Transcript
Joey Cicini: While snow piles up, baseball doesn’t hibernate in Syracuse. At the sports yard, baseball and softball players of all ages prove winter weather won’t stop America’s pastime.
Joey Cicini: Owner Dan Almonte is a CNY legend. The East Syracuse Manoa Hall of Famer had a stellar career,from playing in the premier Cape Cod Summer League to playing professionally for the St. Paul Saints in Minnesota. Once it was time to hang up the cleats, Almonte knew he wanted to give back.
Dan Almonte: I just got the calling that God wanted me to be able to pay it forward and pass on what I’ve learned to the kids in our area.
Joey Cicini: His goal is getting players to the next level. He’s done so at a 98% success rate for those who graduate from the program. But he knows how difficult it is to crack Major League Baseball, so he instills the intangibles.
Dan Almonte: One in 365,000 that make it to the big league. At the end of the day, it’s not a job, it’s a game. We talk about respect, we talk about cooperation, teamwork.
Joey Cicini(On-Cam): Coach Dan and his staff, it’s not just about developing the best players, it’s about developing the best people.
Joey Cicini:James Newton and his son Josh have been driving from Watertown for four years. He’s gone from an average little leaguer to a varsity catcher. But it’s Josh’s growth as a young man that his father is proud of, going from a shy kid to an honor roll student and a leader.
James Newton: This facility is everything when it comes to his progression as a baseball player and as a young man. You can’t even put a price tag on it.
Joey Cicini: It’s the little things that matter most.
Dan Almonte: I like to see smiles on their faces. Everybody that passed through our doors got better, not only as a baseball and softball player, but also as a person.
Joey Cicini: In Syracuse. Joey Cicini, NCC News.
EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. — While snow piles up across Central New York, the crack of bats and the pop of gloves still echo.
Inside The Sports Yard, baseball and softball players of all ages refuse to let the winter weather get in the way of America’s pastime. The indoor facility has become a spot for athletes looking to hone their skills when fields are buried with snow.
At the center of it all is owner Dan Almonte, a Central New York baseball fixture with deep roots in the sport. Inducted into the East Syracuse Minoa Hall of Fame in 2022, he built an accomplished playing career that included college baseball, the Cape Cod Summer League and professional experience with the St. Paul Saints.
When his playing days ended, Almonte knew he wanted to stay connected to the game and his community.
“I just got the calling that God wanted me to be able to pay it forward and pass on what I’ve learned to the kids in our area,” Almonte said.
Almonte said his primary goal is helping players reach the next level, whether that means college baseball, pro ball or personal growth. He said Sports Yard has been coined “the developmental academy” around the baseball scene in Central New York and this is a title he is proud of.
Even with all of this, Almonte is realistic about the odds of making it to Major League Baseball.
“One in 365,000 make it to the big leagues,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s not a job, it’s a game. We talk about respect, we talk about cooperation, teamwork.”
That philosophy resonates with families across the region, including James Newton and his son, Josh. The two have been driving from over an hour from Watertown to Syracuse for four years so Josh can train at the facility.
During that time, Josh has grown into a varsity-level catcher. His son being a left-handed catcher is already unusual, but the Sports Yard and Coach Dan transformed his skills to make him a legitimate option behind the plate.
Newton said his son’s biggest transformation has been off the field.
Josh has evolved from a shy, timid child who wouldn’t talk to anyone into an honor roll student and a confident leader who even leads classes now at the facility.
“This facility is everything when it comes to his progression as a baseball player and as a young man,” Newton said. “Whether coach Dan is checking his report card, fixing it makes this experience beyond worth it; you can’t even put a price tag on it. ”
For Almonte, those moments are what make the work worthwhile.
“I like to see smiles on their faces,” he said. “Everybody that passed through our doors got better, not only as a baseball and softball player, but also as a person.”