New Cup format for Spa LL
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » There will still be a Super Saturday in the Spa City this weekend and Little League will continue to be a major part of it.
When the former Saratoga American Little League organization announced that it would be discontinuing its relationship with Little League and join forces with Wilton Youth Baseball under the Cal Ripken Baseball national organization banner, it put an end to annual Mayor’s Cup event that pitted the teams from the West Side (Saratoga National) against the East Side (Saratoga American).
“Usually the third Saturday in June is open, the Saturday before the actual all-star tournaments start,” Saratoga Little League (formerly Saratoga National) president Derrick Legall said. “On even years it would be hosted by the
East Side and on the odd years it would be hosted by the West Side.
“Last year we got information that the East Side was going to give up their charter and we decided that we would have the open date. What can we do to fill that void of getting us to play something as a year-end event before the all-star travel tournaments start?”
The West Side Recreational baseball program simply had to look north to find an answer to keep their weekend filled.
“We reached out to Glens Falls last year,” Legall said. “Even though the East Side was still involved, Glens Falls played for the 50/70 Cup and we played some of their teams along with East Side.
“We matched them against the East Side and some of the West Side teams. It stated last year as a hybrid and this year we went fully with it because the East Side is no longer a Little League franchise.”
This weekend will be recognized as the first official Adirondack Cup weekend with 18 games scheduled across the bantam, majors, minors AAA, minors AA and the majors divisions on three fields.
Legall is hopeful that the Adirondack Cup will still bring the same kind of excitement that the crosstown rivalry with Saratoga American and the East Side Recreation teams did for decades.
“With Glens Falls it will be a little bit different, but kids want to play other kids,” Legall said. “That rival between East and West, have done it since they are minors, they’re going g to miss it, hopefully with this new venture, this is a tradition that they want to start.”
The evening’s highlight will be the 6 p.m. premier Adirondack Cup contest where Thursday night’s champions, the majors PBA squad and the minors Julie & Co. Realty will take on the first-place squads from Glens Falls.
“They (Glens Falls Little Legaue) were excited about it last year and wanted to continue,” Legall said. “We’re hoping that this venture could be continued and a partnership is developed to keep the Little League event going.”