Reader’s son hurls first pitch at Cyclones game, thanks to Home Reporter

Happy, excited, maybe even giddy were the words that could beused to describe five-year-old Arelius Vendrell as he walked ontothe field to throw the first pitch at the Brooklyn Cyclones game onWednesday, August 17, against the Jamestown Jammers.

Arelius’ mom, Maribell Berrios, was the winner of the HomeReporter and Brooklyn Spectator‘s contest to throwout the first pitch at MCU Park, but instead of taking thechallenge herself, she decided to let her son take the hill andembrace a moment just about every baseball fan dreams about.

It’s more for him, he’s the ballplayer, said Berrios.

Berrios said she originally heard about the contest from a coachat Parkville Youth Organization, where Arelius plays baseball inthe pee-wee league. Sensing an opportunity, the Dyker Heightsresident — who said she reads the Home Reporter — jumpedon the computer and went to HomeReporterNews.com, where sheregistered to receive the daily email newsletter as required by therules of the contest. A couple of weeks later, she was informedthat she had won the contest in random drawing.

When the family showed up for the game, the little leaguer wasecstatic to be on the field and meet with some Cyclones players, aswell as the team mascots-Sandy the Seagull and Pee-wee.

Then the announcer introduced Arelius to the crowd and heeagerly ran to the mound, stood into his pitching pose and hurledhis best fastball, which his mom said was definitely astrike.