This might be the best article heading of 2023. The article came out on ESPN, but Gothamist’s headline was what caught my eye. Here’s a teaser introduction:

Adam Ottavino never expected The Lab to turn into this.

The New York Mets reliever just wanted a place in the city to throw in the offseason, something that can be hard to find here in the winter months. Heading into the 2018 season, Ottavino — then with the Colorado Rockies — converted what used to be a Nine West shoe store underneath an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese on St. Nicholas Ave. in Harlem into an advanced pitching facility, decked out with cameras that measure pitch spin rates and iPads that provide pitchers with instant feedback.

“We were just trying to make the most of the situation,” Ottavino said.

Ottavino — who grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn — rented the retail space from his father-in-law hoping to find a temporary place to throw his bullpens after dropping off his two daughters at school. Five years later, The Lab welcomes everyone from college pitchers to minor leaguers to amateurs from New York’s men’s leagues, right on up to Ottavino’s fellow big leaguers — free agent hurler Matt Harvey, Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon and Yankees reliever Michael King are among those who have made appearances.

“It wasn’t meant to be this way,” Ottavino said. “But I started realizing this was gonna be about more than me. It was gonna be about the whole New York City baseball community. Trying to be a resource for guys.”

And, for the full article, see:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35570270/how-lab-became-harlem-hot-spot-mlb-pitchers

Ny Whitaker New President and CEO

HNBA member and former CB11 member Ny Whitaker, has a new gig:

@PPESActs is proud to announce the hiring of Ny Whitaker as its new President and CEO! Ms. Whitaker is a proven leader, strategist, and expert that will lead PPESA through its next chapter. Please join us in welcoming Ny!