Kingswood Oxford varsity baseball Head Coach Steve Cannata has been inducted into the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League Hall of Fame. Coach Cannata joins a small company as he is now one of only 168 players who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Twilight Baseball League is a summer league founded in 1929 and made up of mostly college kids and older. Many of the older players have formerly been a part of the minor leagues. This experience helps develop the younger players since they have the opportunity to learn from the older team members, helping them to become better baseball players. Coach Cannata spent 13 years in the Twilight League, spending time as one of the younger players and over time becoming a leader within the league.
The ceremony took place at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, where Coach Cannata was able to see many of his old teammates and opponents. It meant a lot for Coach Cannata to be inducted. “It’s a great honor since it was a good league with a lot of great players, so to be included is pretty humbling,” he said. “You don’t think about it when you’re playing, but once you finish, it is nice to be recognized for what you did.”
Coach Cannata retired from his job at KO as Head Athletic Trainer in 2022, but has stuck with the baseball program, and the players love having him at the school. Junior middle infielder Tommy Caparasso has had a great experience with Coach Cannata. “He’s a great guy,” he said. Along with the players, Assistant Coach Ryan Radmonavich also loves having Coach Cannata work with him. “I think the best parts about working with Coach Cannata is his calm demeanor, his knowledge of the game, and his long-time experience of coaching at the high school level,” he said. “Most important is that he really cares about his players. Not only did he pitch in the College World Series for UConn, but his years of playing in the Twilight League gave him the opportunity to play the game for a long time, and now he is able to teach and give back to his high school team.”
Coach Cannata really cares about the players, and his experience and demeanor set him apart from other coaches, helping him put Kingswood Oxford baseball in a position to be successful. We congratulate him for this incredible honor and the impact he has continued to leave on our community.
