Baseball players high five the Cinnaminson Pirate Baseball mascot before their first game.
At Memorial Park in Cinnaminson on the morning of March 28, the sweet sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball was a sure sign of spring for the hundreds of players, parents and coaches at Cinnaminson Pirate Baseball’s opening-day ceremonies.
Full of energy and excitement, the teams paraded into the park under a huge U.S. flag suspended high above the ground by fire engine ladders to the cheers of family and friends.
Dressed in their Cinnaminson Pirates shirts, cousins Philip and Luca Adamo Luca were thrilled to meet the organization’s colorful mascot with the big eye patch while Dean Adamo was happily eating a sandwich in his stroller.
“Thank you to everyone who came out this morning, despite the frigid temperatures, to our opening-day parade, ceremonies and games,” president Anthony Brocco said.
Before the first games of the season began, Cinnaminson Pirate Baseball officers honored one of their own, former president William O’Connor, 68, by dedicating Field 5 at Memorial Park to him. He passed away in 2024.
“Bill helped turn a bunch of local fields into a place where generations of kids learn grit, teamwork, and that sweet crack of the bat,” Brocco noted with current officers vice president Denny Gaul, secretary Larry Thress and treasurer Wayne Obuchowski in a Facebook post after opening day.
“One field now carries his name,” the post added, “a permanent reminder that leadership isn’t just about titles, it’s about showing up, year after year, for the next generation. Today, we took a powerful swing at legacy: dedicating a field to William J. ‘Bill’ O’Connor, former mayor, longtime baseball board member/president and the kind of community champ who built this program brick by brick and base by base.
“Our Pirate Baseball family absolutely crushed opening day – and we did it with extra heart and hometown pride. Our town is absolutely fantastic. The support we received today cannot be measured.”
The officers thanked Cinnaminson’s police and fire departments, the high school’s marching band and athletics department, the public works department and the township committee, the Robb and Kates families, DJ Joey Hayes, Addie Major, the Cinnaminson Pirates’ mascot and “all of our great players, their parents and volunteers.”
From the tiniest T-ballers to big kids dreaming of the majors, the day’s energy was electric, the Facebook post stated. “This is what community looks like – playful, powerful, and built to last. Huge thanks to everyone who came out, cheered loud and helped honor a true Cinnaminson legend.”
O’Connor was a longtime resident of the township, and held various public-service roles, including seven years on the township committee and mayor. During that time, he managed a 24-person department with three on-site supervisors as director of public works and parks and recreation, initiated an annual township roadway repair and paving program, developed township-wide recycling schedules for leaves and brush and secured funding for park and road improvements.
Most of all, O’Connell supported youth baseball in Cinnaminson – a legacy now enshrined at Field 5 in Memorial Park.
