(CenterStateCEO-Syracuse) Sports are so deeply rooted in our region’s psychology. We get excited for Syracuse University basketball, Onondaga Community College lacrosse or Cornell University hockey. We take it for granted, perhaps, the impact of sports on our development as individuals and as a community. But my life has been shaped, undeniably, by the joy of competition, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Maybe its dating me a bit, but when I close my eyes I can still see “The Natural” playing on our 13 inch screen TV, in my parent’s Utica, New York home circa 1985. I was seven, fresh off the boat from a year in France, and more concerned with how to kick a ball with my feet than with how to hit one with a bat. But enter Robert Redford, Kim Basinger, Glenn Close and Wilfred Brimley, and an unforgettable score by Randy Newman, and a lifelong passion for baseball was born.
Sports are a recreation, an avocation and an escape yes, but they are also an important part of our region’s economy, and next week we seek to honor that influence as we take the field for the inaugural CNY Wiffle Ball Spring Classic, which will undoubtedly be the most epic FREE game of wiffle ball Central New York has ever seen.
On Wednesday, June 17, at 6:05 pm, on the east lawn of the Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse’s Armory Square, my team, the CenterState Legends – an incredible group of community and business leaders – will take on the Syracuse Chiefs.
Proceeds from the CNY Wiffle Ball Spring Classic will benefit the MOST’s science education programs. The MOST will be open after the game until 9:00 pm at a special price: $10 for families of four or more people, or $5 for smaller families. Scooch, the Syracuse Chiefs’ mascot will be on hand, and there will be a variety of fun activities for everyone to enjoy, including a raffle of Chiefs’ memorabilia and food vendors.
Join us, bring your families and your folding chairs and celebrate backyard baseball at its best. You won’t want to miss the CenterState Legends take down the Syracuse Chiefs, handing them their most crushing loss to date. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Simpson
President & CEO
“Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends.
Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”
-The Babe (from the movie The Sandlot)
Inaugural CNY Wiffle Ball Spring Classic featuring the Syracuse Chiefs vs the CenterState Legends
Wednesday, June 17, 6:05 pm
East lawn of the Museum of Science & Technology
Syracuse
(In the event of rain, the game will move inside the MOST)
CenterState Legends Roster:
Team Captains:
Rob Simpson, President, CenterState CEO
Patrick Mannion, Vice Chair, Columbian Financial Group
Players:
Khalid Bey, Syracuse Common Councilor
Kimberly Boynton, CEO, Crouse Hospital
Pat Driscoll, Director of Operations, Say Yes to Education – Syracuse
David Katleski, Owner, Empire Brewing Company and president of the NYS Brewers Association
Liz Liddy, Interim Vice Chancellor & Provost, Syracuse University
Doug Logan, Sports Broadcaster and Community Volunteer
Melissa Menon, Director, On Point for College
Tony Ortega, Executive Vice President of the Museum of Science & Technology
John Tracy, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
Maureen McCarthy Tracy, Senior Account Executive, Northland Communications
Merike Treier, Executive Director, Downtown Committee of Syracuse
Ben Walsh, Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Syracuse
Syracuse Chiefs Scheduled to Appear:
Bill Dutch – Player /Coach
Bruce Billings
Erik Davis
Jeff Howell
Mitch Lively
Scott McGregor
