If your arm was nearly chopped in off in a fatal car crash over the summer, then painstakingly reattached through several surgeries, the first thing you'd do when you got out of the hospital is rob your local Little League office with your homeless BFF, right? Totally! more ›

There's no crying in baseball, but out on Strong Island there are threatening letters. An area mom was arrested Saturday night and accused of sending a series of letters threatening violence to a little league coach and other league officials after her son was rejected from the travel team. Janet Chiauzzi, 44, from East Meadow, also allegedly sent a letter to the principal of an official's children's school, accusing the official of child molestation, Newsday reports (paywall). more ›

Earlier this season, the Mets got into some trouble after they inadvertently encouraged kids to "play hooky" to come see a game at Citifield. It seems they're having an opposite effect on kids now: this Sunday, before their game against the Atlanta Braves, is their annual Youth Baseball Parade, an opportunity for city little leaguers to march on the field. But because the start time of the game was switched, many of those kids won't be able to stay up and participate, and parents are pissed. And you can blame ESPN and MLB for that. more ›

David Harshorn, the 52-year-old Queens Little League coach charged with molesting three of his charges, doesn't just have a history of pursuing sex with minors. He also has a history as a campaign manager who uses minors for grunt work! Harshorn managed Alan Gerson's failed 2009 City Council bid and worked on Joe Fox's failed shot at unseating Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi. In both cases he used kids to hand out literature and it is unclear if a background check was performed in either case. Meanwhile, the Little League has begun its own investigation into how he got his coaching gig. more ›

A Queens little league coach has been charged with criminal sexual acts and endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly molesting three victims, ages 13, 14 and 16, who played on the team he coached. But when David Hartshorn, 52, was brought in for arraignment he reportedly collapsed! He didn't go unconscious, and was revived just in time to be held without bail. For those keeping score, Hartshorn was busted in 1989 for offenses including sodomy and promoting sexual performance with a child under 16. Must not have put that on his resume. more ›

The South Shore National squad of Staten Island went down to Williamsport and certainly put up a fight in the World Series tournament, but in the end couldn't get the job done against San Antonio in a 4-1 defeat in last night's nationally televised game. Most little league double plays are prompted by careless baserunning by a kid who doesn't know how many outs there are, but San Antonio pulled off three DPs last night simply with their sharp fundamentals. The Texas tweens, who probably get to play all-year round without any real winter to deal with, were able to get themselves out of three separate innings in which South Shore National had loaded up the bases, twice with nobody out. Star lefty pitcher Angelo Navetta (pictured) got banged up and taken out early, not making it out of the 2nd inning. Manager Mike Zaccariello said after, "He just wasn't Angelo." Mayor Bloomberg saluted the Staten Island youngsters, saying he was "impressed by the spirit of the players and the devotion of the parents in the stands." After the defeat, the mayor said, "On behalf of the entire city, I congratulate them on a great season that is the stuff of dreams." more ›

Last night, Staten Island Little League team the South Shore National defeated a team from Somerset Hills, NJ, 4-0, to become the Mid-Atlantic Regional champions. Now the team is headed to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. Proud uncle Anthony Morisano, whose nephew James is on the team, told the Daily News, "This is a big deal for us. The whole team is good. All the kids seem to be stepping up." What's more, they're stepping up during a nationally broadcast (on ESPN2) game! more ›

A 2004 Little League game-gone-wrong has earned a Staten Island family a $125,000 settlement, according to the Staten Island Advance. The lawsuit, filed by mother Jean Gonzalez, alleged that the New Springville Little League and its parent company, Little League Baseball Incorporated, were negligent in instructing her son Martin Gonzalez about proper sliding techniques before a May 2004 game, when her son was instructed by his coach to slide into second base. The slide ended in ligament and meniscus tearing (that's a knee injury in doctor-speak) for Martin, who was 12 at the time and has had two surgeries to repair the damage in the five years since. Some lawyers on the sidelines have suggested this was a weak case, given that anyone who plays sports usually assumes there's always some possibility of getting hurt, but as the Gonzalez's lawyer Alan Glassman points out, "Apparently, the Little League International and the local Little League must have felt that I had some justification for the commencement of the action." Now, if only Glassman can explain why the lawsuit was filed some three years after the injury, the statute of limitations equivalent of the bottom of the ninth. more ›

Davonte Kelly, the 11-year-old whose skull was grazed by a bullet as he waited to play Little League baseball, made a triumphant appearance at Citi Field to throw the ceremonial first pitch (video) before the Cardinals-Mets game. Kelly, whose spunk has impressed the city and both the Mets and Yankees, also got to meet his favorite player, David Wright, who presented him with a special jersey and an autographed bat. more ›

Davonte Kelly, the 11-year-old who survived a stray bullet to his head (!!), returned to the Little League ballfields in Brooklyn to cheer his teammates. A week ago, Kelly had been waiting to play a game when the bullet entered his head—he thought he was just hit by a baseball, but it was in fact a bullet, which just missed entering his skull (the bullet did dent it a little). Davonte was in great spirits when chatting with WCBS 2 (which also shows where the bullet hit him), "It just feels great - smell the grass, smell the peanuts, get that urge for playing baseball," and expressed his appreciation for all the support he's been getting. But he's not playing just yet, per doctor's orders. No matter, he told the Daily News, "I might not be on the field today, but at least I'm watching. I love baseball and I love my team." Aw! You rule, Davonte! The police still have not found the shooter; City Councilman Charles Barron urged people with information to step forward, "A little boy ought to be able to play baseball without a bullet lodged in his head." more ›

Davonte Kelly, the 11-year-old who was hit by a stray bullet while waiting for his Little League game on Sunday, will get to meet his favorite baseball player. The Mets offered him tickets to a game and the NY Post reports that David Wright is ready and excited as well. Wright said, "I'm looking forward to meeting him and shaking his hand and talking a little baseball with him...Your first reaction is your heart goes out to the family. You never expect things like that to happen to begin with. I'm excited to meet him." It was a miracle that Davonte survived—the bullet didn't enter his skull, but it did dent it. The Mets also sent Davonte a "get-well basket with a bobble head of pitcher Johan Santana and a replica of the old Shea Stadium" while the Yankees also sent him tickets. And Davonte is ready to play ball again; after leaving the hospital yesterday, he said, "I am going to practice. I told my mom I am going to go downstairs and throw the ball against the wall and catch it for 30 minutes every day and exercise my muscles." The police still have not found the shooter. more ›

Eleven-year-old Davonte Kelly was greeted by well-wishers and the media when he emerged from Brookdale Hospital today. Kelly was waiting to play a Little League baseball game in Brooklyn on Sunday when a stray bullet entered his skull, not that he knew he was shot—he thought he was just hit by a baseball. According to CityRoom, Davonte said, "I’m feeling fine, no headaches or anything. I was amazed I could survive a bullet." The miraculous thing is that the bullet just missed penetrating his skull and brain. City Councilman Charles Barron, who previously urged for people with information about the shooting to step forward, was also outside the hospital and said, "We want to say to our community, put the gun down. A little boy ought to be able to play baseball without having a bullet lodged in his head." more ›

Thank goodness: The mother of the 11-year-old boy whose head was hit by a bullet says her son is fine. Devante Kelly had been waiting to play his Little League game at Starrett City in Brooklyn when an apparently stray bullet hit him. Andrea Walters said of son Devante Kelly, "He's fine, I just want everyone to know he's fine and not to worry. He was up and talking through the whole thing like it was nothing." According to the NY Times, the bullet "traveled under the skin for less than an inch, and then come to rest against the skull, hitting it with enough force to put a small depression or dent in it but not enough to break it." Brookdale Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. Louis G. Cornacchia said, "This was as an act of God that this child was not more severely injured. This is not the result of my gifted hands. He was saved long before I ever entered the picture." Devante's mother said she hopes her son will be back to playing soon—she doesn't want him to be afraid—and City Councilman Charles Barron said, "Anybody that has information on this, if you don't want to snitch, tell me - I'll snitch. This is very, very sickening in our community." more ›

An 11-year-old boy was struck by a bullet while taking a photograph at Little League game in Brooklyn. The Daily News reports, "The boy, identified by a relative as Devante Kelly, was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was set for a miraculous recovery after doctors removed the bullet from between his skull and scalp." Devante was either sitting on a bleacher or standing in the field at Starrett City during the incident yesterday afternoon; a relative said, "He felt something, and he just started screaming." At first, it was thought he was struck by a baseball, but when it was clear he was shot, the police searched the complex. So far, there are no suspects and no motives; police are asking anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers 800-577-TIPS, to visit the CrimeStoppers website or to text info to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577. more ›

Brooklyn-based alt rock pioneers They Might Be Giants have decided to start sponsoring little league teams, following in the footsteps of other community-friendly entrepreneurs like Hoffman Car Wash and Dick's Sporting Goods. It's another savvy move for the protean Johns, because the free advertising can't help but boost record sales on their growing catalog of children's albums. (The band just won a Grammy for Best Children's album for "Here Come the 123s") more ›

In Manhattan federal court yesterday, a judge sentenced former Queens Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin to ten years in prison for taking in over $3 million in embezzlement, bribes from taxpayers and other illegal means. McLaughlin even stole $95,000 from a Queens Little League, promising voters that their donations meant that "A Child in Sports Stays Out of the Courts." Judge Richard Sullivan said that McLaughlin harkened back to the era of Boss Tweed and accused the former president of the nation’s largest municipal labor council of validating “the harshest critics of organized labor who accuse the leadership of corruption, and point to you as an example of that corruption.” Prosecutors had asked the judge for leniency, in part because of McLaughlin's cooperation in the recent indictment of another pol, Queens Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio. At the sentencing, McLaughlin, who has entered into Alcoholics Anonymous in recent years, said, "I'd like to say I make no excuses for it. But over the past three, 3-1/2 years I've had the opportunity to live the way I'd like to live my life." more ›

In a flash the Rangers remade their team on the first day of free agency, adding Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. Drury, grew up in Trumbull, Connecticut as a Rangers’ fan and has been one of the top centers in the game since breaking into the league with Colorado in 1998 (not to mention a Little League World Series champion). Gomez has been with the Devils since joining the league in 1999 winning two Stanley Cups and is a very good player at both ends of the ice. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a stabbing at the 41st Precinct House in the Bronx, a homicide on Parkhill Ave. on Staten Island, and a double shooting on East 113th St. in Manhattan.
• Forget aluminum bats, a Staten Island mom is suing her son's former Little League coach for not teaching the then-12-year-old how to slide correctly.
• The Daily News interviews Jeffrey Hill, the track worker injured by the train that killed his co-worker Marvin Franklin.
• The cops beat the firefighters 20-10 in their annual NYPD vs. FDNY football game.
• The Queens security guard who was hit as he tried to stop a speeding getaway van succumbed to his injuries yesterday and died.
• Female solidarity on the political front as songstress Christina Aguilera and porn star Jenna Jameson endorse Sen. Clinton for President.
• The two cops arrested in NJ for planning a robbery have quit the NYPD.
• People get crazy with string as they intertwine 21,000 meters of yarn at McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Anecdotal evidence, collected from bartenders, merchandise dealers and bleacher creatures, suggests that the Mets — with their core of young, flashy players and recent winning ways — are taking substantial bites out of the Yankee fan base, at least in Westchester. more ›

In keeping with our lists of events from 2006, here are some of the sports stories that Gothamist found compelling in the past year. It ranges from the playoff disappointment from the Mets and the Yankees to the welcome performances of last season's Rangers, this season's Jets and Rutgers. more ›

- While he was at USC, Reggie Bush paid homage to his hometown by writing "619" on his eyeblack. Now those that live in New York City can show off their area code pride with "212" sneakers from Nike. We doubt the sneakers will be be quite as coveted as an actual 212 phone number (limitless availability and ugliness of sneaker). And while we're all for representing New York, what about 347, 646, and 718? 718's gotta have more street-cred than 212. Then again, those that actually have street-cred wouldn't be caught dead in these shoes. They're for the people that say...street-cred. more ›

Earlier this week, Queens assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin was charged with 43 different crimes, including racketeering, embezzlement, stealing from a Little League, fraud and more, taking $2.2 million. McLaughlin's office was raided by the FBI in March, and the indictment that was unsealed this week was 186 pages. The NY Times summarized some of his misdeeds:

Law enforcement officials said that Mr. McLaughlin used subordinates as “personal servants,” to take his dog to the veterinarian, hang Christmas lights, trap rodents in his basement and clean out his barn. more ›

-- Holy schlamoli, the College Humor kids are rich, bitch! It's not Girls Gone Wild money, but still! more ›

- A NJ Transit light rail train hits a NJ Transit bus - luckily none of the accidents are life threatening, but come on, they are both operated by NJ Transit! more ›

- Beautiful panoramic shots of some iconic places, such as Grand Central and Economy Candy more ›

more ›

Both the Mets and the Yankees were resting Monday night after a busy day for both teams. Their New York-Penn League teams did play though. more ›

Saturday is Opening Day in Prospect Park and Gothamist is hoping we're wrong about the weather. The annual spring celebration kicks off with the Little League Parade at 10am, which starts at 7th Ave and Carroll Street and ends at the Bandshell. For the more civic minded New Yorker, an Opening Day Clean-Up is planned for 10am-2pm (meet at the Tennis House). For the nature minded, electric boat tours are being run from 12-4:30pm, with the first two being special bird-watching cruises. Of course, if you just want to have fun, there's nothing wrong with a nostalgic ride or two on the carousel (open from 12-5pm). Gothamist is morbidly curious about Spring Wash Day (1-4pm). You get the privilege of washing the Lefferts Historic House's 19th century reproduction clothing with only period tools (washboards, lye soap, water heated over a fire). Sounds like crazy hard, and kind of gross, work, but you do get lemonade when you're finished. more ›