On Sunday, April 27, the Fairfield County Connecticut Jewish Baseball League (FCCJBL) celebrated its opening day at Scalzi Park in Stamford, CT. Participants arrived early to get their uniforms and meet their coaches. After singing “Hatikvah,” the games began. Connecticut State Representative Matthew Blumenthal was on hand to throw out the ceremonial ‘first pitch.’ This honor has previously been given to Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, who gave birth to a baby girl the following day.
FCCJBL is a Jewish community youth baseball league open to boys and girls, Pre-K through Grade 6, living in lower Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY. All games are played on Sundays at fields in Stamford, Connecticut. According to their website, “We play on Sundays to allow our league’s players and families to enjoy Shabbat.” The league has a long history as a synagogue youth baseball league in Fairfield County, Beldotti Bakery in Stamford provided refreshments.
This year, the league has 110 players registered between the ages of 4-12. This season, there will be four teams in the new three/four-year-old division; the Matzah Balls, Rugelach, Latkes and Falafels, and four teams in the T-ball division; Angels, Kings, Maccabees and Tribes. The geographic Majors division includes the Judean, Samarian, Golan and Negev teams. Each week they will play each other. Also new for this season, seventh grade boys who have graduated from players to junior coaches will be sharing their expertise and love of the game with their younger peers.
League Commissioner Ari Goldstein revealed, “The FCCJBL will be attending the Mets vs. Dodgers game on Memorial Day weekend at Citi Field.” Goldstein continued, “on Sunday, May 25, we will be taking the field prior to the Mets game. We first started doing this last year and it was a lot of fun! The Mets reached out to me and offered me Sunday options as they saw we were a Jewish league. We’re expecting over 100 people to attend with our group.”
On Father’s Day, June 15, after the final league game, the league will celebrate with an award ceremony and an ice cream truck. Each participant will be presented with a trophy. In addition, each participant can purchase a pack of their own baseball cards.
The league aims to develop kids’ knowledge of baseball, focusing on teaching the fundamentals like hitting and fielding. Goldstein explains, “Baseball is a sport where fundamental skills can help develop players.” At FCCJBL, children aged four to twelve with varying skill levels participate. Some are beginners, while others excel like Babe Ruth. The emphasis is on having fun and learning basic skills such as catching, base running and swinging. Sportsmanship is paramount, with high-fives and support encouraged among players. By the end of the season, the goal is for players to be comfortable hitting the ball and to understand the basics of the game. The league prioritizes enjoyment over competitiveness.
State Representative Blumenthal explained that growing up he played baseball, soccer and hockey. He noted that in Greenwich, they had the Junior Babe Ruth and Babe Ruth Leagues and he was on the all-star teams for Greenwich. Blumenthal added that in high school he played varsity baseball and soccer. Reflecting on team sports, Blumenthal expressed, “It’s very important. It’s a great opportunity to learn about teamwork, dealing with different sorts of people, meeting new friends and bonding over sports, which, you know, is something that so many kids are into.” Blumenthal continued, “I told the kids to have a good time. These kids were on the younger end. I think the focus, at their age especially, should be having a good time trying to learn and making some new friends.” Noting it was a big honor to be asked to throw out the first pitch, Blumenthal stated, “It was especially poignant because I used to play on the other side of the park. Being invited to come throw out a first pitch at Scalzi Park, generally, but also especially as a Jewish former baseball player was a great honor.” Blumenthal, who was a shortstop, described his pitch as a fastball right down the middle. Blumenthal reflected, “Baseball plays an especially important role in Jewish American life, and it’s great that there are leagues like this one to celebrate it and encourage young Jews to partake in this quintessentially American experience.”
To learn more about the FCCJBL visit their website at https://fccjbl.org/
