As the Syosset Baseball closes out its 2007 season, culminating with the Annual Awards Dinner to be held Monday, Nov. 5 at the Crest Hollow Country Club, it's that time of the year to reflect on the season that is just concluding.

Online registration, thanks to the efforts of board member and director of information services, Tom Yacavone, started in December 2006 with the website accepting registration for returning players for the 2007 season and accepting of payment by credit card. The website enhancements also provided an email database for rapid communication to the entire league on important dates and events of Syosset Baseball Association, as well as a linked vehicle for team and division management.

Working back with Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto and his team director of operations, Andrew Rothstein and Commissioner of Parks, Richard Betz, the Town of Oyster Bay improved many of the baseball fields with yellow capping around the field, enclosed on-deck circles, wind-restraints behind many of the home plate backstops and highlighted by the new 90-foot field at Stillwell Woods, dedicated and named for longstanding board member Bill Lewis. Venditto and his team have committed to Syosset Baseball Association and the town to continue to maintain and improve the fields for the children to play baseball.

Thanks to Modell's Sporting Goods for its support to Syosset Baseball Association, providing Syosset Baseball Association players with a 10 percent coupon, good for a four-week period on all purchases during Modell's Team Week, from March 9 through April 5. In addition to all purchases enjoying the additional 10 percent discount, purchases made with the coupon helped contribute 5 percent back to Syosset Baseball Association, from Modell's Sporting Goods to Syosset Baseball Association.

The season kicked off for intramural group on the weekend of April 14/15 with a full slate of games. This season's games besides the new 90-foot field at Stillwell Woods also marked a full slate of spring intramural games scheduled for the multipurpose turf field installed last summer at Syosset Woodbury Park behind the pool, next to the tennis courts. This balmy 55-degree day game for the opening games, provided a great baseball weather day to kickoff the Spring 2007 season. Thanks to board members Bruce Ritter and Andy Feit for their relentless efforts to build a team of field maintenance volunteers to help rake, line and maintain the field throughout the intramural season.

Clinics for the 5- and 6-year olds, under the supervision of board member and director of player development, Steve Gross, had the opportunity to build their skills through a series of stations set up on fielding, hitting, throwing and basics of baseball with the aid of Performance Factory of Farmingdale and owner Joe Francisco. Those children participating with these clinics only strengthened their knowledge of the game and skills to help build them into stronger players on the field.

The Annual Memorial Weekend All-Star games and Parade, one of Syosset Baseball Association's flagship events, went off without a hitch, again with another spectacular day starting at 8:30 a.m., with the 8-Year-Old Division All-Star games. Highlights from the day were12 great games, two each from the 8-year-old divisions, 9-year-old divisions, 10-year-old divisions, AAA Divisions Major League Divisions and for the first time, the Senior League Division, played on the turf fields. Accompanied by the complimentary annual barbecue of over 2,000 hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelons, drinks and condiments, the well-deserving players enjoyed this food after playing exciting games, along with their family and friends who came to watch. Several members of the local Cub Scouts and Veterans of Foreign War were part of this year's All-Star festivities, presenting the color for our national anthem, sung by various members of A. Willets Chorus, as well as longstanding singers and Syosset residents Sara Ross and Holly Roselle. Quackerjack, the Long Island Ducks' mascot, made a guest appearance, mingling throughout the crowd and enjoying first ball throws during the 10-year-old division games. All games are played in memory of Deacon Richard Murphy's son, Brian, a Syosset Baseball player, who lost his fight many years ago to illness, that we remember him during this day. In honor of Brian, Deacon Murphy enjoys the honor of throwing out the first pitch for our Major League Division games. Special recognition to Syosset Baseball Association's board member, Artie Johansen, who was chairman of the All-Star games committee putting this successful day together for the community.

Jordan Ott, a Senior League Syosset Baseball Association player, took the initiative to work with Nike to have the community donate used sporting goods equipment from the families and have them dropped off at a dumpster donated by a local merchant, Gateway Industries, at Syosset Woodbury Park during the All-Star game weekend. A full dumpster of sporting goods equipment, with the assistance of Nike and Jordan's efforts, made its way to underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. Jordan had the opportunity to distribute this donated equipment to those underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. It was at that moment when Jordan went to one of the baseball fields and saw a group of players wearing Syosset Braves' shirts that he realized the efforts and impact both he and the community made with this donation and effort.

Additionally, Syosset Baseball Association graciously donated sporting goods to a little league in Israel as a start-up to their little league.

Championship Weekend culminated the Spring 2007 season with the crowning of Champions in each of the 9-Year-Old Division; JMB Designs; 10-Year-Old Division; The Yankees; AAA Division Bach; Major League Division; Inter-Reco; and Senior League Division, Empire Szechuan. Congratulations to all. Trophies of all these championships as well as places first through fourth in each division will be awarded during Syosset Baseball Association's Dinner on Nov. 5.

The first President's Award game was played in the 9-Year-Old Division presenting good play and fair sportsmanship between two teams in that division with each team being presented a Participation Award for play in this game during the Awards Dinner on Nov. 5.

Summer Travel kicked off under executive director of travel Artie Johansen and director Joe Miecuna starting the day after school was over, June 24, with a full schedule of games for the 8-year-old division through the senior division. All teams and divisions played throughout the summer until mid-August with several of the teams enjoying playoff games for their efforts throughout the summer circuit. All players participating in this league will be receiving Participation Plaques during the Awards Dinner on Nov. 5.

Syosset sent a team of players up to Cooperstown, NY in late July, just prior to the start of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies for Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Manager Joe Miecuna and his team of 12 Syosset baseball players enjoyed much success taking a 4-3 record into a first-round playoff bye. From there, they won their second round game against a team from California. They finished their Cooperstown experience with a third round defeat to a 7-0 Arizona team. During that game, Syosset led off the game and built a 6-0 lead only to fall short to Arizona during a well-played game.

Sunday Nite at the Park baseball returned to Syosset Woodbury Park for six weeks in July and August for those players who didn't play summer travel, ages 8 through 12 years old, playing a pickup game under the guidance of President Rob Jolson, Secretary Jay Schuster, Vice President Jerry Wolkis, Executive Director of travel Artie Johansen, Director of travel Joe Miecuna, director of the senior league Tom Amberger and commissioner of the 8-year-old division Bob McArdle.

The summer ended with two sold-out weeks of New York Mets Baseball Academy at Syosset Woodbury Park. It's the fourth year coming out to the facility; this successful instructional two weeks provides kids with various circuits of training from hitting, fielding, running, throwing and a full understanding of the game. During week one when the parent club was in town, third-base coach, Sandy Alomar Sr.; bullpen coach, Tom Nietto; bench coach Jerry Manuel came to the fields as well as 1969 New York Mets Championship first-baseman, Ed Kranepool. The second week, Ed Kranepool paid a visit to the fields, as well as 1986 New York Mets player and 1977 MVP and champion, Cincinnati Big Red Machine outfielder, George Foster. Under the direction of founder Kevin Surdi and coordinator Tom Hopke, the weeks are put together and build starting in the spring finishing off with two successful weeks at Syosset and the aid of Town of Oyster Bay Parks Joe Ramos and Vinny Capuano maintaining the fields for the two weeks of Academy.

Fall travel started the first weekend in September after school started and just finished up prior to Halloween. This portion of the travel program brings those kids who continue their baseball play from spring through summer into the fall and weekend play throughout the area, with a seven-week schedule to help enhance their baseball skills and fundamentals of the game. All players participating in the fall league will be receiving participation plaques during the Awards Dinner on Nov. 5.

Culminating with this Monday, Nov. 5, the 53rd Annual Awards Dinner, culminates the year's events reflecting the year and awarding deserving and earned trophies and plaques to those players as well as a time to reflect and reminisce the season. A silent auction of memorabilia, raffles, great food for the players and a special guest speaker for the players to interact with, as well as take home a limited number of signed autographed memorabilia from this speaker, are highlights that everyone looks forward to each year. Last year's speaker was 1986 New York Mets Championship Pitcher and current New York Mets broadcaster Ron Darling.

It's now time the 2007 year and dinner finish up; registration for the 2008 season will start shortly. Email communication, mailings and a banner hung in town announcing online registration will mark the start of the 2008 season going into winter.

Syosset Baseball Association would like to extend its appreciation to all players, parents, families, sponsors and board members for a great 2007 season and look forward to a rewarding 2008 together.

Events and information on Syosset Baseball Association can be found on its website www.syossetbaseball.org.