Community Board 8 Parks Committee approves
resolution to rename Manhattan College baseball fi eld
BY JASON COHEN
A tense hour-long debate
on May 27 between Community
Board 8 Parks and Recreation
Committee members
resulted in the approval to
rename Manhattan College’s
baseball field at Van Cortlandt
Park.
Nearly two decades after
Joe Coppo’s untimely death,
the community started a petition
to name its home field
at Van Cortlandt Park after
the local baseball legend. So
far, there are 267 signatures
in support of the renaming
effort.
Coppo was captain of the
Manhattan College baseball
team, inducted into
the school’s Athletic Hall of
Fame and died on September
11 in the World Trade Center.
While Parks Chair Bob
Bender introduced a resolution,
he was met with opposition
and people wanted to
table the vote. But in the end,
it was pushed through 5-2-2
and goes to the full board on
June 9.
“I appreciate your support
and thanks for hearing
me out,” said Robert Walsh,
senior advisor for the president
of the college.
Bender explained that
he wished Coppo had more
of a connection to the community,
but since CB 8 has a
strong partnership with the
school of which Coppo was
an important part, the renaming
effort is justified.
“I do not want to say
‘no’ to Manhattan College,”
Bender said.
Fellow board member
Laura Spalter was also in favor.
“I believe Joe Coppo epitomizes
the best of Manhattan
College,” Spalter said. “In
my view, Manhattan College
is part of this community.”
The Van Cortlandt Park
Alliance chose not to take
a position and said it would
support the community
board’s decision.
2020 would have marked
the Jaspers’ return to Van
Cortlandt Park, after playing
this past six years in Wappinger
Falls due to the field’s
poor condition. But now with
COVID-19, the season has
been canceled. The school is
the only Division 1 team that
plays in a city park.
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, JUNE 5-11, 2020 BTR
While some questioned
Coppo’s connection to the
community, Walsh told the
committee members that
several former classmates
and teammates of Coppo said
he enjoyed playing baseball
at VCP.
In addition to having the
school play at VCP, the goal
is to hold summer camps
there as well.
“What we can do is create
something special in VCP
and inspire a generation of
youth,” Walsh said. “I think
this will form a strong partnership
between Manhattan
College and VCP and build
something beyond the green
diamond.”
Opposition
Board members David
Gellman and Deb Travis
wanted to delay the vote.
They felt Coppo did not meet
the criteria to have the field
renamed after him.
Gelman noted that Manhattan
College is more
John Coppo, son of Joe) and Pat Coppo, speaking with some current
Manhattan College baseball players Photo courtesy of Manhattan College
known than Coppo is in CB
8, so they proposed renaming
the field after the school.
“I am really concerned
that he was not really involved
in the community,”
Gellman said.
Meanwhile, board member
Robert Fanuzzi noted delaying
the vote wouldn’t help
anyone. He also would prefer
the Parks Department took
on this venture.
“I don’t see us having a
say one way or another,” he
said.
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