Rivalry renewed
PSAL stars to play Chicago’s finest at Stadium
ON JUNE 15, all-stars from the city’s public schools baseball league beat their Catholic league counterparts, 3-1, to win the 2013 Mayor’s Cup.
On Monday, another PSAL all-star team will try to expand the league’s bragging rights halfway across the country.
That’s when the best players from Chicago’s public schools will take on New York City’s PSAL all-star team in a game at Yankee Stadium.
Earlier this year, Eric Goldstein, chief executive for the Department of Education’s School Support Services, and PSAL director Donald Douglas decided to resurrect a rivalry game between the two cities that ended decades ago.
“(We) were talking about how there used to be this great series between Chicago and New York,” Goldstein said. “We weren’t exactly sure of the history, when it had stopped, but we wanted to bring back the intercity rivalry. We’re using sports to try and make the world a better place.”
With that goal in mind, Goldstein then reached out to Calvin Davis, the director of sports administration for Chicago public schools, to see what they could put together.
Davis was unavailable for comment, but according to Goldstein both parties agreed there was no better stage for hosting the game than Yankee Stadium. Goldstein then contacted officials from the Yankees, who were more than willing to help see the game through.
The Bronx Bombers will be in the midst of a seven-game road trip that takes them from Baltimore to Minnesota, making Monday the perfect day for the high school all-star teams to use the famed playing field. The game is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Ed D’Alessio, who has been tabbed as the coach of Team New York, has already led his HS of Communications team to a city title before guiding the PSAL team to a victory in the Mayor’s Cup. He understands that capping the trifecta at The Stadium would be a significant accomplishment, but he may not get that opportunity.
D’Alessio spends his summers teaching summer school, and with Monday being the first day of classes it is currently unclear whether or not he will be able to coach the team. If he can’t, Norman Thomas coach Nerva Jean Pierre will lead the New York team.
According to Goldstein, PSAL baseball commissioner Bob Pertsas and league coaches were responsible for choosing the 18 members of the team, none of whom participated in the Mayor’s Cup earlier this month.
In addition to rekindling this annu- al rivalry with Chicago, the PSAL is also hoping to start a softball rivalry with Boston that will begin this year in Boston.
The baseball game will take place in Chicago next season, officials said.
“It’s a great way to showcase New York City talent,” Goldstein said. “It’s a great way to highlight some of the great sports we play at the high school level. It’s all for a good cause, which is the love of sport.”