BY JASON COHEN
As the Throgs Neck Little
League (TNLL) kicks off its
baseball season in April, it’s
not only celebrating its 70th
anniversary, but also paying
homage to when the league
fi rst began.
This season teams will
wear retro uniforms from the
league’s inaugural season and
will have place sponsors on
the back of their jerseys for
the fi rst time in 10 years. The
league is still soliciting sponsors
through the end of the
month.
Mike Marano, a board
member of the TNLL, who is
in charge of fundraising, said
this season has added signifi -
cance for the league.
“We’re doing something we
haven’t done in years,” Marano
The retro jerseys Throggs Neck Little League teams will wear this year to commemorate the organization’s
70th year. Photos courtesy Mike Marano
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 22 JAN. 21-27, 2022 BTR
said.
For businesses interested
in sponsoring a team, the cost
is $1,000 — there are 20 sponsors
to date. But the sponsors
are not just local businesses,
they’re also people who played
in the league when they were
younger or previously had a
business in Throggs Neck.
For example, Dom’s Bakery,
which was owned by
Marano’s father Dominick
Marano, was a staple in the
community and sponsored
teams for many years. Now,
in honor of his late father, Marano
is doing the same. Former
MLB pitcher and Bronx
native Mike Nagy, who was
drafted in 1966 by the Boston
Red Sox, is also sponsoring a
team.
According to Marano, they
need all of the sponsors by
the end of January because it
takes a few months to make
the specialty uniforms. With
25 to 30 teams in the league,
the hope is everyone will have
a sponsor, he said.
“We’ve had a lot of positive
reaction from the businesses,”
he said.
Looking ahead, the league
is always looking to raise
money so that it can improve
the fi elds, dugout and even install
solar panels.
Throgs Neck Little League
to celebrate 70 years
Players in the Throgs Neck Little League celebrate a recent championship.