St. James/Smithtown 12U baseball team enjoying hometown heroes treatment
The St. James/Smithtown Little League 12-and-under baseball team started Wednesday’s practice at Gaynor Park with what they call the “star drill.”
The name comes from the path the ball takes around the infield. It gets thrown by the catcher to the shortstop, then to first base, then third, then second and back to home. The goal is to get the players feeling confident about throwing the ball around the infield with zip and accuracy.
But the name of the drill is fitting for this team, as the young ballplayers have become stars in their community since winning the state championship last Friday.
After defeating reigning champion South Shore of Staten Island, 8-2, in the state final, the team returned from Staten Island to a police and fire truck escort to Gaynor Park, where they were met by dozens of supporters who waited in a passing thunderstorm for a brief ceremony followed by a barbecue.
“When they won the state championship, we had the parade and a lot of their friends were there cheering for them,” assistant coach Eric Hanson said. “Teachers are reaching out saying, ‘We saw you on TV. We’ll be watching you.’ Everyone is real supportive. It’s nice to see.”
Jeremy Katz, who struck out eight in 5 2⁄3 innings and hit two home runs in the championship game, said all the support he and the team have received makes him feel like a “local hero.”
“I feel like our team should feel very accomplished and feel like they all did their part to feel like celebrities walking around town,” Katz said. “I haven’t been noticed yet. Hopefully I will. There are a lot of baseball fans in the St. James area. I think if we do well in regionals, we’ll get a head nod walking into a store.”
As the team prepares to head to Bristol, Connecticut, for the Little League World Series Metro Regional Tournament, they know the attention and recognition they receive will only multiply as the tournament will be broadcast on ESPN platforms. Their opening game against Burrillville (Rhode Island) at 7 p.m. on Saturday will air on ESPN+.
“It’s a little bit crazy,” Dominic Ciminello said. “We’re gonna be playing on ESPN. We’re on the news. It’s so crazy but so exciting.”
Many of the kids have had their phones flooded with text messages, Instagram followers and other messages via social media. Last Saturday, the Islanders sent a post on X congratulating the team and wishing them well going forward.
“The amount of text messages and Instagram and all that, it’s crazy. It’s like I’m a hometown hero right now,” said Hanson’s son, also named Eric. “I’m enjoying every second.”
“Now everyone knows us a lot more and we’re more of a group now,” Andrew Barbato said. “People have just been congratulating us. They’re happy for us.”
While the coaches aren’t quite as savvy as the players when it comes to social media, they’ve experienced a similar outreach from the community.
“I have a lot of friends that have been texting me and the other coaches saying, ‘This is what we wanted to do when we were little,’ ” the elder Hanson said. “These kids get a chance to do that and it’s great for them and the families that have been here on the sidelines in the cold, rainy Aprils.”
Earlier in the summer, the team was invited to Yankee Stadium as part of a Little League parade. Most of the players are Yankees fans — Barbato is the lone Mets fan — making the experience of walking along the warning track that much more special.
“That was one of the best moments of my life,” Ryan Delgado said.
“Walking on the warning track, it felt like that’s where I wanted to be one day,” Katz added. “Well, not in the outfield. But this is where I’m shooting to be one day.”
While the extra support and recognition is exciting, it can be a lot for a group of 11- and 12-year-olds to handle. But when you’re a group of kids who have been working toward this point for several years, it’s easier to enjoy your newfound stardom.
Said the younger Hanson: “We’re just a bunch of friends living the dream right now.”
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Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
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