Chris R. Vaccaro

Newsday’s Neil Best mentioned my book, “Hofstra Athletics” recently in his Watchdog blog, which focused largely on sports media.

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As a proud member of the Sachem family, specifically involved with the school district’s communications efforts, I wanted to create a platform for the community to stay informed of all district news and information. The Sachem Report has been an idea long in the making.

One of my favorite topics to discuss and research is Sachem history and how the district’s thousands of alums are succeeding in various disciplines around the world. On The Sachem Report we’ll be conducting major historical research to bridge the gap between Sachem’s early development in the 1950s to today.

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Only a four hour drive from Long Island, I’m grateful to live so close to Cooperstown. I spent the weekend covering the inductions of Barry Larkin and Ron Santo into one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet, the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tim McCarver and Bob Elliott were also honored with the broadcast and baseball writers awards, respectively.

Santo, who died in 2010, was inducted with a speech from his wife Vicky, while Larkin gave a speech largely about the people who helped shape his career from an early age.

At this year’s Society of American Baseball Research Conference in Minneapolis, hundreds of baseball enthusiasts attended presentations and seminars specifically related to the numbers game of baseball.

Aside from eating a Jucy Lucy from Matt’s Bar – thank you, Adam Richman – I also spoke about the Topps BUNT and Pennant applications while attending the conference.

Photo: Target Field for Twins-Royals game

The National Baseball Hall of Fame held its annual Baseball Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown on Saturday, June 16.

Multiple hall of famers and former big league players were on hand to swing the bat and pitch once again. Among the top names were Carlton Fisk, Ozzie Smith, Tony Perez, Bert Blyleven and Eddie Murray.

A handful of players took part in a hitting contest first, then teams squared off in a regular game on the diamond at Doubleday Field, the birthplace of baseball. Dmitri Young was named the Bob Feller Player of the Game for hitting a walk-off, two-run single.

To read coverage and view photos from the weekend, check out the Topps Pennant blog by scrolling to the hall of fame entry.