Dukes Visit Schools
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| Members of the Pittsfield Dukes baseball team and Trustco Bank mascot "Trusty" visited several schools this morning, including the Crosby elementary school in Pittsfield.[Photo by Jen Thomas]
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* Video can be see here
A Lot Of Fun
"It's a lot of fun to have the players here," said Megan McCauley, 11, of Pittsfield, who had her free ticket to June 15th's Berkshire Elementary School Night signed by the players.
Team members Adam Tempesta, 20, of Brockton, Jim MacDonald, 21, of Cheshire, Conn., and Chester Wilson, 20, of Honolulu entertained first through fifth graders at the school, signing autographs and giving high fives. "Trusty," Trustco Bank's fuzzy blue dog mascot, was also on hand for the festivities.
"We're here to show the community that the players want to reach out to their fans," said Barry Wadsworth, director of marketing and promotions for the Dukes.
"I think it's so awesome that the Dukes are so willing to really give back to the kids," said Crosby School Principal Lisa C. Buchinski. "Kids love sports and they can easily relate to these guys."
"It's pretty cool that they're here," said George Sommerville, 11, of Pittsfield, who is a Little League outfielder.
A Taste Of Fame
For the players, meeting the students was the first taste of fame.
"I just think it's pretty cool to have fans," said Tempesta, a second baseman for the University of Massachusetts.
"It's great to know they appreciate us," said MacDonald, a UMass third baseman.
As the Dukes prepare to play 42 games in 55 days, the players are excited to play in Pittsfield, a city famous for its baseball history.
"This is such a baseball town," said Tempesta.
"It's great playing in one of the oldest parks in the country," said MacDonald.
Wahconah Park, where the Dukes host home games, opened in 1892 and has hosted some of baseball's greatest players, including Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, and Jim Palmer. Current Red Sox pitchers Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield both played at the park in the late 1980s.
The Dukes team broke the attendance record for an opening game at Wahconah Park on Saturday with over 2,000 attendees at the park to see their match-up against the Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats.
"It's so great that [the Dukes] are so local and it's so easy to access Wahconah Park," said Buchinski.
The Upcoming Season
Both the players and the kids are eager for the summer baseball season.
"I've only been to one game before, and I thought it was fun last time, so I want to go again," said McCauley.
"I'm just looking forward to playing some games," said MacDonald.
Though Wilson, a third baseman from Southern Utah University, said he just wanted "a great experience" from the summer's activities, Dukes play-by-play announcer Daniel Sturtevant had other ideas.
"He's going to show the Berkshires some Hawaiian heat," Sturtevant said.
According to Wadsworth, the Dukes are committed to providing families in the community with quality entertainment.
The family-friendly park features live music and various promotional events, including "Superhero Night" on June 16. During that event, children may meet with "heroes" such as Wonder Woman, the Flash, Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, Zorro, Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, said Wadsworth.
"We're looking forward to giving a great experience to all families in Berkshire County who want to come down and see some baseball," he said.
The Dukes next play the Newport Gulls tonight in an away game. The next home game is Friday, June 15 against the Danbury Westerners. Game time is 7 p.m..
Jen Thomas may be reached via e-mail at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at 413-663-3384 ext. 23.
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