RGeeProductions
05-16-2008, 10:08 PM
This Saturday the Waterford Speedbowl hosts the 3rd annual Little League Night featuring the
Sidsvault.com Home Run Derby. Any Little Leaguer wearing their team jersey will be admitted
free of charge into the grandstands. The wiffle ball exhibition will team up ten of the
Speedbowl’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers with ten local Little Leaguers in a
home run contest on the front stretch at approximately 6:30pm. Grandstands open at 4pm,
qualifying at 5pm and features begin at 7pm.
This years Speedbowl Sluggers include SK Modified drivers Jeff Pearl, Ron Yuhas Jr and Tyler
Chadwick. Ed Reed Jr, Bruce Thomas Jr and Vin Esposito from the Late Model division, Walt
Hovey Jr and Al Stone III representing the Sportsman division and Mini Stock drivers Ken
Cassidy Jr and Randy Churchill Jr. Only Yuhas, Reed and Cassidy have participated in the
event before.
Sid DiMaggio, editor-in-chief of the track’s program and coordinator of the event since it’s
inception in 2006, will choose Little Leaguers to compete in the HR Derby prior to the
exhibition. A former Little League coach in Waterford, DiMaggio will serve as the designated
pitcher during the event. Mini Stock competitor and one-time local softball legend Jeff “Soup”
Civardi will serve as the quest umpire. The participants will take their swings on the edge of
the infield grass, on the frontstretch facing the grandstands. Any ball hit over the Armco
barrier is a solo homerun. Any ball hit over the fence into the grandstands is a grand slam and
worth 4 runs. Each batter gets 10 outs – any strike or ball hit that is not a homerun counts as
1 out. The duo with the most combined runs after everyone has hit wins the event. The Little
Leaguer from the winning team will be presented with a trophy and wiffle ball and bat set.
This year’s Speedbowl Slugger roster is comprised of weekly racers with varying experience in
the game of baseball. Most notably is Ron Yuhas Jr, who competes in both the SK Modifieds
and Late Models this season, was a successful baseball player from his days in the Groton
Little League up to his years playing for Bryant College. Although he may have the most
impressive resume in organized baseball of this year’s participants, Yuhas believes it’s anyone
game this weekend. “Playing organized ball isn’t necessarily an advantage. Everyone’s played
some wiffle ball when they were a kid. Any of the drivers could do well.” Defending Late Model
Champion Bruce Thomas, who will be making his LL Night HR Derby debut this weekend, is
quite confident he’ll get some runs on the board for his squad. Citing his legendary status from
the neighborhood wiffle ball games during his youth, Thomas said, “I have no doubt I will take
(Sid) deep next week.”
Other drivers might not be as confident. 1998 SK Champion Jeff Pearl is hoping to be paired
with a power-hitting Little Leaguer. “I hope I get a ringer. What size bat can I use? Can it be
four inches wide?” Last week’s Sportsman winner Walt Hovey shares the same sentiment, “I
played Little League and that was as far as I went with baseball so I hope I get paired with a
good kid.”
Regardless of his baseball skills, Hovey remains enthusiastic about the HR Derby exhibition.
“It’s good to get back to the kids. We used to live for that kind of stuff when we were young,
it’s good to get back to the things were kids can be part of the action.” Yuhas agrees “It’s just
as much fun for us as it is for the kids to be down there with the drivers. I’m looking forward
to it.”
By “Sid” Dimaggio
Sidsvault.com Home Run Derby. Any Little Leaguer wearing their team jersey will be admitted
free of charge into the grandstands. The wiffle ball exhibition will team up ten of the
Speedbowl’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers with ten local Little Leaguers in a
home run contest on the front stretch at approximately 6:30pm. Grandstands open at 4pm,
qualifying at 5pm and features begin at 7pm.
This years Speedbowl Sluggers include SK Modified drivers Jeff Pearl, Ron Yuhas Jr and Tyler
Chadwick. Ed Reed Jr, Bruce Thomas Jr and Vin Esposito from the Late Model division, Walt
Hovey Jr and Al Stone III representing the Sportsman division and Mini Stock drivers Ken
Cassidy Jr and Randy Churchill Jr. Only Yuhas, Reed and Cassidy have participated in the
event before.
Sid DiMaggio, editor-in-chief of the track’s program and coordinator of the event since it’s
inception in 2006, will choose Little Leaguers to compete in the HR Derby prior to the
exhibition. A former Little League coach in Waterford, DiMaggio will serve as the designated
pitcher during the event. Mini Stock competitor and one-time local softball legend Jeff “Soup”
Civardi will serve as the quest umpire. The participants will take their swings on the edge of
the infield grass, on the frontstretch facing the grandstands. Any ball hit over the Armco
barrier is a solo homerun. Any ball hit over the fence into the grandstands is a grand slam and
worth 4 runs. Each batter gets 10 outs – any strike or ball hit that is not a homerun counts as
1 out. The duo with the most combined runs after everyone has hit wins the event. The Little
Leaguer from the winning team will be presented with a trophy and wiffle ball and bat set.
This year’s Speedbowl Slugger roster is comprised of weekly racers with varying experience in
the game of baseball. Most notably is Ron Yuhas Jr, who competes in both the SK Modifieds
and Late Models this season, was a successful baseball player from his days in the Groton
Little League up to his years playing for Bryant College. Although he may have the most
impressive resume in organized baseball of this year’s participants, Yuhas believes it’s anyone
game this weekend. “Playing organized ball isn’t necessarily an advantage. Everyone’s played
some wiffle ball when they were a kid. Any of the drivers could do well.” Defending Late Model
Champion Bruce Thomas, who will be making his LL Night HR Derby debut this weekend, is
quite confident he’ll get some runs on the board for his squad. Citing his legendary status from
the neighborhood wiffle ball games during his youth, Thomas said, “I have no doubt I will take
(Sid) deep next week.”
Other drivers might not be as confident. 1998 SK Champion Jeff Pearl is hoping to be paired
with a power-hitting Little Leaguer. “I hope I get a ringer. What size bat can I use? Can it be
four inches wide?” Last week’s Sportsman winner Walt Hovey shares the same sentiment, “I
played Little League and that was as far as I went with baseball so I hope I get paired with a
good kid.”
Regardless of his baseball skills, Hovey remains enthusiastic about the HR Derby exhibition.
“It’s good to get back to the kids. We used to live for that kind of stuff when we were young,
it’s good to get back to the things were kids can be part of the action.” Yuhas agrees “It’s just
as much fun for us as it is for the kids to be down there with the drivers. I’m looking forward
to it.”
By “Sid” Dimaggio