Cadets Baseball Club Alumni

06/07/2024

Twenty five years ago the Long Island Cadets completed another successful baseball season in the Long Island Connie Mack League, capturing first place in both the regular season and the playoffs. As a result, the Cadets won the right to represent Long Island in the North Atlantic Regional tournament held in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey.

The Cadets also captured the title last year and represented Long Island in the tournament. In addition, during the July 4th holiday week-end, the Cadets won the Greater New York Sandlot Baseball Alliance Holiday tournament beating
teams from Brooklyn and Queens.

The Cadets completed the season with a 23-8 record, including the July 4th tournament, and had a team batting average of .368 and a team ERA of 2.22.

1999 Long Island Cadets

04/11/2024

The Cadet organization has been making a positive impact on the lives of young people for 80 years and we are proud to celebrate this milestone with our alumni. To help support the organization and its future endeavors, we are offering 80th Anniversary Alumni Apparel for purchase. Not only will you receive a piece of memorabilia to commemorate this special occasion, but all proceeds will directly benefit our organization. We want to continue providing opportunities and experiences for future cadets and your support will make a difference. Don't miss out on this limited edition merchandise and place your order before the deadline of April 26, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT. The merchandise will be delivered right to your doorstep, making it convenient for you to show your support and pride for the Cadet organization.

https://cadetsbaseballalumni.itemorder.com/

04/10/2024

https://www.bkreader.com/non-profit-community/cadets-baseball-club-celebrates-80th-anniversary-8534927

Please share this article with fellow alumni.

The youth sandlot baseball organization has teams in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Rockaway and New Jersey.

04/10/2024

The following article was written in the Rockaway Wave about the Cadet's 80th Anniversary.

Did you know there is a baseball organization in New York that is 18 years older than the New York Mets? Established in 1944, The Cadets Baseball Club is a nonprofit organization operating in Rocka... You've reached your free story limit. Please login or purchase a subscription to view this story. U...

04/01/2024

Press Release

Cadets Baseball Club Celebrates 80th Anniversary of Youth Sandlot Baseball In Brooklyn, Staten Island, Rockaway and New Jersey

Oldest Youth Baseball Organization In New York Has Won Numerous Championships And Been The Place Where Several Baseball Pros Have Gotten Their Start

BROOKLYN, NY (March 28, 2024) – The Yankees and the Mets are not the only local teams gearing up for the start of the 2024 baseball season. The Cadets Baseball Club is about to embark on its 80th anniversary season of youth baseball when games begin on March 29. Founded in 1944, the Cadets have a storied history as the oldest continuous sandlot baseball organization in New York State.

The organization, which boasts a number of championships,has been the baseball home for thousands of youth for eight decades. The Cadets have been a fixture on local ball fields in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Rockaway and more recently, even New Jersey where they field teams from ages eight through adult. Over the years, they were the baseball foundation for such notable alumni as Joe Torre, Frank Torre, Matt Galante, Rico Petrocelli and Rich Aurilia, to name just a few. Each of them had careers at various levels of professional baseball. But the journey for each of them started in a Cadets uniform.

For the Cadets, baseball is even more than a game. Their motto is “good citizens tomorrow through clean sports today,” and they know that baseball is a great character builder for youth. In addition to those who have gone on to make an impact as professional players, the club’s rosters have also included youngsters who have traded in their bats and gloves to become successful architects, engineers, attorneys, accountants, firefighters, law enforcement officers, educators, and many other professions.

The club also makes an impact off the field and has long recognized the scholar-athletes on their rosters. Since 1965, the organization has awarded numerous scholarships each year to various Cadets players for their educational achievements and community service.

Current club President Robert Muccio says, “we are proud to have been the baseball home to so many over these 80 years. While baseball is a timeless game, so is good sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance, and personal growth, all of which we try to emphasize even more than winning. For many of our players, their time on the ball field will one day come to an end, but we want the great memories they made as Cadets and the lessons they learned while part of our organization to stay with them throughout their lives.”

To learn more about the Cadets, please visit www.CadetsBaseballClub.com or follow

02/03/2024

Dear Cadet Alumni,

I am excited to announce that the Cadets Baseball Club is celebrating its 80th anniversary season this year! Since our formation in 1944, we have been dedicated to educating young people through the game of baseball and fostering good citizenship and a healthy mind and body. Our motto, “Good citizens tomorrow through clean sports today,” has been at the core of our organization’s values for the past 80 years.

As the oldest continuous sandlot baseball organization in the State of New York and possibly the United States, we are proud of the many championships we have won on the field and the countless alumni who have gone on to become successful in various fields such as sports, architecture, law enforcement, and education. We are honored to have played a role in shaping the lives of these individuals and continue to strive towards our mission of building character and promoting good citizenship through the sport of baseball.

As we embark on this milestone season, we would like to reconnect with our alumni from Brooklyn, Rockaway, Staten Island, and New Jersey teams spanning from 1944 to 2023. If you are a Cadets Baseball alumnus, we invite you to reach out to us by emailing your contact information to [email protected]. Our team will be in touch with you to update you on our upcoming events and initiatives.

For those who are interested in learning more about our program, please feel free to contact our President, Robert Muccio, at (917) 608-6106. We would be happy to provide you with more information and answer any questions you may have.

We are looking forward to a memorable 80th season and hope to see many of our alumni at our upcoming events. Thank you for being a part of the Cadets Baseball community and for your continued support throughout the years.

Sincerely,
Robert Muccio
President
Cadets Baseball Club, Inc.

02/01/2024

1963 Cadets Baseball Registration Fee

08/23/2022

1948 Official Parade Ground Schedule

02/26/2022

One of Sandlot’s Best

1951 Brooklyn Cadets

The Cadets of the Bayridge Baseball League, winners of the Senior New York City Baseball Federation and Junior All American Amateur Baseball Association for the past two years include front row, from left to right, Sid Kraus, John Pergolizzi, Ed Burch, & Bob Smith; second row, Jimmy King, Jim Blomberg, Ed Matthews, & Len Scott; third row Hjalmar Jorgensen, Billy Morey, Dom Damanio, Carl Mione, Jimmy McDonald, and Coach Jimmy McElroy.

Eagle Sports Picture

Are you an alumni of the Cadets Baseball? Contact Robert @ (917) 608-6106

, , #1951, , , , ,

02/18/2022

The Cadets have learned of the passing of Cadet great of the 50’s Robert F. Smith.

Robert start his Cadet career as a batboy on the inaugural team in 1944. He played 9 years with the organization playing on the 1950 & 1951 AAABA National Championship team in Johnstown, PA as a catcher. Robert was sought by many major league teams during his Cadet career. He played briefly for the Cleveland Indians.

After his playing days, Robert stayed active as a coach and a senior member of the organization. During the 75th anniversary season, Robert was interviewed by NY1 about the Cadet's history and his playing experience. Robert Muccio, President of the Cadets said, “It was always a pleasure to speak to Mr. Smith about Cadets Baseball.” “The Cadets are forever grateful for the contributions Mr. Smith has made to the organization as a batboy, player, coach, senior member, and spokesmen.” The Cadets extend their condolences to the Smith family.

# Indians #1950’s

02/16/2022

Frank Torre and his brother Joe were among the first wave of future big league players who helped establish the AAABA Tournament and the Cadets as a baseball developmental pipeline.

“He always thought that Johnstown was the stepping stone for him,” said Jim McElroy, who coached the Brooklyn Cadets teams Frank Torre played on in the 1949 and 1950 AAABA Tournaments.

Brooklyn won the 1950 AAABA Tournament championship as Frank Torre earned the MVP award. The left-handed pitcher went 3-0 on the mound and batted .381 at the plate in that tourney.

Overall, Frank Torre appeared in four AAABA Tournaments, including once as a 14-year-old when the 1946 tournament was played in Washington, D.C.

“The tournaments that he had, the scouts started to come out to watch him,” McElroy said. “Honey Russell, a scout for the Braves, signed him in 1951. He was one of the headliners to come out of AAABA.”

“He played in 1949 and 1950 with the Cadets baseball club,” McElroy said. “He was a pitcher-first baseman. When we came to Johnstown in 1949, each one of our players had a different cap on. We were like ragamuffins uniform-wise. Who do we draw? New Orleans. First game. Frank Torre pitched and shut them out. That was our first win in AAABA.”

“The tournament helped me grow up,” Frank Torre said then. “I started going to Johnstown when I was 15 years old. I played with the Cadets and went to Johnstown several times. I had some spectacular numbers hitting and pitching. But I met some wonderful people there. We played before some big crowds. It was exciting. The first girlfriend I had in life, I met in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, when I was just a gung-ho baseball player. It was a great place to go.”

His career didn’t stop in Johnstown Frank Torre played first base for the Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies over his seven-year career. He was part of the Braves’ 1957 World Series championship win over the New York Yankees. He had a career .273 average in 714 regular-season games. , , , , #1950 , ,

02/16/2022

Frank Torre and his brother Joe were among the first wave of future big league players who helped establish the AAABA Tournament and the Cadets as a baseball developmental pipeline.

“He always thought that Johnstown was the stepping stone for him,” said Jim McElroy, who coached the Brooklyn Cadets teams Frank Torre played on in the 1949 and 1950 AAABA Tournaments.

Brooklyn won the 1950 AAABA Tournament championship as Frank Torre earned the MVP award. The left-handed pitcher went 3-0 on the mound and batted .381 at the plate in that tourney.

Overall, Frank Torre appeared in four AAABA Tournaments, including once as a 14-year-old when the 1946 tournament was played in Washington, D.C.

“The tournaments that he had, the scouts started to come out to watch him,” McElroy said. “Honey Russell, a scout for the Braves, signed him in 1951. He was one of the headliners to come out of AAABA.”

“He played in 1949 and 1950 with the Cadets baseball club,” McElroy said. “He was a pitcher-first baseman. When we came to Johnstown in 1949, each one of our players had a different cap on. We were like ragamuffins uniform-wise. Who do we draw? New Orleans. First game. Frank Torre pitched and shut them out. That was our first win in AAABA.”

“The tournament helped me grow up,” Frank Torre said then. “I started going to Johnstown when I was 15 years old. I played with the Cadets and went to Johnstown several times. I had some spectacular numbers hitting and pitching. But I met some wonderful people there. We played before some big crowds. It was exciting. The first girlfriend I had in life, I met in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, when I was just a gung-ho baseball player. It was a great place to go.”

His career didn’t stop in Johnstown Frank Torre played first base for the Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies over his seven-year career. He was part of the Braves’ 1957 World Series championship win over the New York Yankees. He had a career .273 average in 714 regular-season games.