On Tuesday, March 3, the Wycliffe Stiffs Stickball League added five more players to its Stickball Hall of Fame. The new inductees are Jeff Potok, Steve Girshek, John D’Alberti, Sid Tweady and Jay Schlesinger. The ceremony took place at the league’s home at Wellington’s Village Park.
Potok has been playing in the league since the 2019-20 season. As a member of the Long Island Whalers, he batted .591 that year and was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he batted .600. Since the 2023-24 season, he has played with the Hoboken Zephrys, where he has also served as an assistant captain. Going into the current season, Potok has slugged nine career home runs.
Nicknamed “Severino,” Girshek made his debut in the league during the 2019-20 season. That year, he batted .438. Every year since then, he has batted over .400. His career-best batting average took place in the 2022-23 season when he batted .500. During his career, he has served as a captain of two different teams in the league.
D’Alberti has played for the Brooklyn Bums every year since first joining the league for the 2019-20 season. As a rookie, he batted .378. His best season was in 2023-24, when he batted .417 and slugged eight doubles. His peers regard him as a talented outfielder. He has served as an assistant captain for the Bums every year since the 2021-22 campaign.
Nicknamed “El Cid,” Tweady has consistently overcome a series of injuries to remain competitive in the league. His best season was his rookie year back in 2019-20, when he batted .438. During his rookie year and in the 2024-25 season, he slugged four doubles each season.
Schlesinger first played in the league in the 2019-20 season, but he only played five games that season with the Bronx Clippers. During that short stint, he batted .810 and slugged three home runs. In the 2023-24 season, while playing with the Brooklyn Bums, he hit four more home runs. In the 2024-25 season, he had six more round-trippers after returning with the Bronx Clippers. In his career, Schlesinger has batted at least .600 on three occasions. He averages at least three home runs each season.
The Wycliffe Stiffs Stickball Hall of Fame induction ceremony was preceded by a barbecue luncheon provided by Mississippi Sweets. The desserts were provided by Arlene Lebowitz, Gail Trubow, Rise Siegrist and Ruth Savanuck.
The Wycliffe Stiffs Stickball Hall of Fame was created in 2009. The purpose is to recognize the accomplishments of players who have contributed their time and effort over the years to ensure the success of the league. To be inducted, individuals must have played in at least 75 percent of their team’s games for at least six seasons.
