By The TimesLedger
It’s winter, but it’s not too early to get in shape for the upcoming baseball season. The Midville Dodgers announced this week that registration, tryouts and workouts will soon begin for their Junior team, ages 15 and 16 (no player can turn 17 before Aug. 1). Interested players should call Manager Greg Bianchini at 805-3784 or Coach Bill Johnson at 846-6042. Indoor workouts and tryouts will begin on Sunday, Jan. 27 at a location soon to be announced.
All players must include a $75 registration fee payable at the first workout in the form of cash, money orders or personal checks– payable to: Midville Dodgers.
Great things are expected from the 2002 Midville Dodgers squads. Exciting tournament trips are being planned for the upcoming summer. Their home field — Juniper Valley Park No. 1 — has undergone extensive refurbishing with a new infield, new sod, new equipment and new spectator bleachers. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of City Councilman Tom Ognibene (D-Middle Village), the Juniper Park Civic Association and the Midville Dodgers, Juniper’s three upper fields (Nos. 5,6 and 7) will be reconstructed starting on Feb. 4, with outfield fences and many other amenities that have been lacking in Queens parks for a long time.
The Midville Dodgers play highly competitive baseball as members of the Federation of Amateur Baseball Leagues (FABL), the Elite Eight League and the National Amateur Baseball Federation. Last season the Dodgers fielded a Junior squad (15 and 16 year olds) and Senior team (17 and 18 year olds) and College team (ages 18 to 23). All three teams won division titles and/or playoff berths. Additionally, for the past five season, MV Dodger teams have traveled to week-long, out-of-state tournaments to California, Florida, Canada, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Delaware, Massachusetts, as well as other local tournaments.
This season the Dodgers are planning on adding a Freshmen team, ages 13-14, to the Dodger family. Interested players age 13 and over can call the Dodgers Hotline at 651-5865 and leave their name, phone number, address, age and high school. For an application form write: MV Dodgers c/o Juniper Park Civic Association, PO Box 790275, Middle Village, NY 11379.
