With about 50 players braving a cold wind that descended on the Maspeth Tennis Center, the Midville Dodgers officially opened their fifth season since the organization’s rebirth in 1997.
Workouts and tryouts started for all Dodger…
The Times-Ledger
With about 50 players braving a cold wind that descended on the Maspeth Tennis Center, the Midville Dodgers officially opened their fifth season since the organization’s rebirth in 1997.
Workouts and tryouts started for all Dodger teams except the College Division. The spacious dome provided ample room for hitting, pitching, throwing and fielding drills. The Midville boys will take on a new look this season adding veteran coaches, Walter Tuthill and Jim Gleason to their coaching staff. And they did not have to look far since both are the braintrust for the Christ the King High School varsity team.
Christ the King is located just a stone’s throw away from Juniper Valley Park, the Dodgers home field. Both Tuthill and Gleason got a good look at the nucleus of their 2001 Senior (17- and 18-year-olds) Division squad.
Some impressive names headed the list, such as Danny Echevarria, Brian Fiedler, Ken Gleason, Phil Kuhner, Mike Torres, Brian Morgan, Nick Theoharis, Anthony Genna and Sylvester Guttierrez.
The younger Dodgers also were well represented, led by coach Frank Russo’s squad, which turned heads last season capturing the East Meadow Crown and placing second in the prestigious East Coast tournament in Rochester. The Midville Dodgers were the talk of the town in late August, as they advanced to the championship game against a powerful Rochester team, that had gone undefeated in pool play.
Just prior to their trip to Rochester, the Dodgers won the East Meadow Championship.
Last season, the Midville Dodgers Senior team, with Manager Kevin Surdi at the helm, captured their third Long Island Baseball Association crown in four years.
The Junior team also won the LIBA crown and traveled to San Diego, Calif. in August for the 10-game USABF World Series.
