First Pitch

After a long, cold winter, it was finally time to play ball in Lower Manhattan with the Downtown Little League (DLL) this weekend. Hundreds of players took to the fields to get the season underway while proud parents packed the stands.

“The Downtown Little League is a fantastic Lower Manhattan institution, especially as our residential population—families with children in particular—continues to grow,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. “The Alliance is thrilled to sponsor the DLL for another season.”

Berger welcomed the crowd along with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, Battery Park City Authority Chairman William C. Thompson, Jr. and President Gayle Horwitz, and Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin. Former Mets pitcher Ron Darling was on hand to sign autographs, and Mr. Met came in from Queens on the 7 Train to join the festivities as well.

You can view photos from the event here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/downtownny/sets/72157626475441196/ .

“We truly wanted this to be a celebration not only of our league, but also of our community,” said DLL Commissioner Bill Martino.

For more information on the DLL, visit www.downtownlittleleague.org.