Newark American Little League History
2020 Abbreviated season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Seniors All Stars win Delaware District 2 Championship. No State Championship played.
2016 Big League wins District 2 Championship.
2015 International All Stars win Delaware District 2 Championship. Finish 2nd in State of Delaware.
2015 Seniors All Stars win Delaware District 2 Championship. Finish 2nd in State of Delaware.
2003 50th Anniversary
1997 First French-American baseball game played at VFW between foreign exchange students from France and NALL players. 9-9 Tie!
1990 Begins Senior League
1989 Hosts first nationally sanctioned baseball marathon
1978 25th Anniversary
1973 Lights installed
1971 Aluminum bats legalized. Each team orders one.
1970 Minor division added - four teams with 20 kids/team
1966 Motion made that "any ballplayer knocked unconscious during a game is not allowed to play again that day." First aid kits added to field.
1963 Budget is $2300. Public Address system installed.
1962 Little League Football "borrows" bleachers without permission promises to bring them back.
1961 Teams from National & American parade down Main Street for Opening Day.
1960 Dugout and concession stands built
1959 New type of "headgear" is adopted for batters. Plans are discussed for a new field house. Suggestion is made to split tag day receipts in proportion to number of teams in eah league. Ladies auxiliary is spilt into two orgnaizations (American & National) Mrs. GordonGodbey is elected Ladies Auxiliary president for the American League.
Mr. Deck resigns as 1st Vice President. Jackson's Hardware (National 5&10) withdraws sponsorship of Cubs. Treasurer's report: $1,263.13
Wilmington Trust (Cubs) and the Presbyterian Church (Orioles) become two newest sponsors. Opening day is to be at "new" Morse Field (VFW)
Wilmington Optimist wibns its second straight All Star State Championship.
1958 A joint meeting for both leagues is held at the Methodist Church Parlor with 18 parents attending (17 from the American League and 1 from the National League). This group elects a board of directors for the 1959 season:
President:: Nat Morse
1st Vice President: Franklin Deck
2nd Vice President: Robert K. Burg
Secretary: Mrs. Roger Kennard
Treasurer: Mrs. Carson Roselle
Wilmington Optimist wins the All Star State Championship.
1957 One board of directors operates both the National and American Leagues. Sporting goods equipment is purchased from Newark Farm and Home for both leagues. Ralph Colbert Sr. is elected as the first representative to the Little League Congress for the State of Delaware. Newark National wins the All Star State Championship.
1956 Eight teams comprise Newark Little League and a decision is made to split into two separate leagues. Returning players remain on the prvious year's teams and they are called the National League. Four new teams form the American League. American plays their games across the street from the present-day Barksdale field, on the corner that now contains an empty lot. John Colbert serves as Newark american Little League's first President. A city Championship is played between the two league champions at the end of the season.
1955 League expands to six teams. Each team is coached by one parent and one child. Ernie Geogre builds dugouts for the field on Barksdale Road.
1954 Greater Newark Little League expands to five teams. Colbert Sr. continues to serve as president. Games are now played at the corner of Barksdale and Casho Mill Roads (now the location of the City of Newark's softball fields.
1953 During the first season, with four teams in the league, games are played across from the old NVF building, and Newark High School. Ralph Colbert Sr. serves as president. Ernie George serves as umpire , field supervisor, and equipment officer.
1952 Ernie George, Ralph Colbert Sr., and Angelo Cataldi, local Newark residents, suggest to members of their Newark Rotary Club that they consider sponsoring a local baseball league. League is named "Greater Newark Little League".
Sources/Refernces:
Various Interviews and Board Minutes
NALL history by VP Duane Siders dated 1998
Unpage Publications at www.unpage.org