Community Corner
Al Duratti Back on the Bench For Little League All-Stars (VIDEO)
Al Duratti is doing what he loves, coaching Little League baseball, molding Swampscott ballplayers since 1954, Duratti is on the bench with the 2011 12-year-old District 16 All-Stars this summer.
The players didn’t Tweet results of the game, or listen to AC/DC blast over the P. A. system at practice, but other than that the kids are pretty much the same since Al Duratti started coaching Little League baseball in 1954.
Duratti has been on the field since Swampscott Little League started way back in 1954, and he said kids are the same now, and his message is the same in 2011 as it was in 1954.
“The most important thing is that the kids have fun, that they equate baseball with a positive experience growing up,” Duratti said before a recent All-Star practice. “I like football and hockey, but baseball is my favorite sport, a good game is like a chess match, making moves on every play, trying to get good results.”
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Duratti is on the bench this summer, working with Swampscott’s 12-year-old All-Star team, as they try to bring another District 16 title back to town.
Duratti coaches the Major Yankees during the regular season, this year’s club finished in fourth place, and got knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual league champs, the Nahant Orioles.
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The Yankees had a record of 59-1 over four seasons back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, an amazing stretch of winning baseball.
“The Yankees are still my favorite team, almost thirty years later, because of Al,” Michael Faia said. “I have nothing but good things to say about Coach Duratti, I loved playing for him, the winning was great and I learned a lot too.”
Duratti’s District 16 team won state titles in 1978 when he was the manager, and 1981 when he was on the coaching staff. Duratti worked with the pitching staff in 1979 and 1983, those teams were champions as well.
Hundreds of Swampscott kids, boys and girls, have played for Duratti, young men who come to the games to watch their sons play for Coach Al, and more and more, grandfathers who played for Duratti come to watch their grandsons suit up for the Yankees.
Duratti lived on Middlesex Avenue for many years before moving to Ipswich, in addition to little league, Duratti has been on the board of the Italian Club on Burpee road for over 40 years.
Coach Al’s All-Star team made it to the state finals before losing in 1998. His first All-Star team in 1961 also made it to the championship game before falling to Brockton up in Haverhill. UMass hockey coach Don “Tootie” Cahoon was on that 1961 squad.
“I’ve had so many great young men over the years,” Duratti said. “I don’t want to name names, because I’m sure I’ll leave somebody out.”
“It’s a great experience for me, I love the game, I love the kids, there’s no place I’d rather be than on the baseball field,” Duratti said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of coaching, and I look forward to the games and working with the kids.”
Now in his eighties, Duratti says he has no plans to stop coaching.
“As long as they need me, I’ll be there, baseball is a thinking man’s game and I enjoy the entire process of baseball, the kids have really given me a lift over all these years.”
