Coming soon to a minor league stadium near you: the newest addition to a fledgling softball league.
The New York/New Jersey Comets, the latest team to join the National Pro Fastpitch women’s league, will be playing their home games all across the tri-state area, with games scheduled for Pomona, N.Y., Bridgewater, N.J. and Little Falls, N.J., as well as a two-game “outreach series” in Allentown, Pa.
Michael Neuwirth, a Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., native who serves as the team’s president and acting general manager, had his mind set on bringing a team to the metropolitan area during his time as a coach and going to softball tournaments with his two daughters.
“I got to meet a lot of coaches and thought there was a need for [a team here],” Neuwirth told The Rumble’s John DeMarzo. “Softball in general in the last five years is skyrocketing in the area. It’s a great sport and it made sense.”
So Neuwirth had a vision of bringing a fastpitch team to the area, but then had to execute his plan.
“The hardest part was working with the minor league teams [to figure out when we could use their stadiums],” he said. “It was a matter of figuring out where I wanted to play and working around their schedules.”
The key concept behind the Comets is the idea that making a profit is somewhat of a secondary goal. The game’s growth is the primary goal of the league, Neuwirth said.
“Every team has a different approach, but for me, it really starts with ticket sales,” he said. “If fans come, then there’s the potential to make a profit. Once the fans come to the game, they’ll see that the players are fantastic athletes and role models.”
The Comets’ roster is a work in progress. Right now, the team has just eleven players — all former members of the Carolina Diamonds, which folded after last season.
Two current Comets hail from the Northeast — including Long Island University’s Bianca Mejia, the school’s all-time leader in home runs.
Pitcher Sara Plourde, a UMass graduate who led the NCAA in strikeouts the past three seasons, said she is just happy to continue her softball careers after college.
“It feels amazing to get the chance to do something that I have enjoyed my entire life,” she said. “Getting to be around a group of girls that love the game, it’s amazing. I can’t imagine not playing.”
For more information, visit http://www.cometsprosoftball.com.
Yankees greats at pinstripe party
Temperatures in the 50s didn’t keep Yankees royalty from turning out Thursday night for the premier spring training event in Tampa.
Hall of Famer Goose Gossage headlined a cast of Yankees greats — which included David Cone, Sparky Lyle, Ron Guidry, Mickey Rivers and Lou Piniella — who were at the party mingling with guests.
The annual event is sponsored by Wish You Were Here Productions, a New York-based company run by Andrew Levy and Tim O’Neill.
Marathoning model in run for autism
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and Big Apple resident Genevieve Morton is running the NYC Half today to raise money and awareness for Autism Speaks.
The 27-year-old South African will be part of a field of 15,000 runners taking to the streets of Manhattan, including an elite group of more than a dozen Olympians.
“This is my first half marathon, and first race in New York, but I grew up running,” Morton said. “My sister was a competitive runner but got hit by a car and is now unable to run. I’m running this race for charity — Autism Speaks — but also for my sister.”
The NYC Half, in its eighth running, will air live on WABC-TV from 7-9 a.m. and online at 7online.com. It also will stream live nationally on ESPN3.com.