​You don’t have to root for the Rangers to appreciate a good, hard-fought softball game. The Maven knows this firsthand, because for seven straight years I’ve watched some of the finest charity diamond action unfold right in my native Brooklyn. And there’s another standout event on the horizon: July 25 promises another excellent matchup, and if you love solid softball as much as I do, you’ll want to check out my friend Matthew Blittner’s prize project. It’s a nine-inning affair sponsored by BizFund at Kingsborough Community College’s ballpark.
“We’ll have raffle prizes from the Rangers, Islanders, Yankees, Mets and more,” Blittner explains. “Our championship trophy—believe it or not—is designed after the Stanley Cup. Its full title is the ‘Brooklyn Memorial Cup for Alzheimer’s.’” Blittner’s drive to support Alzheimer’s research runs deep, fueled by family members who fell prey to the disease. “I started the annual tournament in 2019,” he recalls. “The first game was played on July 21, 2019, at the Kings Bay Youth Organization Field.”
The initial effort raised $2,347 for Alzheimer’s research, even as temperatures soared to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The pandemic couldn’t derail the cause either; we kept the charity going, always seeking bigger and better venues. By the fifth year, the game had moved to Maimonides Park in Coney Island, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Throughout every location, Blittner never lost sight of the events that spurred him to rally friends and teammates to action. He was mourning the loss of his great-uncle Lenny DiCristino, an Alzheimer’s victim, and soon after, his paternal grandfather, Morton Blittner, received an early diagnosis.
“I figured the best way to help fight Alzheimer’s was to bring my sports buddies together for a fun softball game that could grow into something serious,” Blittner says. “I’ve brought in media folks like Don La Greca, Andrew Gross, Mike Obernauer, Arda Ocal, Scott Charles, Mark Roseman, and Russ Cohen at one time or another.” You might even spot a team owner in the mix, such as Islanders’ affable Jon Ledecky or NewsNation’s Rob Taub, a sharp hockey analyst in the Met Area. The teams vary, but the two main squads are the BK Americans—the sports media crew—and the BK Nationals, drawn from the local community.
“The games can get intense,” Blittner notes. “In one of the most competitive contests we had a bench-clearing incident, though fortunately there were no punches—just a lot of yelling.” Over seven years, the event has raised a total of $52,751. This year’s goal is $15,000. Each year features players with some Rangers ties, and I’ve even written a book about them. Obernauer, co-captain of the media team, had served as the Blueshirts’ digital reporter before Covid changed the landscape. Cohen and Gross have covered the Rangers extensively for better online visibility.