HOUSTON, TEXAS — Douglas J. Gladstone, a freelance writer from Gansevoort, is advocating for retired MLB players who he says are getting stiffed out of pensions.

Gladstone discussed the issue, detailed in his book “A Bitter Cup of Coffee,” at the Houston Public Library last Friday alongside two retired ballplayers, David Clyde and Scipio Spinks.

According to Gladstone, in 1980 the Major League Baseball Players’ Association (MLBPA) told MLB that they would strike unless their demands were met regarding a collective bargaining agreement. A strike was averted when the league’s negotiator approached Marvin Miller, who was the head of the players’ union, and made him the following offer: call off the strike and MLB will allow its players to be vested into the pension plan after just 43 game days on an MLB roster (the previous eligibility requirement was 4 years). 

The offer was accepted, but the deal did not retroactively include players who were on an MLB roster for 43 game days prior to 1980. Thus, post-1980 players benefited from the new deal, but more than 500 other players, such as Clyde and Spinks, did not benefit because they played prior to 1980.

After the first edition of Gladstone’s book was released in 2010, MLB and the MLBPA announced that these pre-1980 players would begin receiving annual stipends. However, those payments, Gladstone said, are significantly less than those received by vested retirees. The stipend also doesn’t allow players to designate a beneficiary for when they pass away.

Gladstone, who described himself as a “pro-union man,” said he thought the MLBPA was “stiffing the pre-1980 players.”

“I’m pleading with you,” Gladstone said at the event in Houston, “to help me end this blight on the national pastime.”

By day, Gladstone is an assistant public information specialist with a public retirement system in New York. An updated edition of his book, “A Bitter Cup of Coffee,” was released in 2019. For more information on the book, or to view a comprehensive list of pre-1980, non-vested MLB players who do not receive pension or benefits, visit bittercupbaseball.com.

GLENVILLE — Five judokas from the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville have earned the opportunity to travel to Santiago, Chile to compete for the USA National team in the Pan American Judo Championships on April 25-27. 

Making the 2025 edition are: Nicole Stout (78kg), who is making her 7th appearance; Nate Keeve (100kg), who is going to his 6th Pan Am Championship; Ari Berliner (66kg), who is headed to his 5th; Melissa Myers (70kg), who is going to her 3rd; and Jess Alaynick (+78kg), who will be making her debut.

The JMJC has now placed an athlete on the Pan Am team for 22 straight years.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two members of the Adirondack Thunder hockey team visited the Wesley Community, a senior living campus in Saratoga Springs, on Tuesday for a meet-and-greet with residents.

Adirondack Thunder forward Andre Ghantous and defenseman Taylor Ford stopped by, as did the Thunder’s official mascot “Gunnar” and its Director of “Pawsitivity” Stormy, a service/therapy dog.

“We are delighted to welcome members of the Adirondack Thunder to our campus and to offer a new and engaging experience for our residents,” said J. Brian Nealon, CEO of The Wesley Community, in a news release. “Collaborating with the Thunder on this fun and lively event is sure to get everyone moving and to foster a strong sense of community.”

The Thunder are a minor-league hockey team based in Glens Falls that are affiliated with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The team will be hosting its annual “Stick it to Cancer” weekend on Mar. 28 and 29.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic’s former varsity baseball pitching coach Harry Lomasney has passed away, the school announced last Friday. 

Lomasney coached at Spa Catholic from 2016 until 2024. He was previously the head coach at Greenwich High School for 30 years and spent 12 seasons at Skidmore College as a pitching coach.

During his time at Greenwich, Lomasney’s career record was 328-111 (a .747 winning percentage). He led the Witches to back-to-back Class C State Championships in 1992 and 1993. In 1996, he served as Skidmore’s interim head coach.

Lomasney, a Ballston Spa native, was a member of both the Ballston Spa High School and Greenwich High School Halls of Fame. He lived in Saratoga Springs with his wife Sandra.

“As a school community, we pray for his wife Sandra and all who had the pleasure of knowing him,” Saratoga Central Catholic said in a statement. “Rest in peace, Coach Lomasney.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Firefighters hockey team hosted the Worcester Firefighters hockey team for the Conquering Kids’ Cancer benefit game at the Weibel Ice Rink on March 16. A total $6,183 was raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a childhood cancer research charity, throughout the day.

Money was raised via donations, raffles, and a “Jersey Off Our Backs” silent auction for the Saratoga Fire hockey team’s St. Patrick’s Day jerseys.

The game was a partnership between the Saratoga Springs Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 343, the Saratoga City Tavern, King’s Tavern, and the Worcester Fire Fighters Local 1009. 

QUEENSBURY — Former Saratoga Springs softball player Natalie Conroy recently won the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region 3 Athlete of the Week Award for the week ending Mar. 16, going 15 for 25 at the plate in her debut season with the SUNY Adirondack softball team. She also hit a double, two triples, a home run, and stole 7 bases to earn the honor.

Conroy has had a superb season thus far, despite only being a freshman. In her first 8 games, she notched 18 hits in 30 at-bats for a .600 batting average, .647 on-base percentage, and a .933 slugging percentage. 

Conroy is a right-hander who plays both shortstop and catcher. In addition to her time with the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks, she also played for the Electric City Bombers National 18u team and she competed in the inaugural 518 Futures High School Softball Classic in 2024.