CLASS OF 2024
1974 Congers Senior League All-Star Team (CLL)
The first Congers team to win a district championship at any level. In a sports story straight out of the Hoosiers playbook, this small town team made up of 14 friends used solid pitching & timely hitting on their way to a championship showdown with a powerhouse Stony Point squad. Before the days of cell phones & the internet, a crowd of over 300 people turned out to watch the title game. Behind a complete game pitching performance by Jimmy Fitzgerald & a 3-hit, 3 RBI game by Tom Tesi, Jr. the Congers crew won 5-4, capturing the crown with Kieran Harris tracking down a deep flyball for the final out. They would go on to win two more sectional games against Orange and Dutchess county before losing to the Long Island champs. Even though the season ended on a loss, it was a magical summer for these guys and some of the best moments of their lives were created.
Tommy Howard (CLL)
After his involvement with the New City Little League, which saw him coach, manage all-star teams and served as its league president, Tom Howard moved to Congers in 1964 where he was instrumental in the formation of the Congers Little League in 1968. He was one of the original managers and won the majors championship in its inaugural season. He would go on to win two more league championships as a manager with the Yankees in 1969 and 1971. A lifelong baseball fan, Tommy spent many years on a ballfield serving as both a manager and umpire. He lived and breathed baseball and even met his wife on a little league baseball diamond.
Ned Meara (CLL)
Born on August 18th 1938, Ned Meara lived a life of dedication to the youth and the sports he loved. Over his 82 years, he left a mark on the community, particularly through his unwavering commitment to youth sports. For 10 little league seasons, he nurtured young talent serving as a coach for the Congers Dodgers. The Dodgers consistently stood as formidable contenders capturing Majors titles for 3 straight years from 1973 to 1975 and again in 1979. Ned was known for dedicating countless hours to coaching young ballplayers, instilling in them not only a love for the game but also the principles of sportsmanship, teamwork and integrity. After coaching, he transitioned into umpiring, finding joy in officiating games well into his retirement years in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
CLASS OF 2023
Daniel Casey (CLL)
Daniel cemented his legacy as one of Congers’ baseball GOATS with his legendary Tournament of Champions run in 1981, but he also lead his team to a Majors title the previous season in 1980. Daniel’s local legend would grow as he went on to earn all-league, all-county and all-section honors in three high school sports at Clarkstown North – baseball, football and basketball. After high school, Daniel continued his baseball career as a member of the varsity team at Columbia University, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Daniel, who once said, “Don’t dream dreams, live them, died unexpectedly in 1993. His untimely and premature death is the reason why Clarkstown North decided to create its own Hall of Fame.
Timmy Casey (CLL)
Timmy proudly followed in his brother’s enormous footsteps, winning a Majors title with his Pirates team, batting a cool .500 (!) while hitting 10 bombs. A classic, 5-tool centerfielder in the Julio Rodriguez mold, Timmy earned all-league and all-section honors. He finished his high school career in 1991 having toppled seven single season and career Clarkstown North baseball records, easily cementing his Hall of Fame status. Post-graduation, Timmy dominated the competition for Rockland Community College, taking home all-conference, all-region and all-american honors. Those accolades landed him a scholarship at Seton Hall, a school with a rich national baseball profile. As a senior with the Pirates, Timmy was named first team “All Big East.” Timmy passed away in 2022 at the age of 49.
John Clune (NVCLL)
Clune, one of Nyack Valley Cottage Little League’s most successful managers and leaders, helped engineer one of the great playoff runs in league history as well as the successful redevelopment of Liberty Field. Clune led his Angels squads to Majors titles in both 1985 & 1986. His 1986 team proved to be one of the league’s best of all time, cruising to the 12 & under District 18 title & then marching all to the Sectional Championship game before ultimately falling in the final. It remains the furthest any Nyack Valley Cottage team has ever reached in the Little League playoffs. Clune, who worked for years at the Clarkstown Highway Department, now lives in Florida with his wife.
Frank DeSimone (NVCLL)
DeSimone, who spent a solid decade molding young ballplayers and programs in the Nyack Valley Cottage Little League, managed the 1993 White Sox to a Majors championship and was assistant coach for two other title teams. But DeSimone might be best remembered for helping rejuvenate the league’s junior and senior programs in the mid-1990s. In addition to those contributions, the now retired associate court clerk also served on the league’s board as both secretary and Majors director. He lives in Valley Cottage with his wife, Peggy.
Ross Nappi (NVCLL)
Over the course of two decades, from 1983 to 1998, Nappi distinguished himself as one of District 18’s most respected umpires. While Nappi worked as NVC’s primary umpire, his reputation led him to be named head umpire for many of the Tournament of Champions and District 18 tournaments. In addition to umpiring, Nappi coached his son Scott for six NVC little league seasons. Nappi, who worked for the postal service after returning from the Korean War, passed away in 2016 at the age of 79.
Richard Salvati (CLL)
A graduate of North Clarkstown High School and long-time member of the Congers fire department, Salvati was a phenomenal little league coach, steering a series of great teams during a dominant run that stretched from the early 1990s into the new millennium. His three majors championships (1991, 1998 and 2000) as a manager are the most in the 55-year history of the league. His 1998 team of 10-year-olds covered the league in glory and is the last Congers team to win a district title. Salvati, a proud member of the Sons of Italy, coached or managed in the Congers little league for a cool quarter of a century and spent years tirelessly working the fields and organizing equipment as vice president of the league’s board. Salvati passed away in 2016 at the age of 61.