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WBBL sidesteps controversy to get off to great start
"I think it's great," said one parent who asked not to be named. "This day is all about kids, which is what many people have forgotten." The WBBL, headed by former WBLL leader Ray Cody, was formed following an acrimonious dispute between Cody and WBLL leaders at the local and state level. Cody's position as president was challenged; he was reelected and then challenged again on claims that he had used a WBLL roster to garner support for a school board challenge last year. In response, Cody and his supporters countercharged that under Cody's leadership the WBLL had accomplished more in one year than it had in the decade before that under the tutelage of its former Players Agent Vinny LaConte. It had completed major renovations to the fields, pur- chased new equipment for the athletes and renovated a concession stand the teams used at the JFK school.
"But they wouldn't stop," said Cody two weeks ago in discussing the decision of many WBLL coaches to leave the group and form one of their own. "It was obvious that they were going to continue to haunt me so we decided to start a league of our own." "There is no question that it had become more of a personal thing against Ray," said Paul Saravisky, a Cody supporter. "They (WBLL leaders) forgot about it (the League) being for children." Members of the WBLL countered that Cody had misled the public when he sent out notices for signing up in the new league, leading many to believe that there had been no change. "People who signed up were told that the league was going to be run differently this year but were never advised that it was a completely new league," said one parent. "I have never been involved in politics or what goes on behind the scenes of an organization. I am just a parent who feels like they were trying to mislead us."
John Partain, a former WBLL coach who is now with the WBBL said he had stayed beneath the radar during most of the controversy, but that when it became apparent to him that Cody had accomplished so much during his one year as president of the WBLL, he swung his support to the man.
With what they said they saw as "the handwriting on the wall," the majority of WBLL coaches left the league to form the WBBL and took with them most (about 600 ) of the baseball players with them. Most of the softball players remained with WBLL, with only 70 joining WBBL. As a result WBLL has to join with another League for competitive baseball while WBBL has to join with another softball group for its competitive games. "I never expected everyone to jump on board," said Cody. "I knew we had a lot of supporters, but I was surprised with what happened; it was overwhelming." But all of that seemed to be behind them on that bright sunny day as hundreds of young West Babylon athletes marched into the fields at the West Babylon Middle School carrying banners and dressed in their new uniforms. The only reference to the controversy was made by one WBBL official who said that the old equipment and battered fields maintained by the other league had been replaced and repaired, with the help of a lot of people, including Cody and a host of sponsors. "We accomplished more in six months than had been done in years," he said.
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