Park Hill Tavern

 

Elected : USSSA New York Hall Of Fame in 2016
Inducted : March 2027, Syracuse, NY.

The Park Hill Tavern coed softball team originated in 1985 and dominated the Town of DeWitt Recreation league play for close to 20 years.  The team formed following the vision of Perry Novack and Karen Keast, who brought together a group of fun, competitive and athletic friends, many of whom were coaching high school sports at the time.

The team won 27 straight games over 2 1/2 seasons before suffering its first defeat. It bounced back to win the rest of its games that year to complete a third straight championship season.  In its first nine years of play. the Park Hill Tavern lost just six games and won the league title seven times.  The hallmark of the team was its perfect strength of both men and women - every player was a talented and accomplished athlete in his/her own right. It was their synergy, their talents, energy, and competitive spirit coming together that made this team so special.

The foundational winning seasons in its first decade supported a continuing legacy in the following years, even as some of the original members retired or took on different roles.  While a long-standing record of wins characterized the success of the Park Hill Tavern coed team, it is the friendships that were forged and made stronger over the years on Friday nights at the Tavern that are a testament to the true measure of a successful team worthy of recognition.

A special thanks to Mickey McDaniel, former owner of the Park Hill Tavern and incredible sponsor for so many years! The “tavern” as it was referred to so fondly, was a home away from home for our coed team and many others.