – 4:00 PM
Score
Maine
0
New York
5
Game 8 – 7:00 PM
Score
Maryland
5
Delaware
0
Sunday, August 9
Game 9 – 10:00 AM
Score
Massachusetts
3
Maine
2
Game 10 – 1:00 PM
Score
Delaware
1
Pennsylvania
11
Game 11 – 4:00 PM
Score
District 19
6
New York
4
Game 12 – 7:00 PM
Score
Maryland
5
New Jersey
6
Monday, August 10
Game 13 – 1:00 PM
Score
Maryland
3
Massachusetts
4
Game 14 – 4:00 PM
Score
Pennsylvania
10
New York
0
Game 15 – 7:00 PM
Score
District 19
5
New Jersey
6
Tuesday, August 11
Game 16 – 4:00 PM
Score
Massachusetts
0
Pennsylvania
0
Game 17 – 7:00 PM
Score
District 19
0
Winner Game 16
0
Wednesday, August 12
Championship Game
Game 18 – 10:00 AM
Score
New Jersey
0
Winner Game 17
0
Winner of Game 17 advances to the 2015 Junior League Baseball World Series in Taylor, Michigan.

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Ridgewood Youth Baseball Squad Claims State Crown

ridgewood Baseball state champs

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE FACINI

The Ridgewood U14 Raiders captured the Junior League state championship Monday night with a comeback win over Toms River East and will begin the Eastern Regional Tournament tonight in Freehold. FRONT ROW, from left: Garret Thompson, Ben Geraghty, Alex Facini, Sam Favieri, Avery Scott, Brady McSwigan and Kevin Seitter. BACK ROW, from left: Coach Dave Wang, coach Will Seitter, Dan Boucher, Mike Breiter, Pat Higgins, Dylan Black, Coleman Clauss, Bret Thompson, coach Marc Favieri, David Kleiman and coach Craig Frisina.

AUGUST 7, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY RON FOX
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Fortunately, Marc Favieri’s rallying cry did not fall on deaf ears Monday.

“Keep fighting,” he and his assistant coaches kept urging the U14-level baseball team.

The Ridgewood Raiders responded full bore. They came back from near oblivion to take the next step on the circuitous route toward the Little League Junior World Series by scoring nine runs in the seventh and final inning to win the state championship, 14-8, over Toms River East in Old Bridge.

The Raiders now move on to Freehold, where the Eastern Regional Tournament starts against Edgewood Little League of Bristol, Conn., tonight at 7 p.m. The tournament consists of 10 teams, from Maine to Maryland and Delaware.

The winner of that tournament earns a berth in the Little League Junior World Series beginning Aug. 16 in Taylor, Mich. A New Jersey team hasn’t won the tournament since Holbrook Little League of Jackson captured the title in 2009.

The outlook was bleak as Ridgewood entered the seventh. They were running out of time. With one out and no one on base, the situation has reached desperation time for a Raiders squad just two outs away from elimination.

“Keep fighting,” came the cry again, reasserting the faith the coaches had in the boys. It was not an empty phrase.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/raiders-stage-rally-to-claim-state-title-1.1388182

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Youth Baseball: Ridgewood U14 team brings home Section 1 title

Ridgewood U14 team
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE FACINI
 The Ridgewood U14 Raiders baseball team claimed the Section 1 crown and advanced to the State Championships. FRONT ROW, from left: Alex Facini, Ben Geraghty, Sam Favieri, Avery Scott, Brady McSwigan, Bret Thompson and Kevin Seitter. BACK ROW, from left: Coach Marc Favieri, coach Dave Wang, Dan Boucher, Mike Breiter, Coleman Clauss, Pat Higgins, Dylan Black, David Kleiman, coach Will Seitter, Garret Thompson and coach Craig Frisina.

 

JULY 31, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY RON FOX
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

While there was no “Under Construction” sign attached to the dugout, it was understood that this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Ridgewood U14 baseball team.

The Raiders were coming off a series of strong seasons, but this time, half of last year’s team had begun high school and moved on.

“But it was a nice turnover,” coach Marc Favieri said between events this week. His team had won the Section 1 championship and was poised to enter the state tournament at midweek.

“These kids knew each other and they had played together in rec league,” the coach said. “This is a strong group of kids. They’re all very athletic and there’s a camaraderie. They’re all friends and that helps a lot. They jelled very quickly.”

All the coaches at the lower levels in the village, from Little League on up, are proud to have developed players who have gone on to play and star at Ridgewood High School.

“The high school program is in good hands,” Favieri said. “The last three or four classes moving up have been strong.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/rebuilt-raiders-rise-to-the-occasion-1.1384025

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A Hall of Famer John Smoltz issues a warning to baseball parents

20120330_baseball_33

JULY 26, 2015, 11:26 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015, 7:57 AM
BY TARA SULLIVAN
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD
Print

The message was tucked deep inside a long and personal Hall of Fame acceptance speech, important words of warning amid heartfelt words of gratitude.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was one of four players inducted Sunday

John Smoltz touched all the emotional bases Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y., thanking everyone from family and friends to former teammates and coaches for helping him realize baseball’s career pinnacle. But it was when he turned his attention to a long-ago major league pitcher and a host of doctors and trainers that Smoltz’s moment of personal achievement morphed into one of public service.

With an impassioned plea to parents across America to protect the arms of their budding baseball stars, Smoltz gave an important big-league voice to an issue that threatens the future of our long-standing national pastime.

As the first pitcher in the Hall of Fame who had Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, Smoltz spoke from a perch of experience. Though filled with gratitude and appreciation for the career-saving procedure pioneered by noted orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe and famously performed on onetime Yankee pitcher Tommy John, Smoltz is part of the growing chorus of baseball fans alarmed by the increase in Tommy John procedures, particularly among young athletes.

“It’s an epidemic, it’s something that’s affecting our game,” Smoltz said. “It’s something that I thought would cost me my career, but thanks to Dr. James Andrews and all those before him performing the surgery with such precision, it has caused it to be almost a false read, like a Band-Aid you put on your arm.

“I want to encourage families and parents that are out there to understand that is not normal to have a surgery at 14 or 15 years old, [that] you have time, that baseball is not a year-round sport, that you have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports. Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before you, guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses, [tell you] that this is the way.

“We have such great, dynamic arms in our game, and it’s a shame we are having one and two and three Tommy John recipients.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/sullivan-a-hall-of-famer-john-smoltz-issues-a-warning-to-baseball-parents-1.1381270

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Ridgewood Little League Baseball: Fourth straight district title for 12U group

ridgewoodll12u_theridgewoodblog
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DARIENZO FAMIL
The Ridgewood 12U Little League baseball team won its district championship with a 2-1 victory over Waldwick. FRONT ROW, from left: Collin Feeney, Donn Patrick Joseph, Ryan Cummings and Ather Williams. MIDDLE ROW, from left: Matthew Byrne, Reed Darienzo, Ed Chanod, Bryan Chan, Joseph Pagano, Donovan Joseph and Chris Fyock. BACK ROW, from left: Coach Andy Meyer, George Hadfield, Jack Meyer, coach Guy Darienzo and coach Mike Feeney.

 

JULY 17, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY RON FOX
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Coaches only can hope to get their messages across as well as Guy Darienzo did in 2012. The Ridgewood Little League coach stressed team play, players pulling for each other and staying fiercely determined not to give up under any circumstances.

His Ridgewood Raiders squad won their district championship that first year and have won each of the age-group titles every year since as they’ve moved up, extending that streak this week with a 2-1 win over Waldwick for the District 4 12U title.

“As far as I know, winning four straight district championships is unprecedented in New Jersey,” Darienzo said as his team prepared for Saturday’s opening of sectional play in Kittatinny, where Ridgewood will play against Somerset Hills at 3:30 p.m.

Perhaps an even more spectacular streak is the team’s overall play. The Raiders have never lost a district game in those four magical years. Basically 90 percent of the players on the roster have played together while moving up through the various age groups to dominate and collect four district banners.

“The kids bought into what we were preaching [in 2012] and it’s great to hear them cheering for each other, each at-bat,” said Darienzo, formerly a standout athlete at Bergen Catholic.

Two well-balanced squads faced off for the title this time around. Waldwick, making its debut in the tournament, fought through the losers’ bracket to earn the berth against defending champion Ridgewood, and a pitchers’ duel broke out.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/fourth-straight-district-title-for-12u-group-1.1376003

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Today at Bookends Baseball legend Tommy Lasorda

Tommy_Lasorda_cover

Saturday, May 23rd @ 2:00pm

Baseball Hall of Fame Manager, Tommy Lasorda, will sign his new book, My Way .Each Person attending must have at least one book.

TOMMY LASORDA

Thomas Charles Lasorda
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1997
Primary team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Primary position: Manager

For more than three decades, he has been the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And after more than sixty years in the Dodgers’ organization, Tommy Lasorda remains the embodiment of Dodger Blue.

Lasorda, who managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-1996, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 by the Veterans Committee following a career where he won 1,599 games, two World Series and two more National League pennants – all with the Dodgers.

Thomas Charles Lasorda was born Sept. 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pa. He got his start in pro-baseball at the age of 18 as a southpaw pitcher when he signed with the Phillies in 1945, then served two years in the military.

In 1948, Lasorda made a record-making return to the baseball scene with the Schenectady Blue Jays as he authored a 25-strikeout performance. In 1949, the Dodgers drafted him from the Phillies, and he made a new home pitching for the Greenville Spinners and the Montreal Royals. During his time with the Royals, Lasorda led his team to four minor league championships.

Lasorda made his major league debut on Aug. 5, 1954 with the Dodgers. He played for the Dodgers for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics, where he pitched for one season.

After the 1960 season, Lasorda ended his playing career in pro ball and became a scout for the Dodgers until 1965. He managed in the minor leagues from 1966-72, and in 1973 Tommy made his way back to the big leagues as a third base coach for the L.A. Dodgers under another future Hall of Fame manager – Walter Alston. Alston retired in 1976 after 23 years with the Dodgers, and Lasorda took the reins.

By 1978, he had led the Dodgers to two straight National League championships, and became the first NL manager to win pennants in their first two seasons. After losing to the Yankees in both the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the Dodgers went on to win the World Series over the Yankees in 1981. They defeated the A’s in 1988 to give Lasorda his second World Series title.

After retiring in 1996, Lasorda stayed busy working in baseball. In 2000, he managed the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team to a gold medal in the Sydney games.

“Guys ask me, don’t I get burned out?” Lasorda said. “How can you get burned out doing something you love?”

https://baseballhall.org/hof/lasorda-tommy

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.

Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed.  We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

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Ridgewood native writes with Bengie Molina

Molina

MAY 8, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Joan Ryan, who claims an ideal childhood in Ridgewood, will tell you she gives her father credit for her passion for baseball and sports. Her dad, Bob Ryan, coached Little League the years the family lived here.

Joan spent her impressionable years, from four to thirteen years old, with jaunts to the Duck Pond, summer and winter (“we would ice skate there”), or “going across the creek behind our house to skate in the parking lot.” She remembers having Mod parties with friends, Maureen Quinn and Diane Whitehead, wearing white mini-skirts and dancing; the basketball hoop on the garage; catching fireflies; the bus to Somerville. She remembers going to Lyon’s for candy, or milk for mom, and the trips to Tice’s Farm at Halloween. “It really was a perfect place to grow up!”

She adds, “There were no opportunities like that in Florida.”

Joan was the third of six children and her mother, tired of the cold, moved the family to Florida in 1972. “I didn’t like it at all,” says Joan.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/books/hometown-girl-writes-with-bengie-molina-1.1329328

 

Former MLB Catcher Bengie Molina will appear at Bookends Saturday, May 9th @1:00pm

Molina is a former MLB Catcher for Anaheim Angels, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the San Francisco Giants,

Bengie Molina, will sign his new book:

MOLINA: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty
Bengie will Sign ONE piece of Memorabilia with purchase of book!

Books available May 9th

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.

Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed.  We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

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‘Amazin’ Opening Day for Ridgewood Baseball & Softball Association

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photo Ridgewood Elks Lodge

APRIL 24, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD — On a warm, sunny day, seemingly handpicked for the unofficial start of the season in the village, swarms of young athletes flocked to the 65th annual Ridgewood Baseball and Softball Association (RBSA) Opening Day festivities.

“The baseball gods, softball gods were with us today with the beautiful weather,” RBSA President Jim Albano said last Saturday, referring to the streak of poor weather the event had experienced in recent years.

The association pulled out all the stops this year, expanding the event with a 60-item tricky tray, 28 craft vendors, five food trucks and various other baseball- and softball-related activities.

“It’s a festival now, it’s not just Opening Day,” Albano said.

RBSA board member Lisa Powers, the key figure behind the so-called “grand-slam changes,” had sought a larger event to “bring the community together.”

“I wanted to make it bigger and better and more exciting, not just for the RBSA but for the community,” Powers said. “I wanted to make it fun for the kids, so it wasn’t just a parade, and they could have a day off from their games and play.”

The festivities attracted several hundred youth players to Veterans Field and the early reactions were positive.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/amazin-day-for-season-opening-festivities-1.1317693