The front office for the Mohawk Valley Diamondawgs consist of team owner and President David N. Dittman and also General Manager Travis Heiser. For David, it started for him as a youngster as he grew up around baseball. His father was the attorney for the Phila Phillies for 40 years. He bought his first wooden bat collegiate baseball team in 2000 in the Peninsula Pilots.
Travis Heiser is the General Manager of the Mohawk Valley Diamondawgs and is entering his second season with the team as the General Manager. He is a native of Canajoharie, N.Y. and coached the St. Johnsville high school baseball team. Travis has been with the team since 2007 starting out as an assistant coach. Travis was an all-star as a player in college as he played for Fulton-Montgomery Community College. He was a New York State College Baseball All-Star before he went to play for Endicott.
Their visions of both the club and the league are very positive. The NYCBL is the league of the future says Dittman. With the addition of Albany in 2009 and Cooperstown in 2010 the NYCBL will join the group of elite summer wood bat leagues. For the Diamondawgs, the goal is pretty simple and that is to be the number one summer wooden bat team in the country. “We have the best stadium, the best host families, the best fans, a growing number of advertisers and a marketing area begging for a great BASEBALL franchise-we will be that” says David about the future of the club.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Diamondawgs History
There have been many stops and changes in Little Falls, N.Y. for both professional and collegiate baseball teams. All these changes happened in Veterans Memorial Park which opened its stadium in 1949 with a seating capacity of 2000, has been home to several teams. In 1977, Little Falls Mets of the New York ¬ Penn league made
Veterans Park home. The Mets, despite never winning their division, won the NYP championship in the 1984 season. The team then relocated to Pittsfield Massachusetts in 1988.
After the Mets left, the Little Falls Diamonds NYCBL franchise was born in 1988, Little Falls created a powerhouse in the NYCBL winning the NYCBL championship in 1990, 1992, and 1993. The team folded after the 1994 season.
Then, in 1995, the Mohawk Valley Landsharks were born. The Landsharks played one season in Little Falls finishing the season 47-23 which was 5 games out of first place. They then relocated to Newburgh, NY and Veterans Park was left vacant until 1999 when the Mohawk Valley Redlegs came in only to relocate the very next year to Utica, NY.
In 2006, the Little Falls Diamond Miners were born as an expansion team in the NYCBL to be renamed a year later by dropping the Diamond off the name to become the Little Falls Miners. The Miners made the playoffs in the next two seasons, 2007 and 2008, but then in the summer of 2008, the current owner, David Dittman, bought the team from Miles Wolff. The 2009 season will see the newly named Mohawk Valley Diamondawgs playing at Veterans Park.
Veterans Park home. The Mets, despite never winning their division, won the NYP championship in the 1984 season. The team then relocated to Pittsfield Massachusetts in 1988.
After the Mets left, the Little Falls Diamonds NYCBL franchise was born in 1988, Little Falls created a powerhouse in the NYCBL winning the NYCBL championship in 1990, 1992, and 1993. The team folded after the 1994 season.
Then, in 1995, the Mohawk Valley Landsharks were born. The Landsharks played one season in Little Falls finishing the season 47-23 which was 5 games out of first place. They then relocated to Newburgh, NY and Veterans Park was left vacant until 1999 when the Mohawk Valley Redlegs came in only to relocate the very next year to Utica, NY.
In 2006, the Little Falls Diamond Miners were born as an expansion team in the NYCBL to be renamed a year later by dropping the Diamond off the name to become the Little Falls Miners. The Miners made the playoffs in the next two seasons, 2007 and 2008, but then in the summer of 2008, the current owner, David Dittman, bought the team from Miles Wolff. The 2009 season will see the newly named Mohawk Valley Diamondawgs playing at Veterans Park.
Allegany County Nitros Front Office
The front office of the Alleghany County Nitros consists of one man and that man is Dan Russo. He is the owner, president and the GM of the team. He has been with the Nitros since they came into the NYCBL in 1998. He started as the General Manager and then became president and owner in 2002. He is a retired Army Sergeant and has lived in Wellsville for 30 years. He is on the County Legislative of Alleghany County and is also the Treasurer of the NYCBL and just earned the Daub Award for 2008 for his involvement in the NYCBL.
His vision for the league and his team are both very positive. He would put this league up against any other summer wooden bat league in this area such as the New England League or the Cape Cod League. The ownership is great and with two new teams coming in, in Cooperstown and Albany, this will increase the credibility of the league through the roof. As for his team, he wishes to maintain the positive image that they have and to give back to the community for what they have given his team as well as staying successful as a team as they have been in recent years along with 27 professional contract signings. That’s how Dan views both the league and his team.
His vision for the league and his team are both very positive. He would put this league up against any other summer wooden bat league in this area such as the New England League or the Cape Cod League. The ownership is great and with two new teams coming in, in Cooperstown and Albany, this will increase the credibility of the league through the roof. As for his team, he wishes to maintain the positive image that they have and to give back to the community for what they have given his team as well as staying successful as a team as they have been in recent years along with 27 professional contract signings. That’s how Dan views both the league and his team.
History of the Allegany County Nitros
The Alleghany County Nitro’s have been around for some time in the NYCBL. They are the second oldest franchise in the Western division and the third oldest team in the NYCBL. They joined the NYCBL in 1998. Wellsville had a Boston Red Sox single A ball club from the late 40’s and into the 50’s. The Alleghany Nitro’s have won two Western Division regular season championships, in 2006 and 2007 along with being first or second in the Western Division five out of the last six years. They have also made the playoffs four straight seasons and hope to make it five this upcoming season. They competed in the NYCBL Championship Series in 2006 against the Saratoga Phillies.
The Nitro’s not only have been successful on the field as a team but have had a number of players go on to play professional baseball. Over the eleven year period, 27 players sign major league contracts including all star reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeremy Accardo, who served as a closer for the Nitro’s in 2002.
The Nitro’s not only have been successful on the field as a team but have had a number of players go on to play professional baseball. Over the eleven year period, 27 players sign major league contracts including all star reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeremy Accardo, who served as a closer for the Nitro’s in 2002.
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