‘Preserving the story of local athletes’

On Monday, Sept. 28, the Patchogue-Medford Public Library unveiled a new exhibit featuring Patchogue-Medford athletes with the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame to celebrate “Patchogue-Medford’s remarkable sports history to the community,” said the library in a statement. 

In addition to honoring local athletes, coaches, administrators, and sports professionals who had made significant contributions to the world of sports were featured.

In current Patchogue-Medford athletics, high expectations and stellar sportsmanship are still major tenets of the program. The boys soccer team has set their sights high for this season after losing in the Suffolk Class AAA boys soccer quarterfinals. The girls soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Suffolk Class AAA playoffs, thanks to a first-round win over Connetquot in penalty kicks.

At the top of the list of inductees was Marcus Stroman, who was in the MLB and WBC MVP. The native and graduate of Patchogue-Medford High School, who pitched 11 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and New York Yankees, was recently inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame at Flowerfield in St. James.

“Man, World Baseball Classic MVP was cool. I pitched in the playoffs. Pitching for Toronto in the playoffs was pretty crazy. I pitched that Bautista game that he hit the home run. A couple all stars. I had a good career, man. I haven’t even honestly sat down and thought about it or reflected much, so it’s been a long career, man, just been kind of sprinting,” said Stroman previously to The Long Island Advance.

The exhibit highlights the accomplishments and stories of 14 Patchogue-Medford sports legends, including:

• Peter Cheviot — Seton Hall & Brown Football RB
• Patchogue Van Guard Forty Thieves
• Nick Garone — NYS Champion & All-American
• Anthony Famiglietti — 2K Olympian in Steeplechase
• George Waldbauer — Suffolk PAL
• Jeff Schaefer — MLB
• Henry Read — Seton Hall Football Coach
• Frank Layden — Seton Hall & Dowling Basketball Coach
• Tom Murphy — Seton Hall & Brooklyn Dodgers
• Kevin Foley — SCCC Basketball Coach
• Tom Combs — Patchogue-Medford Athletic Director
• Ed Cinelli — Patchogue-Medford Athletic Director, Coach & Teacher
• Gordon Forbes — USA Today Editor
• John Papanek — Sports Illustrated & ESPN Editor

The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization established in 1990 to “honor outstanding individuals who have made substantial contributions to professional and amateur sports on behalf of themselves and Suffolk County. Founded by Gaetano “Butch” Dellecave, the organization has continued its mission of preserving and celebrating Suffolk County’s rich sports heritage,” said the organization in a statement.

Chris R. Vaccaro has served as president and Executive Director since 2017.

“Today, the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame maintains exhibits at several locations throughout the region, including Fairfield Properties Ballpark, home of the Long Island Ducks; Huntington Town Hall; the Section XI offices in Farmingville; Long Island Sports and Rehabilitation in Holbrook; and Long Island MacArthur Airport,” said the organization.

“We are honored to partner with the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame to bring this exhibit to the Patchogue-Medford community,” said Danielle DeMicco Paisley, library director. “The Hall of Fame has done an incredible job preserving the stories of local athletes whose achievements have made a lasting impact on our region. Public libraries are places where communities come together to learn, connect, and celebrate their shared history. We are proud to provide a home for these inspiring stories and to help ensure they continue to inspire future generations.”

The exhibit will remain on display at the library, giving the community an opportunity to visit throughout the exhibit period.