ol’s quintessential “Boy of Summer.”
Having played admirably for Liverpool High School’s baseball teams in the early-1990s, he went on to star at Le Moyne before ascending to the major leagues. A right-handed pitcher, he compiled a respectable 4.88 earned-run average over several seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox, the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers.
When he was a set-up man for the Padres back in ought-six, I remember watching Cassidy on TV as he struck out home-run king Barry Bonds. Plenty of big-league hurlers pitched around Bonds, the San Francisco Giant who was walked a record 2,558 times, but not Cassidy. He toed the rubber, gripped and ripped. He went right at Bonds, challenging the slugger by deftly alternating fastballs and change-ups.
Sure, Bonds whiffed 1,539 times in his checkered career but no matter. Cassidy can proudly boast that he quickly and confidently set down the biggest, baddest batter of his time.
LHS inducts six Tuesday
On Tuesday June 7, Cassidy – now the head coach of Le Moyne College’s baseball squad – will be inducted into the LHS Athletic Hall of Fame along with Eric Lipton, Eric Varney, Lauryn DePaul, Jennifer Taormina and Coach Bob Millett.
Protein is on the menu for the June 7 banquet hosted by the Liverpool Varsity Club at the high-school gym. Following the presentation of plaques at 5:30 p.m., dinner will be served by the Outback Steakhouse!
Kickball coming to Route 57
When I was a kid-before before Facebook, before Twitter, before e-mail -we used the telephone to organize after-school kickball games. I’d often spend an hour or more on the horn to call together the players, boys and girls alike, to gather under the big oak tree at Chris McKendrick’s yard off Memphis Street. We liked playing there because the lawn was bordered by a wire fence. If you could kick one over that faraway obstacle, you had a home run.
Now, all these years later, kickball’s making a comeback. And it’s not just for kids anymore.
The Syracuse Adult Kickball Association will open a new field later this month at the Ajemian property that had been considered as a possible location for a Wal-Mart Supercenter. It’s far better that the former golf-driving range is being reconfigured as a diamond in the rough, dubbed the Syracuse Kickball Park.
The adult co-ed summer kickball season starts there, at 7192 Oswego Road (Route 57) June 27. For info, dial 563-SAKA, or visit syracusekickball.com/.
Fr. Charlie says thanks
The Rev. Father Charlie Major, who’s retiring after 34 years here, says his final Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church this Sunday June 5. When I interviewed him a couple weeks ago he pointed out several people who he especially appreciated during his three-plus decades here.
“Outreach Minister Terry Cardinal has been here the whole way,” he said. She’s been great. Part of her genius is that she’s very respectful of people, especially the needy.” Specifically, he lauded Cardinal’s efforts to establish and maintain the church’s food pantry.
Likewise, he praised former music, liturgy and religious education director Joan Workmaster. “She was a real crackerjack,” the outgoing pastor said. “We were all tremendously enriched by Joan’s presence.”
Fr. Charlie also mentioned a dozen or more families of faithful parishioners and the guidance he received from former Pastor Tony Keefe.
With Fr. Charlie in retirement, St. Joe’s will now be joined with Galeville’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.
Charcoaled chicken Saturday
Speaking of local churches, the Liverpool First United Methodist Church will serve chicken barbecue dinners for $9 each from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday June 4, on the back lawn at 604 Oswego St. Everyone knows where that is – it’s the church with the purple door!
