Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Scanlon | Jeurys Familia, a pitcher for the New York Mets, signs a baseball for Sgt. Johnathan...... read more read more
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NEW YORK - “Ping!” the sound of a baseball bat striking against the ball. The echo reverberates throughout Citi Field ballpark , the home of the New York Mets. As the sound died down, cheering from fans rose up. “Thump!” the ball lands into the hand of a baseball player.
But this certain player is not with the Mets, he was a Marine with the United States Marine Corps and this was no normal game at Citi Field.
Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen competed in the Mets first Military Softball Classic games on Thursday, June 11.
"We bring people (service members) out here and give them a chance to play on a major league playing surface, and have their families and so forth in the stands, it's a very different experience," said Sandy Alderson, the New York Mets General Manager and a retired Marine.
Before the service members took the field, they had a chance to get a tour of the Met facilities like the Hall of Fame museum, press conference room and the batting practice cages.
“I looked around today and I saw smiles on everyone’s face,” said Danielle Parillo, the New York Mets senior director of community outreach & communications. “That showed me that it was a great day and was very successful.”
In fact, they are planning to make this an annual tradition and hope to continue the Military Softball Classic next year, according to Parillo.
Softball teams were arranged by each respective military service to face off against one another on the same field Mets play their major league games.
“I’m a huge baseball fan,” said Sgt. Marco Velarde, a recruiter with Marine Corps Recruiting Station New York. "When I stepped onto the field I felt, I felt chills, it was good chills - but it was chills.”
Games were fierce as players were eager to show whose service has the superior ballplayers as their families and friends rooted them on to victory.
“All of the branches are really competitive and want to win but in the end of the day it was just awesome to play where the Mets play,” said Sgt. Victor Altamirano, a recruiter with Marine Corps Recruiting Station New York.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2015 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 166842 |
| Location: | NEW YORK , NY, US |
| Hometown: | BRONX, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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