The CYO post season baseball program began on Sept. 11, at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. The kickoff day was made even more special with the attendance of New York Mets' 1969 World Series champ Yankee Ed Kranepool. Tommie Agee was also expected, but an illness in his family kept him away. But, the excitement was still there, with the response of the young players to Mr. Kranepool. He was kept busy signing balls, posters and photos the young people had brought with them.

Mr. Kranepool advised the boys to, "Set goals for yourself and at the end of the six week program you'll see how you have done."

It was the official opening day of the 1998 Tommie Agee/Ed Kranepool Fall Instructional League, sponsored by the St. Dominic CYO Fall Baseball Program. It all started at 5:30 p.m. and had a special focus on sportsmanship.

The world renowned, former Mets will be guiding the 11-year and under CYO division as the young athletes play out their six week program: Friday night baseball season. The children will learn plenty about their skills from the pros, but at a time when so many people stress winning at all costs, these boys will learn about the true heart of sports.

Ed Kranepool looked around at the facilities and said, "The ball park is in great condition, including the lights."

He said, "I want to wish all the boys good luck! The instructional part of the program is the most/very important part. It can help you later on in life and in your school work.

"Dedication and hard work are the only way to improve yourself on the ball field and the same is true for your school work. It's what you get out of it. If you're not going to put any effort in it you won't see any improvement."

The St. Dominic CYO program is geared toward teaching children that life's true winners are those who have a positive attitude about their attempts - not those who score the most points.

When the first ball hit the bat, there was a solid sound and the crowd applauded. In the background was the sound of train whistles - the LIRR track borders the TR Memorial Park.

"The Bayhawks were more polished players. They made more hits and gave up fewer runs. They seemed to steal a lot of bases too," said photographer Walter Karppi.

The Fall CYO Baseball Program stresses sportsmanship even in its setup. Players experiment in new positions which enhance their abilities. The teams are required to stick to a continuous batting order. Pitchers may only pitch two innings. Only one coach is permitted on the field to give instructions. Scores will be kept for every game, but the emphasis is on skills, techniques and performance.

The 6-week, Friday night Fall CYO Baseball program started on Sept. 11. The leagues four teams are St. Dominic, North Shore, Glen Cove and Bayville. The opening ceremonies were attended by St. Dominic Pastor Msgr. Charles "Bud" Ribaudo, Fr. Malcolm Burns (an athlete in his own right) and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, as well as Mr. Kranepool.

CYO coordinators Nick Junjulas and Tullio Bertoli agree, the Friday night league is a great place to keep children healthy, safe and motivated. Winning is seen as an attitude, rather than as an ultimate outcome. That combination will help turn the young ballplayers into real superstars, for the long haul.

The St. Dominic Bayhawks are: Alex Bertoli, Billy Melillo, Chris Jenney, Tommy Luchese, Johnny Page, Johnny Perone, Robbie Kraft, Eric Multer, Bobby Gartland, Scott Dolce and Johnny Mulder. Their coaches are: Tullio Bertoli, Bill Melillo, John Page and Tom Luchese.

The Bayville players are: Tom Schrack, Ryan McKillen, Chris Nastasi, Mark Willenbacker, Richard Florio, Luke Tarantino, Michael Plactere, Justin Lewis, Dan Brunetti, Chris Notaro, Michael Creedon, Joey Stodmayer, Dan Luisi, Anthony Luisi and John Bell. The Bayville coaches are: Joe Florio and Stuart Lewis.