By TODDSLISS

e League opening day In Fresno,

I. in 1954, IS still fresh in the mind
II of Farner Tom Seaver. who
gh the cour.se of his later life
in many all important ball game
opening day through the World
, the glory days or pitching for
iracle Mets in 1969 and beyond
cial [0 Seaver, but the picture
'ned in his mind of his muther sit
the first base bleachers and the
of her voice, and his fat her
d the home run marker in the OUI
[with tbe family dog (a nome run
baU that d eared the chalk line on
s. and the dog was smart enough
'Yo' not to cross onto the field) are
~ .. he carries around with him to
,y. He also knows that be was No,
the uniform." had green trim.
a . ~ Seaver, along with the great
lefty Jerry Koosman, hel ped
Je celebrate not only the opening
2007 Little League season, but
!'and new dedicated Little League
at Crossway 3, the memori es
fl ooding back on Saturday mom
pri1 14.
hty Seaver threw the first ball to
Schwall Jr. of the Pirates, lefty
10 Matthew Katz of the A' s.
,en you' re growing up, the start
season is so special." said Seaver.
,Iayed Little League and L ~ a mem
the national board. "rClO a begin
lof the season for the game you
.aler in life it changes as you go,
ing more of an art form and even
ou sec how special it is."
sman never really had an opening
Legion baH and in hll> mid-
e was aJready playing semi-pro
certainly was a different time.
something you look forward to
ter, so it' s great when the bell
get going." Koosman said while
! a baseball at Last Licks Friday.
mericu' s game and you just want
lut and play ball."
t the kids have today lS nothing
at Koosman had..
ay they' ve got their metal bats,
oes, gloves and uniformlo and J
old bull with no hi de on it,"
nn said. "ICs like night and day."
il e Seaver and Koosman may
their memories from youth base-
the pros, the memories created
nl!W field are ummaginable. No
ows what i ~ In store for the kiili
whave a field 10 caH tlJeir ow
a ki d. He played one year of
ew season, field excitesballplayer
Dugouts are one of the many new features at the dedicated Little League field at Crossway 3.
..----....-----------------------------..- IIiit:::=:::=l
i
t

fieli.l at Crossway
lion Little Leagu
d-under in grades 3-6, 1l1e fiel
; brand new dugouts, JeDces out
e backstop. an outfield fence that
res 200 feel, bullpens for bolb
, fenced in on-deck circl es. an
onic scoreboard, a tlagpole and
ers on both sides of the field In
n to the obvious amenities, borne
wa:. moved forward 10 feet, a
new infield was put in with a new
r system, drainage and sod.
field used to be just a backstop
bench for each team.
, a dream come true for field com
co-chairs Frank Schwall Sr. and
,ell Katz and the 250 families and
esscs that contributed to the
000 effort.
s very fulfilling to see the project
gh to completion," Little League
president Schwall said. "Nothing
us happier than having a field for
Ids to play baseball on. Hopefully
I have a lot of fun at this field."
k only two years for the field to
to fruiti on from the initial propos
I the village to opening day.
clion began last September and
ing was in place in time for the
D.
(ost people haven't seen it yet and
all of a sudden they show up and
are blown away by it," Schwall
"diU.. 1111111" II
ause the didn't see it in progress
some orus have,'
In addition Lo the Litlle Leal!uc. there
were a lot of different agencle; Involved
with the ficlu.
,It was U cllllaoonttivc. effort with
many people from the PRC to SuzOlnne
Jnd the department to
the vil l:lge office to Ih e
truSh.'Cl.," Schwall "1\ great III
see how peoplc can work togelher 10
produce something .,
While the field IS certilinly a spdcial
place antl :I . focal point for tht': Little
League, }he game is II Iill what mailer!'.
moM to those .imolved,
'There art: S I) muny greal \aluc:-. in
Litlll.! Lctl1;.ce like leam-.man!>hip.
sport!>fllanship, Ic:tming how to phlv a
",\J , U 1"", 1\,.14"-'
a\t Lillie League:- preSidem Katz s.aid.
"To Ihut is whutit' !\ ahout.
"Thls fiel d is nol anything Ih at
thl! compelilh'cness of base
balL ]t's Just a fun place to he. Ifs not
j ust f()r championship games amI the
best teams. for everyone in third
grade and up to get a chance to play on
the field."
Four games were played (Ill the fi el d
Saturday, induding the opener featuring
the Pirates and A's JJl the fi flh- and
sixth-grade league.
"It feels reall y good because we'l"!
the first people ever 10 walk on the
field," Neh an Sheth of the A's "ald.
"It's great si lt in g here in Ihe new
dugout. You feel li ke a real player:'
"I love it because pt!ople CJn come
with their frien d!> to play bu\eha\l
instead of going home and playing
there," Max Bernstein of the A's said.
"I love the fences and the du gouts
because it makes you feel like you' re in
a real major league game."
ven the parents were enjoyi ng the
new mi nor league-hIking field. though
in the end seeing their kids happy and
acti ve was the main thing.
very nice." mom Belh
Bernstein said she watched the gam
from the bleachers. "I think for our kJ(ls
to play the fir..l g,lme;: here is exching.
I C t:... _ I n;:]
this Illorning. They couldn' , wait."
For Beth who grew up in
Nebraska. there was u central Incalion
where all of Lhe were. so having
them <Jmund town in Scarlodale
a, it hit of H chunge. 'The great thing
i.. thal thc\' have a thaI this is their
field,"' said.
All part of rhe dedication. Schwall
announced the Scarsdale Little League
Horne Run Challenge. The fi rsl player
to hit II homt: run liver the rence wins u
learn pil.la and ice .: ream party frll m
Amore Pilla :lnd Culd Stone Creamerv.
Babe Ruth hit the first home run ;1
Yankee Swdiilm in 1923. Who will Oc
thi: answer to thaI trivia in
Scarsdale:!

d. '''We' re very
c\citcd for to playing
111cres a sense 01 satisfaction because
thiS is such Ol beautiful ad dition to
cUMaJe:'
The dedication
NBC sponscaster :lJld Scarsdale resI
dent Bruce Beck served a<; emcee of the
event ami opened by noti ng how "awe
somc" the lield is and thaI "lhere may
bt' a nor'easler comi ng tomorrow, but
even tile perf\!ct :-.torm couldn't stop us
tuda\,:'
has coached on the fields of
Scarsdale dnd his youngest son Mike
an umpire in the league. Beck s
first C)pening day memories are from
Li ving'aon, N.J ., 1964, where after
three throwi ng and catching errors he
made it horne safe with whal he stiIl,
to thiS day. considers a home run on a
ballthm didn' t even clear the pitcher's
mound
"Little League is about much more
than hllting uud fiel ding and base
running," Beck told lhe crowd. "You
learn how to be a winner and a
loser. anJ about fair play and team
work."
MJyor Noreen FISher noted Ihe "per
fect example" of how the local govern
men t and tbe community can come
was Ihat il wuk only 1\1.;0 yel
opposed lo the "25 year,,' it u
takes the village III th
My hope!' are you have man
of sunshine and that the
on tun." Fillhcl said.
Bo) SCOUI Troop 4 present
color [!uard and led the Plee
Allegla'fll:e and senior
Failla perforn1t::d "The Star-Sp:
Banner,'
Beck let! the Little League
which illC.luded such youth sport
as fair play, "triving to win and
vour hurdes\. He noted that m
today' s major league herQe!. li k
Yorl. Me! Da,jd Wright, have tal
oath in thclf cJuldhooili..
In Introdul.: lng Ihe special
it h
Koosman one of the mnst "uncle
pitchers ever . W Cl
struck out over 2,500
was a two-t ime AII -Stnr and tw
20-game "'lOner in his 19-yeur
12 wi th the Metl>. For the 11)69
Coosman won two games in the
Series. And. exactly 40 years to
. sman made his maj(lr leag
agamst the Phillies.
The mOlin attract J(l n, howe v
Seaver, the 1967 Rookie of th
three-time Cy Young A ward
and 12-time All-St ar, who w
games and struck out over 3,600
in his 20 years. Tom Terrific w!
ed to the Ba<;ebaJl Hall of Fame i
and has the distinclion of havi
highe!>J percentage of votes ever.
Seaver, who played four y
Little League. urged the kids to
the gam\!, because it's not abo
ning." He also told them to
the game' and "have fun."
"[Little League l was the begJ
a love affair with a great game,'l
said. "Little did I know that W()ul
me to Cooperstown, Those se
rooted in lillie League."
Whether or not Scarsdale pr
major league talent, the memorie:
new field s boys and girls of slJ
willlao;t a lifetime.