May 6, 2009-Former
University of Pennsylvania star Lee Rosen won the 72nd edition of the
Yale CLub of New York Club Championship on April 29th, defeating WIl
Walters, the top player at WIlliams recently, three games to love, in
the first-ever final of this tournament between two players neither of
whom had gone to Yale. Rosen, who out-lasted three-time S. L. Green
finalist Richard Chin a few months ago in the third-place playoff of
the Treddy Ketcham Invitational, had won his semi in straight sets
against '05 Yale captain Josh Schwartz, while Walters had out-lasted
seven-time and defending champion John Musto, a recent finalist in the
U. S. Nationals 40-and-over, in an exciting 11-9 fifth-game tally.
Though both Rosen and his contemporary Walters played No. 1 for their
respective colleges, this was the first time they had ever met in match
competition.
Starting in the mid-1980's, the Yale Club championship final had always
been followed by the annual squash banquet, until a decision was made
earlier this decade to make it a Sports Dinner in recognition of how
many non-squash players are active athletic-facilities users at the
club, as well as to invite sports-prominent Yale alumni to make
speeches during the dinner festivities. This year the honorees were
Mike Richter, the Hall Of Fame goal-tender for the New York Rangers,
who played such a crucial role in the winning of the 1994 NHL Stanley
Cup that ended the franchise's 54-year drought, and Sarah Hughes, who
won a gold medal in figure-skating in 2002.
The club-championship final has had a rich history, including a number
of fifth-game overtimes, and been won by such luminaries as Ralph Howe,
winner of the 1967 North American Open and the 1964 U. S. Nationals,
and 1943 Intercollegiates champ John Holt. It was a hardball event from
its inception in 1931 through 1993, then had three years in which both
a hardball and a softball competition were held, following which the
hardball event ended with the conversion shortly thereafter of all the
Yale CLub courts to international-court dimensions.
Yale Club Champions Roster
1931-1993 --- All Hardball
1931 L. F. Bishop Jr. ‘21S
1932 G. H. Cox Jr ‘30
1933-34 --- Not Played
1935-41 Arthur H. Barker ‘28
1942 Rynn Berry ‘37
1943-46 ---- Not Played
1947 G. P. Miley ‘27
1948 John C. Holt ‘44S
1949 Rynn Berry ‘37
1950-53 Arthur H. Barker ‘28
1954-55 William T. Ketcham Jr. ‘41
1956 Alan S. Englander ‘55
1957 William T Ketcham Jr. ‘41
1958 Barry T. Seymour ‘54
1959 B. Ragan ‘55
1960 William Manger ‘44S
1961 B. Lachelier ‘53
1962-65 John S. HAlpern ‘57E
1966 Ralph E. Howe ‘63
1967-69 John S. Halpern ‘57E
1970 Del Fuller ‘46
1971-72 John S. Halpern ‘57E
1973 Del Fuller ‘46
1974-75 Glenn Greenberg ‘68
1976-79 Rob Dinerman ‘76
1980 Glenn Greenberg ‘68
1981 Larry Gile ‘78
1982-84 Rob Dinerman ‘76
1985 Steve Fortunato ‘78
1986 Rob Dinerman ‘76
1987 Glenn Greenberg ‘68
1988-93 Rob Dinerman ‘76
1994-96 --- Hardball And Softball
1994 Hardball: Cyrus Mehta ’90 Softball: John Musto ‘91
1995 Hardball: Rob Dinerman ’76 Softball: John Musto ‘91
1996: Hardball: Rob Dinerman ’76 Softball: Dave Barrett ‘81
1997 – Present ---- All Softball
1997-99: Dave Barrett ‘81
2000 Alex Luchars Vassar ‘82
2001 --- Not held
2002-03 John Musto ‘91
2004 Hamed Anvari Dartmouth ‘02
2005-06 John Musto ‘91
2007 Terence Li ‘04
2008 John Musto ‘91
2009 Lee Rosen, Penn ‘08