The St. Kilian CYO Yankees boy's 13-year-old baseball team capped off their summer season with a three game sweep of the thirteen year old Rookie League Babe Ruth Playoffs. The "boys of summer" were impressive all season long finishing with 26-4-1. The Championship run would take place without injured outfielders Chris Pavese (two games) and Carmine Deimeri (three games). The Yankees used the playoffs as a chance to avenge their four regular season losses.

Game one of the playoffs was a pitchers duel versus a talented Seaford team that had knocked off the Yankees twice during the regular season. Joe Didonna took the ball and battled into the seventh inning striking out four along the way and earning the win. Glenn Cinelli, struck out the final two Seaford batters for the save. The Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Vince Andriotti and John Speelman reached on errors to lead off the game. Joe Didonna hit a sac fly to score Andriotti and Kenny Rodgers banged out a double chasing home Speelman. In the second Mike Pavese got on, worked his way to third where Derek Venezia brought him home. Seaford scored runs in both the second and third innings making the score 3-2. Pitching and defense dominated the middle innings. Cinelli picked a couple out of the dirt at first, Tommy Maier played flawless shortstop, Sal Castagnaro reeled in a pair in left field and Danny Monico patrolled center. The battery of Didonna & Speelman was in charge the entire game. In the fifth Andriotti, Speelman, Cinelli and Didonna all singled netting three runs for a 6-2 Yankee lead. Seaford cut it to 6-3 but tough Yankee team work produced the victory.

Game two would pit the still shorthanded Yankees against the regular season first place East Meadow Mustangs. The Mustangs had beat out St. Kilian's by one point for the regular season crown. Revenge would be sweet as once again the top of the order would give the Yankees the lead in the first inning. Glenn Cinelli and Kenny Rodgers banged out first inning RBI hits giving St. Kilian's a 2-0 lead. Cinelli would toe the rubber and battle into the fourth inning. Sal Castagnaro would earn the win with three plus innings of scoreless relief while striking out three. The Yankees tacked on two runs in the third. Andriotti walked and stole second. Cinelli doubled him home. Joe Didonna knocked a two out RBI single. The Mustangs cut the lead in half at 4-2 in the fourth. Singles by John Galanoudis and Tommy Maier would start a Yankee rally in the bottom of the fourth with Derek Venezia's two out hit driving home Maier. The "web gem" of the playoffs by centerfielder Danny Monico in the fifth would keep the Mustangs at bay and give the Yankees the 5-2 victory.

St. Kilian CYO was in the Championship game and lead-off hitter/left fielder Chris Pavese would be back in the line up. Their opponent would be the Farmingdale Yankees who had battled into the Championship game through the loser's bracket of the tournament and were playing their third tough game in two days. St. Kilian's had swept the Fdale team during the regular season taking all four games in playoff type atmosphere. Ace Joe Didonna would get the start for the St. Kilian's team. The Fdale team would take a 1-0 lead into the St. Kilian's third but then Venezia walked, Chris Pavese singled and Speelmen walked to load the bases. Glenn Cinelli cleared those bases with a two out double and three RBIs. A mini rally by Fdale was thwarted in the top of the fourth with good teamwork by the St. Kilian squad. The Yankees would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth. Every St. Kilian Yankee would get on base and score, all ten in succession plus one twice. Eleven runs would score before an out would be recorded; Didonna lead off with a hit, a couple of walks, a Mike Pavese hit , three more walks , a Chris Pavese hit, a Speelman hit , a bases loaded triple by Cinelli , a second Didonna hit and a triple by Tommy Maier but the Yankees up 14-2.

The Champs, the "boy's of summer" had routed the challenger, beating them for a tough fifth straight time and beating three different teams for three straight wins in the playoffs.

The St. Kilian CYO Yankees would be crowned 2006 Babe Ruth Rookie League Champions by league Director George Koch who ran a great playoff tournament and regular season. Special thanks to the St. Kilian's CYO program.