The purpose of the league is to allow youngsters from ages 13 to 19 the opportunity to play baseball during the summer months.

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JAYCEE-COURANT/TD BANK
FARMINGTON BANK/VANTIS LIFE

PETE KOKINIS BASEBALL LEAGUE

LEAGUE HISTORY


In 1946, the Jaycee Courant League was started by the Hartford Courant and the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce. The officers were M.W. Treat and Arthur Jenks from the Chamber of Commerce and Bill Lee and Edmund Downs representing the Courant.

The first Director was Ed Knapp, an instructor from Kingswood School and in 1954, Charles Horvath, coach and Athletic Director from Weaver and East Hartford became the Director. Charlie remained the Director until 1974. In 1975, Pete Kokinis, baseball coach at Bulkeley High School and Athletic Director for the Town of Wethersfield was named Director and has remained in that position.  Bo Kolinsky, High School Sports Editor of the Courant was Vice President for ten years until his passing in 2003. The “Bo Kolinsky Award” is given in Bo’s honor at the conclusion of each season at the league banquet. The league has grown over the years and has expanded to an average of 65 teams.  This expansion has led to the addition of three Directors and nine division Supervisors who oversee the day-to-day operation of every game.

Most of the League teams were from neighborhoods in Hartford although teams from New Britain, West Hartford, Berlin, Farmington and Bloomfield. Now the League extends from Enfield to Essex, Harwinton to Hebron and many points in between.

It was not the intent of the program to develop ball players for the big leagues; but to develop skills, to develop an appreciation for the game of baseball and most importantly to have fun. In a developmental sense, the league has helped numerous young players improve instead of stagnation during a summer of inactivity. The league fills the rosters of High School and college teams in addition to those playing pro ball.

The League have some outstanding alumni. Some of our players are listed below:

Ken Cullum - New Britain/ Idaho Braves
Gary Waslewski - Berlin/Boston Red Sox, Yankees, Expos Organization
Ed Wojick - Manchester/ Chicago White Sox Organization
Jim Spanswick - Thompsonville/Red Sox Organization
Steve Dalkowski - New Britain/Baltimore Orioles Organization
Mike Schweighoffer - Hartford/Trinity College, Los Angeles Dodgers Organization
Dave Swanson - Berlin/New York Mets Organization
Armond Africano - Vernon/Montreal Expos Organization
Shawn Haviland - Farmington/Oakland Organization
Pat Eagan - Rocky Hill/Orioles Organization
Pete Landerman - Hartford/Trinity College
Mike Nyquist - West Hartford/Dartmouth College
Mike Halloran – Yale University
Tom Petke – Yale University
Tom Strong - University of Connecticut
Len Rock -  University of Hartford
Tom Poutre -  University of Hartford
Mike Liappes - Hartford/ Central Connecticut State University
Lou Petrossi - University of Hartford
Roland Johnson - Trinity College
Nick Koback - Pittsburgh Pirates
Ricky Bottalico - Newington/Central Connecticut State, Philadelphia Phillies, St Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers
Joe Serfass - Newington/Eastern Connecticut, New York Mets Organization
John Dennis - Simsbury/St Louis Cardinals Organization
Ritchie Gondek - Glastonbury/Brooklyn Dodgers Organization
Bob Marianella - Hartford/Pittsburgh Pirates
Dick McAuliffe - Unionville/Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox
Dick Morrisette - Wethersifled/Boston Red Sox Organization
Scott Martin - Plainville/Los Angeles Dodgers Organization
Alex Smith - Manchester/New York Yankees Organization
Matt Sinatro - West Hartford/Atlanta Braves, Oakland A's, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Coach with Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Houston
Andy Baylock - New Britain/CCSU, UConn, Norwich Navigators, Connecticut Defenders, Connecticut Tigers
Darryl Morhardt - Winsted, Coastal Carolina, Atlanta Braves Organization, Housatonic Valley High School Head Coach
Moe Morhardt - Manchester/UConn, Chicago Cubs


The Pete Kokinis Baseball League has given hundreds of youngsters the opportunity to play baseball during the summer months and has now expanded to most every Town in Central Connecticut.

Teaching good sportsmanship and giving youngsters from the city and suburbs an opportunity to meet and compete with each other is beneficial to all.

We are sure the player list is not complete. If you know of anyone we've left off, please forward the information to Pete Kokinis, .

 

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

SUMMER

 

Year Junior Senior
1946    
1947    
1948    
1949 Paragon Indians Madison Restaurant
1950 New Britain Bobcats Costello Construction
1951 Heublein A-1 Aces Rockville All Stars
1952 Hoffman Hornets Blue Hills FD Volunteers
1953 Caval Tool Bobcats Lipman Motors Cubs

 

Year Junior Senior Graduate
1954 Consumer Sales Redwings North End Community Center Aces Portland WCNX Townies
1955 Taber Cadillac Heublein A-1 Aces Caval Tool Bobcats
1956 Reliable Electric St Lawrence O'Toole Caval Tool Bobcats
1957 High Production Royals Bowl-A-Drome Rangers Robinson Builders
1958 Glastonbury Lions Pecott and Kinslla Tigers Riley Lumber Redlegs
1959 Glastonbury Lions P. Kinsella TV Royal McBee
1960 Park Street Merchants Sage Allen Augie & Rays
1961 Park Street Merchants High Production Fuller Brush
1962 St Lawrence O'Toole East Hartford Jets Governor's Foot Guard
1963 Albany Avenue Jets Allen Russell & Allen Hartford Bulldogs
1964 Herb's Sports Shop Enfield PAL Windsor Elks
1965 St Lawrence O'Toole Cy's Parking East Hartford Jets
1966 Hartford Insurance Group Sports Center Silliter-Holden
1967 St Lawrence O'Toole Hartford Insurance Group New Britain PAL
1968 St Lawrence O'Toole Hayes Liners Herb's Sports Shop
1969 Conn Mutual or ARA Rockville Legion Federko's

 

Year Junior Senior
1970 Society For Savings PRIDE Cortez

 

Year Junior Senior Graduate
1971 Friendly's Glastonbury Alvarez Shipping
1972 Scelza Builders Hartford PAL Sage-Allen
1973 Herb's Sports Shop Society for Savings Hartford PAL
1974 Simsbury Herb's Sports Shop Hartford Pirates
1975 Fornino's Trucking Society for Savings Silliter Holden

 

Year Junior Senior
1976 Fornino's Trucking Society for Savings
1977 Fornino's Trucking Society for Savings
1978 Simsbury Society for Savings
1979 Southend Merchants Artie's Cleaners
1980 Simsbury Artie's Cleaners
1981 East Hartford Manchester
1982 East Hartford/South Windsor Automotive Herb's Sports Shop
1983 South Windsor Auto Artie's Cleaners
1984 Simsbury Discount Sports
1985 Berlin Merchants Cheshire Mustangs
1986 Berlin Merchants Herb's Sports Shop
1987 Augie & Rays Artie's Cleaners
1988 Berlin Merchants New Britain Parks & Rec

 

Year Prep Junior Senior
1989 Southington Herb's Sports Shop Gerber Scientific
1990 Scott's Sports Berlin Dillon-Baxter
1991 Southington West Plainville Pinnacles Dillon-Baxter
1992 Berlin Merchants Rocky Hill Merchants New Britain Parks & Rec
1993 Simsbury Plainville First & Last Tavern
1994 Ruth's Chris Vita's Italian Market Newington Mustangs
1995 Glenn Construction Vita's Italian Market Newington Mustangs
1996 Berlin Merchants Plainville South Windsor
1997 Manchester Babe Ruth Vita's Italian Market Monaco Ford
1998 Simsbury Vita's Italian Market Herb's Sports Shop
1999 Tilcon-Tomasso Berlin Merchants Monaco Ford
2000 Berlin Merchants Southington Stop & Shop Herb's Sports Shop
2001 Monaco Ford Berlin Merchants SBLI
2002 Ruth's Chris Rocky Hill Merchants SBLI
2003 Plainville Post 33 Manchester Babe Ruth Canton
2004 Century 21 Bell City Construction New Britain Parks & Rec
2005 Ruth's Chris Bell City Construction NewAlliance
2006 Farmington Savings Sanditz Travel NewAlliance
2007 Enfield Connecticut Edge NewAlliance
2008 SBLI Herb's Sports Shop NewAlliance
2009 SBLI Vincent's Connecticut Express
2010 HPC Foodservice Manchester Mayhem Canton
2011 Rainbow Graphics Aspen Re Quinn & Quinn
2012 Clubhouse Cadets Capital Transmission Connecticut Dirt Bags
2013 HPC Foodservice Berlin Connecticut Dirt Bags
2014 West Hartford Lightning HPC Foodservice McMahon Law Offices
2015 Simsbury Pro Courier Cubs Security 101
2016 West Hartford Lightning Farmington Maroon Pro Courier Cubs
2017 Wallingford Cardinals CT Mirage Pro Courier Cubs
2018 West Hartford Lightning Newington CT Dirt Bags
2019 Wallingford Cardinals New Britain Parks and Rec North Haven Indians
2020 No Summer Season due to Coronavirus Pandemic

 

Year Junior Senior
2021 Simsbury New Britain Parks & Rec

 

Year 14U 16U 19U
2022 CT Bulldogs Stafford Royals New Britain Parks & Rec

 

Year 16U 19U
2023 Newington Nor'Easters New Britain Parks & Rec

 

 

FALL

Year Junior Senior
2020 Vernon Vagabonds All Access Sports Thunder
2021 No Junior Season Played Northern CT Hornets
Year 18U
2022 Corkum 44's