Baseball Exchange Turns 20 This Weekend
 North Adams and Boston are on opposite ends of the state, but they've been sharing the bond of baseball since 1991. |
The LaFesta Baseball Exchange celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend, pitting Babe Ruth League players from North Adams against athletes from the North End of Boston. The Exchange first began in the summer of 1991 as a way to expose children to a different culture within their home state, by holding a weekend series in the Berkshires and another in Boston.
The 20th series kicks off on Saturday night when North Adams hosts North End at Joe Wolfe Field. A pre-game ceremony will commence at 6:30 p.m., with the first pitch following shortly after. On Sunday, a second game will be played at 11 a.m. at Joe Wolfe.
On the weekend of Aug. 7-8, North Adams will travel to the North End to play a pair of games.
In the 61 games between the two clubs, which feature ballplayers ages 13 to 15, North Adams has won 35. George Canales, who is one of the original founders of the Exchange, said the program's success has little to do with wins and losses.
He recalled one game within the last two years, when North Adams defeated North End pretty handily at Joe Wolfe. After the game, Canales approached one of the North End players.
"I went over and said 'I guess you guys just didn't have it today,'" Canales remembered. "Then the kid said, 'We weren't looking at the scoreboard. We were looking at the mountains and thinking about the good times we've had here.
"And that's what it's all about. It's about the friendships that are made and about soaking in a new culture. We still have kids who write each other from across the state."
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The North Adams team's visit to Boston coincides with North End Pride Day, which includes a street festival that welcomes tens of thousands of people. It'll be the largest crowd gathering most of the North Adams athletes have ever witnessed in person.
John Romano, the general manager of the North End team and a co-founder of the Exchange, was 27 years old when the cross-state program began. A lot has changed since 1991; Romano has a wife and children, and Canales has grandchildren. Through the annual Exchange, Romano said the two communities "have become a family."
The two words Romano said best describe the Exchange are "friendship" and "hospitality." He said that once his team is selected, North End players can't stop talking about their upcoming trip to the Berkshires. The rural setting is a stark contrast for the children who are used to the hustle and bustle of the city.
"Certainly we don't have anything like the ROPES course in our back yard," Romano said. "We have a billion-dollar view of the ocean, but we don't see the mountains here. There is such a distinct difference between the two places."
Playing on Joe Wolfe Field is another reason why North End players look forward to their visit. Canales said that Joe Wolfe, compared to the Babe Ruth field in the North End, "is like playing at Fenway Park."
Kevin Hempstead, who is the public-address announcer at the North Adams SteepleCats home games, will be announcing players' names before each at-bat this weekend. Also, much like the SteepleCats games, music will be played in between innings and before each at-bat.
"They love getting their names announced," said Ralph Martignetti, the North End's head coach. "That's going to be a first for a lot of them. It makes them feel like professionals."
Canales said Saturday's pre-game festivities will have a "World Series atmosphere," including player introductions and a ceremonial first pitch tossed by Mayor Richard J. Alcombright. The mayor said the Exchange provides a "very unique connection" between people from different ends of the state.
"This exchange is truly about establishing a longstanding relationship between two communities tied together by the common threads of family, neighborhood and baseball," Alcombright said. "George Canales and all involved deserve a tremendous amount of credit for keeping this exchange alive and well all these years."
Canales said fundraising for the Exchange this year was more challenging than past years. Modern Aluminum Anodizing Corp., which was purchased by Berkshire Anodizing LLC in January, had sponsored the event for 19 years.
Canales said there were more fundraisers needed this year, including a dinner sponsored by the Italian-American Club of Pittsfield. The spaghetti supper took place at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, and the proceeds supported the Exchange. Canales said employees of the Italian-American Club were so impressed by the North Adams players, who assisted with cleanup duties and helped some of the elderly folks, that the club offered to sponsor the dinner for years to come.
Every Exchange game is free of charge. In 2009, Canales said he saw the biggest turnout in the program's history, with about 150 fans attending the North Adams games.
He's anticipating more this weekend.
"I hope the city of North Adams can respond and send the message, 'hey, this is a baseball community,'" Canales said. "People should come out and watch our youth play, and don't just root on North Adams; root for both teams."
If rain makes the Joe Wolfe playing too sloppy for baseball, Canales said the games will be played at Alcombright Field, which is where they were played last summer.
