Baldwin parents are pitching in for a trip to Cooperstown

The parents of Baldwin’s Long Island Royals 12U team are going to bat for their kids — in a spirited bid to send them to Cooperstown to compete in a baseball tournament this summer. 

In a display of sportsmanship away from the field, they joined forces by orchestrating a clothing drive so the Baldwin Little League team could compete in the Cooperstown Baseball Tournament Experience, to be held from Aug. 18-24.

Julia Tephly and Alicia Lubrin, both from Baldwin, have spearheaded the clothing drive, calling on community members to donate new and gently used clothing, jackets, hats and handbags for Go Green Clothing Recycling, a Long Island-based company that pays for clothes that are collected.

In addition to the drive, set for March 16 at 12 p.m. at the Baldwin district office, 960 Hastings St. in Baldwin, a GoFundMe has been launched to raise the $10,000 the team needs for registration fees and to cover the cost of the trip.

“A lot of the parents have heard of it (the tournament), and when you talk about it, people know about it,” Tephly said, whose son Joseph competes on the team. “It is nice to hear that it is well known and that it is special to go, and I hear that it’s supposed to be phenomenal and a memory for the children.”

Cooperstown stands as the sacred ground of baseball, and is revered as the sport’s birthplace and home to its hallowed Hall of Fame. But for these parents, the upstate tourist destination represents more than just history.

The tournament, which dates to 1996, has provided an experience for young boys and girls who love baseball to participate in a world-class facility for teams, families and friends across the country.

More than 200,000 players, coaches and umpires have graced the baseball diamond in Cooperstown. Major Leaguers that have participated in the tournament include Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, just to name a few.

Founded in 1953, the Baldwin Little League provides children ages 4 to 18 with an opportunity to join a baseball or softball team in the area.

Kevin Kurz, who leads the 12U team, said that playing in Cooperstown would be more of an experience of a lifetime than a baseball tournament for the team.

“They would get to be with each other, bond, be 12-year-old kids and meet others from around the world,” Kurz said.

“It gives them the experience to mingle with other kids and gives them the opportunity to go up against all these other kids and see where they are developmentally.”

Tephly said, “To be part of a team and going up there, it shows teamwork. I think they would grow, learn and see other teams and how they play, incorporate that into their own team.”

Lubrin’s son Daren Junior, or D.J., plays on the team, and agreed that the experience for the team would be once in a lifetime.

“It can help them learn how to work together,” she said, “like a family.”

Other fundraising initiatives are also being discussed, such as a popcorn sale and a potential pancake breakfast at Applebee’s in Baldwin.

“Even if they go other ways in their lives or make other decisions, whether it’s with baseball or not,” Kurz said, “they’ll always have this. They’ll always have like a little piece of each other.”

To donate, visit gofund.me/c98742c4.