East Haven’s American Legion Post 89 Baseball Club members have their eye on the ball and looking to knock it out of the park this year.
The baseball program has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan for 2012.
“We have seen an exponential growth in our program the last few years, the number of players who enroll and the numbers of teams we have been fortunate to field has grown each and every year. We feel this is a natural progression for growing the sport of baseball in ,” 89er Baseball Club’s General Manager Lou Ciaramella said.
“We won the State Championship this fall, confirming that East Haven has baseball talent equal to any program in our state," he said, adding that the expansion is an opportunity for the town to ensure everyone has an opportunity to "be the best they can be on the baseball diamond."
"And doing so playing for the town where they learned the game: East Haven," Ciaramella said. "Our town has a strong baseball history of which we are very proud to continue.”
The 89ers will be expanding its program to add a new dimension of baseball in town, with the intention to field additional teams for 11-, 12- and 13-year-old players to play on a 54 x 80 field. This, program leaders said, will facilitate the players’ transition from the Little League Baseball Diamond to the Big Diamond.
Ciaramella said he was excited by what is on the horizon for the burgeoning East Haven Baseball Program.
“Our 89ers are an integral part of a new division being developed by the Greater New Haven Baseball League,” the general manager said. “We are very excited by the potential this will add to the skill set we can offer to the local baseball player in East Haven. We are very pleased to be invited to help build this division from the ground floor."
Ciaramella said East Haven has always been a fertile ground for baseball talent. And so, with the creation of the new division, and the expansion of the legion's program, "it will enable us to do so much more for the kids in our town."
"We are welcoming a whole new group of coaches and parents who bring an exciting and dynamic skill set to the baseball learning and teaching process for our kids," he said. "We are ready to do this, the program will have everything it needs and the baseball player in East Haven will be the true beneficiary of this.”
The 89er Baseball Club will be a vehicle available to the players that are willing to work hard and are committed to learning baseball, Ciaramella said.
The seasons for the 12U teams will be after the respective Little League seasons, so as not to interfere with the various leagues. The 89ers will conduct player evaluations and meet with players and parents to review what options are available for each player.
In addition to the new 13U, 12U programs, the 89ers will continue to train and field 14U, 16U and 18U teams to represent the Town of East Haven.
The 89er Winter Program begins the last week of January and runs 15 weeks. Baseball Fundamental Clinics are available for players of all ages, times and dates will be assigned according to player ages.
For more information, contact Lou Ciaramella at (203)-467-4811.
