Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Speaks at Prospect Park Little League Opening Ceremony

April 5, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you, James. Thank you for your leadership of this great park. I want to thank my dear, dear friend, Eddie Albert – who now is president of the Prospect Park Baseball Association – for the great work he does; and everyone who makes all of these leagues possible – all my friends, my elected official friends, starting with our Comptroller Scott Stringer. Thank you for joining us – all the elected officials. And a special thank you to my new probation commissioner, Ana Bermudez, who, like me, was a 7-8 Precinct coach. It built character and made her a great leader. 

[Laughter] 

So, I – Dante and Chiara are both in the 7-8 Precinct and I coached each of their teams for a while. And to all the coaches – to all the coaches, we appreciate what you do. It’s not always easy. But we appreciate what you do. 

[Applause] 

And then, my son Dante had the honor of being chosen for the Bulldogs. And I’m wearing his cap right now. And travel baseball – for everyone involved in travel baseball, it is the most amazing experience. Yes, you won’t sleep a lot, but it is an amazing experience. It’s a wonderful experience and it’s something we cherished. To all the leagues, to all the teams, I want to wish you a great season. I want to be honest, I’m from the 78 Precinct but I’ve got to say, Holy Name really let us hear it earlier. Good job, Holy Name. 

[Cheers] 

Not the biggest league, but the loudest league. 

[Cheers]  

Now, I‘ve got one quick, serious note. As you know, we won a great victory in Albany. We’re now going to have full-day pre-k for every child in New York City. 

[Applause]

And it’s going to take us two years to get there. But even this year, there’s going to be tens of thousands of new full-day pre-k seats. So, parents, if you have a child who is going to be at pre-k age, applications forms are available here. You can get them at the Department of Education. You can get them all over the city. You have until April 23 for the first wave of applications. There will be more after that. But if you have a child who is pre-k age this year in September, or you know anyone who does, make sure they sign up right away because it’s going to help them to learn and grow, and it’s something we are very, very proud of. 

Finally – finally, I had one of the greatest experiences that anyone who loves baseball can have. I got to throw out the first pitch at opening day at Citi Field. 

[Applause] 

And, I’ve got to tell you, I have let the Mets know that if they need my help as a relief pitcher, I am available. Okay, they may need it. I hope you don’t mind if I take a leave of absence to join the Mets bullpen for a while. Because I want to have them have a better season. But, to everyone, this is the start of something amazing. This year is always – every new baseball season is an extraordinary thing and a wonderful thing, and something you will remember. I say to all the players, you will remember this for the rest of your life. You will cherish this as one of the great things you did in your life. So, enjoy every moment. Listen to the coaches. Try to be nice to the umpires. It’s going to be a great experience for all of you. And all the players – the best advice I can give you, players – play the ball, don’t let the ball play you. Okay? Have a good season. Have a great season, everyone.