Board of Directors

Tom Hopke began his business career in public accounting. He went on to become CFO of Xcor International, Inc and then was recruited by NewsCorporation for HarperCollins Publishers their book publishing company where he spent 28 years as SVP Administration until his retirement. He now heads up his own consulting company providing financial and strategic development services to sports and recreation companies including the MLBPA, Rising Stars Youth Foundation and the City of Glen Cove. He continues to assist authors in finding homes for their projects and remains active in several youth nonprofit organizations.

During his years at Harper he assisted in the acquisition of several sports and entertainment titles including biographies of Henry Aaron, Darryl Strawberry, Willie Randolph, Roberto Clemente, Tiger Woods, Yogi Berra, Lenny Dykstra, Greg Allman and Ray Negron’s children’s books.

He played his high school baseball at Archbishop Molloy HS in Queens, NY for legendary Coach Jack Curran before moving on to St. John’s University and Coach Jack Kaiser. Tom teamed up with ACBL Board Member Rich Kisielewski to win 2 CHSAA City Championships at Molloy and both are members of the Stanners Hall of Fame. He was the founder and Managing Director of the New York Mets Baseball Academy along with Ike Goldstein and along with Coach Goldstein owner of the Long Island Tigers Baseball Club.

Email:      tom.hopke@acblbaseball.org

Mobile:     (917) 689-7595  

Pete Raimondi just completed his 17th season as an assistant coach with Pace in 2023. During his time with the Setters, Raimondi has helped Pace reach the NCAA championship twice (2013 and 2023) and win the 2023 NE10 Championship. 

Originally, from Queens N.Y., Coach Raimondi played his high school ball at St. Francis Prep (Alma Mater to Vince Lombardi & Joe Torre), in Brooklyn, N.Y. He continued his playing career at Fordham University and played infield. After a short stint at Fordham, Raimondi played and coached Inter-service ball for the United State Marine Corps, until the Iranian hostage situation forced a mandatory alert status. Upon being discharged from the Marine Corps as a Captain, he then played two years in the industrial semi-pro leagues in Shinagawa, and Ebisu, Japan.

Raimondi played summer ball with organizations throughout Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens including the L.I. Mets and Brooklyn–Queens Silk Sox.

Raimondi has coached in many leagues at the high school and summer college level in the Brooklyn-Queens alliances. He has also coached in the ACBL with the NY Generals organization.

Raimondi also coached Tier I (“A”) junior hockey within the New York Ranger organization, and won a state championship at the high school level.

Raimondi has two sons who both played athletics on the collegiate level; Len, an electrical engineer in New York City, and Pete Jr., a lawyer living in Florida.

Former Minnesota Twin and Montreal Expo Ike Goldstein joined the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League first as the Owner / Manager of the Nassau Colegians (2021).

Previously, Ike was at SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball program as a volunteer assistant coach in 2011. Goldstein was the Panther's infielder and catchering coach. He arrived at Old Westbury with 25 years of professional, collegiate, and high school coaching experience.

Goldstein was drafted out of NYIT as a junior in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins. He excelled in the minor leagues before retiring to pursue coaching. Goldstein spent three years with the Twins in their farm system. While catching with the Twins he held club records for most assists by a catcher, throwing out would-be base stealers (RCS%) at a rate of 81 and 83 percent in 1986 and 1987, respectively.  He finished his career with the Montreal Expos, playing for Felipe Alou.

Following his retirement from baseball, he made the transition to assist in the development of catchers as the Toronto Blue Jays Catching Instructor for their organization, and Director of the New York Mets Baseball Academy The Long Island native later joined the coaching staff at Molloy College, serving as an Assistant Coach.

Goldstein’s career began as an All-Nassau County selection (1983) out of Jericho High School, followed by an All-New York State selection for NYIT (1986).

Currently, Goldstein is also the President of the Long Island Tigers, the nationally recognized high school summer baseball program. Ike and his wife, Elena, with their four children, Brittany, Haley, Jordan, and Hunter reside in Jericho, New York. His son Hunter, notable, attends Pace University (Biology Major). He was a contributing factor leading to the Pace Setters winning the  NE10 championship (2023), and being awarded ACBA All-Region East Defensive Catcher and NE10 All-Conference Defensive Catcher.

Ray’s amazing journey began fifty years ago when at 17-years of age, he was caught spraying graffiti on a wall at Yankee Stadium by NY Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner. As fate would have it, Steinbrenner decided against putting Ray in jail and instead, offered him a second chance making him the batboy for the greatest franchise in sports history. Ray was propelled into a dream job sharing the dugout with the “Bronx Zoo” team of the seventies. He became a positive influence in the fiery clubhouse that included Manager Billy Martin, superstar Reggie Jackson and the legendary Thurman Munson. And for the next 37 years, Steinbrenner and Ray built a special relationship until Steinbrenner’s passing in 2010.

Steinbrenner’s vision lives on through Ray. As a Community Consultant for the NY Yankees, Ray is immersed in ensuring that veteran players and Yankee rookies promote the tradition of the club’s pride and inspiration by visiting terminally sick kids in hospitals and supporting the inner-city youth throughout New York. He was the co-founder of “Hank’s Yanks”, a not for profit competitive youth travel baseball team for underprivileged kids (ages 10-18) founded by the late New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner.

Ray is an avid writer, publishing four children’s books. His first book, “The Boy of Steel” was #2 on the NY Times Bestseller List, won the International Children’s Book of the Year in 2006 and is currently displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His second book, “The Greatest Story Never Told: The Babe and Jackie” deals with the difficult subject of racism, teaching kids diversity. His third book, “One Last Time: Goodbye to Yankee Stadium”, reached #1 on Amazon’s Bestseller List. In 2012, he published his memoirs “Yankee Miracles: Life with the Boss and the Bronx Bombers” (currently in pre production for Broadway) and co-wrote baseballs first children’s Christmas book, “CC Clause” with Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia. As a film producer, Ray developed the full-length animated feature film “Henry and Me”, about a boy’s magical journey as he battles cancer, based on his children’s books. Voices for the animation include Richard Gere, Cyndi Lauper, Chazz Palminteri, Danny Aiello, Luis Guzman and Paul Simon. Ray is also the Associate Producer and co-stars in the film “Bottom of the 9th” starring Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello. Ray makes cameo appearances in the the film “Out of Order” staring Luis Guzman and Brooke Shields and also the series “Gravesend”

A documentary depicting Ray’s life is currently in production.

Ray is a member of the International Latino Hall of Fame, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame and the Ted Williams Hall of Fame for his humanitarian efforts with children around the country. He is also a member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2019. Ray spoke at the United Nations on the subject of alcoholism with his mentor, Adele Smithers. In 2007, the Department of Homeland Security honored Ray for his leadership in the Hispanic community and the impact he has made on American society.

Additionally, Ray is co-host on “Reach Out with Ray & Steve” talking sports, entertainment and community seen on Optimum cable and BronxNet. His writes a weekly column on Newsmax and NYC Tastemakers.

A powerful and inspirational speaker, he passionately shares his amazing journey, revealing his experiences with the Bronx Bombers, his special relationship with Steinbrenner and with so many of the incredible people he has crossed paths with.

Since 2012, Ken Davidoff has been one of the brightest lights in the world of sports journalism, serving as the baseball columnist for the NY Post. Before that Ken wrote for Newsday, the Bergen Record and attended the University of Michigan. Known for his crisp, witty style and prolific nature, Ken has served as the president of the New York Baseball Writer's Association and lives in New York City with his wife Sarah and son, JJ.

Rich Kisielewski, a graduate of New York University and former NYU Pitcher,  has spent thirty plus years in the insurance industry and currently works in a suburb of Philadelphia. An uprooted New Yorker - Queens, NY - he lives in Central Pennsylvania with his wife Liz who also is an uprooted New Yorker - da Bronx, NY - and their collection of dogs and cats. Their two children - Tara and Brian - have left the roost and live in Dallas and Philadelphia respectively

Mr. Sparacino, ESQ brings a wealth of experience in administrative and operations management, IT, and human resources to support to the ACBL.

Michael worked in senior executive positions and was most recently the Chief Legal and Contracting Officer for an independent practitioner association and management services organization for 800 Primary Care Physicians and 1500 Specialists.  Prior thereto, Mr. Sparacino held legal, labor management and operations management positions at a major airline and a well-known museum in Manhattan.

Michael attended St. John's U as a student-athlete (Baseball) under our Division Name-Sake, Jack Kaiser and received is undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude. 

He is also a graduate of St. John’s Law School, Mr. Sparacino is admitted to the New York Bar.

Fred Cambia - MLB Pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), College Baseball Coach, 1st ACBL HOF Inductee

Before he ever took the mound as a starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Fred Cambria ’70 was a high school athlete with no prospects to play in college.

Cambria, a self-proclaimed “late bloomer,” attributes much of his growth and success in baseball, business, and life to his time at Saint Leo.

He learned about Saint Leo from a friend. Having limited options after high school due to poor grades, Cambria found that none of the big schools were willing to take a chance on him, even though he was a talented athlete. He recalls praying to St. Jude, the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, to give him an opportunity. Fortunately for Cambria, Saint Leo University (then a college) ended up being the answer to his prayers.

“Nobody was interested in me,” Cambria said, reflecting on how he lost confidence in himself when no college baseball programs were interested in him.

[Fred Cambria] Cambria’s faith and perseverance motivated him to try out for Saint Leo’s baseball team. In the spring of 1967, Norm Kaye managed Saint Leo baseball. Pete Mulry ’67 was the team captain. Both men were instrumental in Cambria’s development on and off the field, helping to build his confidence and inspire him to succeed.

Butters was the head baseball coach of Duke University when they played Saint Leo College. Duke, a collegiate baseball powerhouse, came down to Florida to “beat us up,” Cambria said.

Unfortunately for Duke, on that day Fred Cambria was pitching for Saint Leo, and he had something to prove.

Cambria capitalized on this opportunity to prove his doubters wrong, pitching a lights-out performance, striking out many of the batters he faced. He even added two home runs to the box score.

After witnessing the stellar performance firsthand, Butters called Joe Brown, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ general manager. Butters recommended Brown take a chance on Cambria in the MLB draft, and he did.

[Fred Cambria Pittsburg Pirates] Cambria became the first Saint Leo athlete to be drafted in a professional sports league when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the third round of the 1969 draft.

During the time Cambria was on the team, Pittsburgh boasted a star-laden roster featuring Hall of Fame players such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski.

Cambria was part of the first class of the Saint Leo University Athletic Hall of Fame inductees in 1987. He would return to Saint Leo once again to coach the baseball team from 1990-1991.Even now, Cambria remains a dedicated and supportive alumnus. He serves as an “ambassador” to prospective students in the Long Island area and looks forward to the next time he can return to his beloved alma mater.

In appreciation for the impact Saint Leo has made on his life, Cambria has joined the James J. Horgan Heritage Society. The society honors alumni, parents, and friends who have provided a visionary gift for tomorrow’s generation by including Saint Leo University in their estate plans.

BY JOHN AGNELLO edited by ACBL