Judy Walden Scarafile

Judy Walden Scarafile
Cape Cod Baseball League President
Born: (1949-01-31)January 31, 1949

Judith Walden Scarafile (born January 31, 1949) is the former president of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), serving from 1991 to 2015. She is featured in the Diamond Dreams exhibit of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences,[1] Scarafile joined the Cape Cod League as an official scorer while a student at Connecticut, and became publicity assistant to league executive Dick Bresciani.[2][3] She soon rose to other positions in the league, including publicist, secretary, deputy commissioner, and vice president, prior to being appointed president in 1991.[4][5][6] Under her leadership the league experienced a period of sustained development, procured dozens of major corporate sponsors, and saw hundreds of its collegiate players go on to careers in Major League Baseball.[7] As a member of the Yawkey Foundation board of trustees, Scarafile was instrumental in securing major field improvement grants for each of the CCBL home ballparks.[1][8] Along the way, she received numerous awards and accolades,[9][10] and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2003.[11] Scarafile retired as CCBL president in 2015 after 46 years with the league.[12][13][14]

The CCBL's first female president, Scarafile was honored in 2010 by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with inclusion in the museum's Diamond Dreams exhibit,[15] which highlights stories of pioneering women in baseball.[16][17][18] One of Scarafile's early challenges came while serving as the league's official scorer, covering the 1970 CCBL all-star game at Yankee Stadium.[19] Shortly before game time, stadium security informed her that she could not remain in the press box area, which at the time was reserved for men only.[20][21] In 2016, the baseball field at McKeon Park, home of the CCBL's Hyannis Harbor Hawks, was named in her honor.[22][23][24]

  1. ^ a b "Judy Walden Scarafile". majorcrisisrelieffund.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Aria Gerson (July 28, 2019). "Cape League Baseball League bucks gender trends". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. ^ Curran, Tom (June 11, 1992). "Full speed ahead for Scarafile". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Judy Walden Scarafile". sloansportsconference.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  5. ^ "CCBL's Scarafile is new president". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. November 14, 1991. p. 9.
  6. ^ Iacuessa, Mike (November 7, 1991). "Scarafile prepares for new role as president of Cape League". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. p. 25.
  7. ^ Walsh, Sean M. (June 8, 1995). "Cape League's Judy Scarafile: She Was Raised on Baseball". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. pp. 20, 21.
  8. ^ "Y-D and Orleans Receive Yawkey Grants". capecodbaseball.org. March 19, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "Scarafile wins Amateur Baseball's Woman of the Year national title". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. December 8, 1988. p. 11.
  10. ^ "UConn honors Scarafile". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. April 9, 1992. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Eleven Legends to be Inducted into CCBL Hall of Fame". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  12. ^ Conery, Rob (September 4, 2015). "The game changer: Judy Scarafile Leaves a League Transformed". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. pp. A9.
  13. ^ "Longtime Cape Cod league president retires". usatoday.com. August 14, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  14. ^ George Kostinas (December 10, 2015). "Scarafile to be honored for 45 years of service to Cape League". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  15. ^ Trevor Hayes. "Judy Scarafile Guided Cape Cod League to New Heights". baseballhall.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  16. ^ "Cape League's Scarafile added to Baseball Hall of Fame Museum exhibit". barnstablepatriot.com. October 15, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  17. ^ ""Diamond Dreams" for Cape League president". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. October 22, 2010. pp. B3.
  18. ^ "Scarafile honored by Baseball Hall of Fame". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. October 21, 2010. p. 22.
  19. ^ Al Harvin (July 21, 1970). "Cape Cod Tops Atlantic Collegians, 6‐3". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  20. ^ Judy Walden Scarafile (July 25, 2008). "When women were persona non grata at Yankee Stadium". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  21. ^ James Sullivan (July 17, 2014). "Judy Scarafile is the watchful eye over the Cape Cod Baseball League". bostonglobe.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  22. ^ Rohma Abbas (December 17, 2015). "Harbor Hawks field named in honor of Cape Cod Baseball League's Judy Scarafile". barnstablepatriot.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  23. ^ "Cape League: Scarafile Field at McKeon Park". capecodtimes.com. July 18, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  24. ^ Vaughn, Susan (July 22, 2016). "Judy Scara-field". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. pp. A1, A11.