By Gladstone Harris, Bloomfield College sports information director.
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – The Bloomfield College Bears baseball team uniforms will include a patch for the 2016 season honoring late pioneer of the athletic department Alfred R. Restaino Sr., the team announced on Thursday.
Mr. Restaino Sr., who helped form the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), passed away on Dec. 30, 2015 and was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetary in North Atlington, N.J. on Jan. 4, 2016.
He was an administrator and coach for 34 years at Bloomfield College, serving as baseball and basketball coach and as athletics director, winning multiple “Coach of the Year” honors and over 500 games combined. He also served numerous terms as President of the CACC and was instrumental in the conference’s move to NCAA Division II from the NAIA.
In November of 2007, the CACC renamed its Commissioner’s Cup to the Alfred R. Restaino, Sr. Cup, which is awarded annually to the top performing men’s and women’s athletic programs. The conference honored Mr. Restaino in late 2015 when he was announced as a member of the league’s inaugural Hall of Fame class. The Bears athletic department will receive the Hall of Fame plaque from the league office and present it to the Restaino family at an upcoming home baseball game to be determined.
Mr. Resaino Sr. is survived by his beloved wife, Patricia V. (Brough) Restaino; four children, Al Jr. and his wife, Denise; Carole Restaino; Rich and his wife, Michele, and David and his wife, Leslie; eight grandchildren, Al III, Danielle, Marissa, Bryan, Ben, Paige, Sophia and Olivia; and his brother, Jerry Restaino and his wife, Francine.
Baseball players will wear the patch beginning with the regular season opener, when Bloomfield travels to Pace University on Mar. 8 at 2:30 pm. Both the baseball and softball teams will wear a sticker in 2016 on the back of their batting helmets in memory of Al Restaino Sr. as well.
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