Rusty Staub Memorial Mass

Rusty Staub was remembered for his generous heart at the Rusty Staub Memorial Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Wednesday. Staub died last month in Florida at the age of 73.

Staub, a former star with the New York Mets and the only player in Major League Baseball history to have over 500 hits with four teams, was known for the Rusty Staub Foundation and giving to the less fortunate. A two-time honoree at the archdiocese’s annual CYO dinner, he teamed with Catholic Charities to serve over 1,000,000 meals annually to the hungry people of New York.

Here is what was said by friends and fans:

“Rusty has bypassed Cooperstown because on the very first ballot he’s made God’s Hall of Fame in heaven,” said Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities in the archdiocese, in closing his homily.

“He was just a great person and he was my first baseball crush. I had to be here for him. He had a pure, wonderful heart,” said Mets fans Darlene Beattie of Peekskill.

“This was a man of great generosity with a huge heart,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.

“He will be missed around the offices. He will be missed at my golf tournaments. He will be missed everywhere,” said Mets owner Jeff Wilpon.

“He would have been great if he never got a hit. I think that says something about him,” said former Mets pitcher and current Mets broadcaster Ron Darling.

“He was a huge part of the city. I think you look at him as a baseball player, but I think millions of New Yorkers may have never known he played baseball because of his heart and what he did for the police and firemen. That’s the most important thing. Baseball is what we do but it’s not who we are. Rusty was definitely more than that,” said former teammate Lee Mazzilli, who was introduced to his wife by Staub.

“He was the first to ever say to me, ‘remember you’re a teacher, no one cares what you know until they know that you care,” said Bobby Valentine, who recalled Staub saying this when a young Valentine was coaching the veteran Staub with the Mets. Staub was older than Valentine.

Deadline Nears for CYO Discounted Tickets to Hersheypark for 2018

The April 30 deadline to place orders is approaching as CYO New York and Hersheypark are teaming up to offer CYO Friends & Family discounted tickets to the park in Pennsylvania.

CYO Friends & Family can purchase tickets for the CYO New York rate of $41.50, saving $26.30 per ticket. Prepaid meal tickets are available at $12.99 per person.

Tickets are valid for one day at the park between April 27 and Sept. 30, 2018.

Click here for more information.

 

Nun Run 5K Coming May 12

Twenty nuns — eight Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt and 12 Maryknoll sisters — are among the early entries for the he fourth annual Nun Run 5K on May 12 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Dominic Convent in Blauvelt.

The race, which begins and ends at St. Dominic Convent, takes runners throughout Blauvelt. Prizes will be awarded to the top-three women, men, boys and girls to finish the race.

The race fee is $32 plus a $3 sign-up fee. After May 7, the race fee increases to $35, $38 with the sign-up fee. Runners registering online may use the promo code of CATHOLICNEWYORK to receive a $5 discount.

Sponsorships are still available, too.

Click here to register and learn more about sponsorships.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SISTERS OF ST. DOMINIC — Sisters Mary Ann Collins, Terry Rickard, Dorothy Maxwell and Mary Flood, all Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvent, are shown at the 2017 Nun Run 5K. All four are entered in this year’s race.

Stepinac Baseball Rolling

The football and basketball programs won 2017-2018 state championships and now the Archbishop Stepinac High School baseball team is looking to continue this momentum.

The Crusaders bring today a 4-0 record to Staten Island to play St. Peter’s (2-1). First pitch is 4 p.m. at Mid Island Little League Fields.

Stepinac, which is coming off wins over All Hallows this week, has outscored its opponents, 25-12, this season. The Crusaders and St. Francis Prep from the Diocese of Brooklyn are the only 4-0 CHSAA teams from New York City/Westchester County.

St. Peter’s picked up recent wins over Cardinal Spellman and Moore Catholic after losing a 1-0 decision to Salesian in its season opener.

 

 

 

CYO Track Meet Postponed

The CYO New York track and field meet scheduled for Sunday at Mount St. Michael Academy has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.

The CYO Club Program has added an open practice for Saturday, 4-6 p.m., at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.

Click here for the updated and to register athletes born on or after Jan. 2, 2001 and on or before Jan. 1, 2013 and within grades K-8.

Strong Start for Iona Prep Grad

Iona Prep graduate Colin Moran is off to a strong in his first full season of Major League Baseball.

The third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates is 10 for 29 with a home run, eight RBI and a .387 on-base percentage in the early season.

Moran, the sixth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2013 draft, was traded to the Pirates by the Houston Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade. He played in 16 games over the previous two season for the Astros.

Spring Track Season Starting

CYO New York’s 2018 outdoor track and field season kicks off Sunday at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.

Registration is at 12:30 p.m. with the meet scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

This is the first of six meets being held at Mount St. Michael, which includes the County Championships on May 20.

The Rockland CYO Invitational is May 6 at Pearl River High School and the Archdiocese Championships are being held June 10 on Staten Island.

 

CYO Concludes Indoor Season

CYO New York held its final indoor track and field invitational of the 2017-2018 winter season at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island April 7.

Click here for the results.

 

CYO Bowling Starting April 10

Registration is still open for interested bowlers on Staten Island for the 2018 spring season.

The season begins April 10 at 4 p.m. at Rab’s Country Lanes on Staten Island.

The season runs for nine weeks and matches up bowlers from the Staten Island parishes. The divisions are K-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, grades 7-8 and high school.

Cost is $120 per bowler in K-8 and $130 for high school bowlers.

Click here to register and learn more about the league.

 

Cluess Receives Extension at Iona

Iona College men’s basketball coach Tim Cluess received a three-year contract extension that will keep him at the college in New Rochelle through the 2024-2025 season.

“The support the Iona College community, alumni and all of Gael Nation shows our program year in and year out makes Iona a special place for the coaching staff, myself and my family,” said Cluess in a press release. “Additionally, the continued support shown by President (Joseph) Nyre, (Athletic Director) Rick Cole and our entire administration continues to push our program to reach new heights. I look forward to adding to the legacy and further growth of Iona basketball.”

Cluess has coached the Gaels to the NCAA tournament in each of the last three seasons, joining Gonzaga and South Dakota State as the only mid-major programs to compete in the last three NCAA tournaments.

Iona has won at least 20 games and competed in a national postseason tournament in each of Cluess’ eight seasons. His 182 wins and .664 winning percentage give Iona the highest win total and winning percentage of the 23 NCAA Division I programs in the New York Metropolitan area.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IONA COLLEGE