The Longtime Hamptons Tradition of the Annual Artists & Writers Softball Game Paid Tribute to the late Hollywood star Roy Scheider. This Saturday dozens of the Hamptons most celebrated artists, actors, politicians and writers gathered once again in East Hampton to compete in the 60th Annual Celebrity Softball Game to benefit three worthy local charities East End Hospice, East Hampton Day Care and Phoenix House. Sixty years is an amazing tradition! And this year was all the more meaningful as it paid tribute to a former regular player in the game - the late actor Roy Scheider who passed away in March. Held at Herrick Park in historic East Hampton at the height of the summer season in the Hamptons, the game brings out thousands of local fans and scores of celebrities to cheer on their famous friends and neighbors. Prior to the game beginning filmmaker and actress Brenda Siemer Scheider, Roy’s widow accepted on behalf of her husband a very special Most Valuable Player Award that was to be presented to him last year. His illness prevented this from happening. Jeweler and marketing guru John Wegorzewski made the presentation. At the ceremony, Wegorzewski said, “Last year was the final game for a long time veteran of this annual event. Our friend, teammate and good neighbor Roy Scheider pitched his last Inning from this mound despite the fact he had just had eye surgery the previous day, and was wearing a patch over one eye. As you may remember Roy was unanimously voted MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to make the presentation of this award to Roy – an 14kt gold baseball glove pendant which I designed and was crafted by Golden Integrity. So today, we would like to present this special award to a man who was an MVP not only on the field but at home with Brenda and their children, on The East End, in the community he loved so much, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting of which he was vice-chairman, the dear to his heart Hayground School which he and Brenda helped co-found, and indeed in the entire world”. Thunderous applause followed as Brenda accepted the award and held it and Roy’s baseball jersey up to the teary eyed crowd. Then the game began and once again the Artists trumped the Writers. When the game had the Artists down 2, Chevy Chase jumped in and hit a line drive that changed the turn of the game. Also on the playing field for the artists were Alec Baldwin, actress Lori Singer, historian Richard Reeves restaurateur B. Smith and Artists Secret Society – ASS – co-founders Eric Ernst and David Gamble. They went on to win 4-2, their second victory in two years.The Artist and Writer Celebrity Softball game began as a summer picnic on Sundays in the summer of 1948. The first games were played in Wilfrid Zogbaum's front yard by artists such as Franz Kline, William de Kooning, Philip Pavia, Jackson Pollack and Joan Mitchell. Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, writers joined in the fun and soon expanded again to include politicians, actors, musicians, publishers, editors and television personalities. The game's hall of fame includes Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Pele, Gerry Cooney, Ben Bradley, Bill Clinton, Charles Gwathmey, Mercedes Ruehl, Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley, Eli Wallach, Ed Burns, Kristin Davis, B Smith, Matthew Broderick, Mike Lupica, James Brady, Paul Simon, Peter Jennings, Regis Philbin, Roy Scheider, Yogi Berra, Rudy Giuliani, Mort Zuckerman and Donny Deutsch. New York magazine once called the annual game the battle of the "knock-kneed wordsmiths and paunch-addled sculptors." HA!!
Brenda Siemer Scheider And John Wegorzewski
The Longtime Hamptons Tradition of the Annual Artists & Writers Softball Game Paid Tribute to the late Hollywood star Roy Scheider. This Saturday dozens of the Hamptons most celebrated artists, actors, politicians and writers gathered once again in East Hampton to compete in the 60th Annual Celebrity Softball Game to benefit three worthy local charities East End Hospice, East Hampton Day Care and Phoenix House. Sixty years is an amazing tradition! And this year was all the more meaningful as it paid tribute to a former regular player in the game - the late actor Roy Scheider who passed away in March. Held at Herrick Park in historic East Hampton at the height of the summer season in the Hamptons, the game brings out thousands of local fans and scores of celebrities to cheer on their famous friends and neighbors. Prior to the game beginning filmmaker and actress Brenda Siemer Scheider, Roy’s widow accepted on behalf of her husband a very special Most Valuable Player Award that was to be presented to him last year. His illness prevented this from happening. Jeweler and marketing guru John Wegorzewski made the presentation. At the ceremony, Wegorzewski said, “Last year was the final game for a long time veteran of this annual event. Our friend, teammate and good neighbor Roy Scheider pitched his last Inning from this mound despite the fact he had just had eye surgery the previous day, and was wearing a patch over one eye. As you may remember Roy was unanimously voted MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to make the presentation of this award to Roy – an 14kt gold baseball glove pendant which I designed and was crafted by Golden Integrity. So today, we would like to present this special award to a man who was an MVP not only on the field but at home with Brenda and their children, on The East End, in the community he loved so much, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting of which he was vice-chairman, the dear to his heart Hayground School which he and Brenda helped co-found, and indeed in the entire world”. Thunderous applause followed as Brenda accepted the award and held it and Roy’s baseball jersey up to the teary eyed crowd. Then the game began and once again the Artists trumped the Writers. When the game had the Artists down 2, Chevy Chase jumped in and hit a line drive that changed the turn of the game. Also on the playing field for the artists were Alec Baldwin, actress Lori Singer, historian Richard Reeves restaurateur B. Smith and Artists Secret Society – ASS – co-founders Eric Ernst and David Gamble. They went on to win 4-2, their second victory in two years.The Artist and Writer Celebrity Softball game began as a summer picnic on Sundays in the summer of 1948. The first games were played in Wilfrid Zogbaum's front yard by artists such as Franz Kline, William de Kooning, Philip Pavia, Jackson Pollack and Joan Mitchell. Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, writers joined in the fun and soon expanded again to include politicians, actors, musicians, publishers, editors and television personalities. The game's hall of fame includes Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Pele, Gerry Cooney, Ben Bradley, Bill Clinton, Charles Gwathmey, Mercedes Ruehl, Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley, Eli Wallach, Ed Burns, Kristin Davis, B Smith, Matthew Broderick, Mike Lupica, James Brady, Paul Simon, Peter Jennings, Regis Philbin, Roy Scheider, Yogi Berra, Rudy Giuliani, Mort Zuckerman and Donny Deutsch. New York magazine once called the annual game the battle of the "knock-kneed wordsmiths and paunch-addled sculptors." HA!!
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