It’s rare for a double header to be played anymore in the major leagues, much less the mere thought of a triple-header. But even that had nothing on the four games played consecutively on June 16 at Nuzzi Field in New Hyde Park as part of the sixth annual New Hyde Park Little League All Star Day.
“It’s a beautiful day for the games which feature some of our best players in New Hyde Park,” New Hyde Park Little League President Tom Pellegrino said.
The games included the boys majors, girls majors and boys and girls minor teams. Each division, which included an American and National League team, fielded a 13 player squad. The teams played each other starting at 9 a.m. in the morning and ending at 5 p.m. in the afternoon.
Before each of the games, the players and coaches took time to honor members of the larger New Hyde Park and sport community.
Before the first game, former New Hyde Park Little League President, Softball Commissioner and current clinic director Bob Hodgeson was honored with the first pitch.
At 2 p.m. the players, coaches and fans took a break to honor some of New Hyde Park’s veterans, past all star teams and NYPD Detective and Garden City Park resident Kevin Brennan, who and was critically injured in the line of duty. Brennan was shot on the night of January 30 pursuing a gun wielding suspect in Brooklyn. He was honored by throwing out the first pitch in the boys’ major league game.
Before the third game the league also inducted several new members into the hall of fame including , , baseball vice-president Vinnie Grunert and the 2008 New York State Champion Girls Seniors, who captured the first-ever state championship in the league’s history. Current Hofstra University softball pitcher Olivia Galati also .
As was the case in the big leagues, the day belonged to the American League teams as three out of the four teams came away with a victory: the American girls minors beat the National team, 6-5; the boys American major team won 6-1 and the boys minor American league team won 6-4. The only National team to get a victory was the girls major league team who won a close battle, 6-5.
