Batter up! Old Little League teammates reunite for stickball

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Just last week, Alden Cass went to the basketball court behind Seton Park to play stickball, like he had done hundreds of times as a kid growing up in Riverdale. 

Only on this trip, Mr. Cass, now 40, was greeted with a very different environment. 

As he and his childhood friend Gregg Klayman routinely went through the motions and held a stickball bat in hand, a young boy walked up to them and hit them with a question that 30 years ago would seem unfathomable. 

“Excuse me, sir, is that like an actual sport you’re playing?” the kid asked. 

Yes. Well, sort of. 

Stickball is considered a variation of baseball. Whatever its official designation, the activity served as much more than just a game for Mr. Cass and his childhood friends, who reunited on Saturday to celebrate the first Legends of Riverdale Stickball Challenge. 

Through Facebook and LinkedIN, Mr. Cass sent out dozens of invitations to former members of the North and South Riverdale little leagues, as well as several high school classmates, for a good old-fashioned game of stickball. 

“Everyone’s reaction was one of like ‘Wow, that is the coolest idea ever. We’re so excited,’” Mr. Cass said.

Eleven players accepted his invitation, and were eager to see some of their friends from the past, many of whom they had not been in contact with since the late 80s and early 90s. Most had not seen each other since they were teenage boys, and now they returned alongside their parents, wives and kids. 

Josh Levine said he was thrilled when he heard about the idea of playing stickball with his friends. 

“This was a fantastic, fantastic idea,” he said. “This was something that the people here grew up doing together when we were teenagers. We spent our summer days doing this. After school we would do this. For Alden to reach out and put this back together was just an amazing experience.”    

stickball, Alden Cass, Josh Levine, sports, Daniel Ynfante
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