Scotty the Leprechaun celebrates his 19th Irish Night 

“It’s too bad that this is only my 19th Irish Night. I’m really looking forward to my 20th already,” said Scotty Seidman as he came off the field after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on the Cyclones’ traditional Irish Night.

Recounting his start as Scotty the Leprechaun, Seidman recalled how Cyclones general manager Kevin Mahoney reached out to the Bensonhurst resident in 2007 after seeing an article about him in the Daily News. 

“I pretty much have become a fixture here every summer and look forward to it every year,” said the 66-year-old Seidman, who grew up on Bath Avenue and 86th Street. Touting his New York Mets connection, he said, “I went to Lafayette High School and was a classmate of John Franco.”

Besides being born in Bensonhurst, for the last 44 years Seidman has also worked in Bensonhurst at the Haym Salomon Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation as a recreational specialist. In addition to his regular day job at the nursing home, Seidman has used his size to his advantage by answering the call for little people on both the stage and screen. Whether it’s been a video with Jay-Z or Michael Jackson, or even a six-year run at the Radio City Christmas show, Seidman says, “I’ll go wherever they need me since I have my SAG card.”

Looking around the Maimonides Park stands, Seidman said, “I just love being here each year,” as he posed for photos and signed autographs. “There is even talk that next year there may even be a Scotty the Leprechaun bobblehead for Irish Night. I don’t ask for much, but I would sure love it if they would do that for my 20th season,” said Seidman with a leprechaun glint in his eye.