Before a scrimmage against Amityville, the Suffolk County Baseball Coaches Association honored legendary Coach Al Desiderio.

Coach Desi’s family and Port Jeff alumni were invited onto the field, and former coaches spoke about the lasting impact Coach Desi had on his players and fellow coaches.

The ceremony culminated with Coach Desi’s son, Ronny, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. It was a beautiful day to honor Coach Desi’s incredible legacy.

He was a business teacher and coach for the Port Jefferson School District from 1958 to 1995.

Coach Desi is the longest-tenured high school baseball coach in Suffolk County’s history, having coached at Port Jefferson for 37 years. He has coached his teams to over 400 wins, including 10 league championships and 20 playoff appearances.

He was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Desi was also a professor of business management at Suffolk County Community College for over 40 years.

Always willing to help others, he was involved with the Miracle League of Long Island and helped bring the first softball team to Suffolk County for autistic and handicapped children.