White Plains, NY -
The New York City Thunderdogs and Hastings Clippers/Lookouts have formally announced that the teams are merging, effective immediately.
Going forward, the teams will play under the NYC Thunderdogs name and Dave Lopez will remain as manager. Clippers/Lookouts manager Dino Mazzotta will now be one of the T-Dogs' assistant coaches. The team will use Roberto Clemente as its weeknight home field and Ardsley HS on the weekends.
The Lookouts had been the second longest tenured team in the WRWBL behind the Peekskill Tides. The team joined what was then known as the WPMABL in 1999 as the Tarrytown Lookouts. In 2006, the team moved home fields and re-named itself the North Castle Lookouts. Following the 2008 season, the Lookouts joined forces with the NY Monarchs to form the Hastings Lookouts. 2011 saw the Lookouts add the "Clipper" name as it enter into a partnership of sorts with the World Yacht Clippers.
The Lookouts organization appeared in 3 straight WRWBL championship games, from 2001-2003, winning the 2002 championship. The organization can also boast having the first WRWBL league MVP, Bobby Accardi, in 2001. Accardi would become the first 2-time MVP in 2003 (and the only 2-time MVP until Brandon Mann of the New City Outlaws won his second title in 3 years this past August).
While the league is certainly sad to see the Lookout organization cease to exist, it is excited to see what this new partnership will bring.
Tag(s): League News
