Bob DeMayo accumulated a state record 936 wins while serving as the coach of the North Haven Nighthawks.
He became coach in 1958 — when the team was known as The Indians — making him the the longest serving baseball coach in Connecticut when he retired this spring.
He clinched his milestone 900th career win during the 2018 season in a 7-6 win over Amity in the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
DeMayo said he’s been humbled by all of the praise he’s received from the players he coached over the years.
“The accolades that I have gotten from a lot of my former players and assistants have been phenomenal,” DeMayo said. “It’s been very pleasing to me.”
DeMayo was known for an old school style of coaching that made his program successful. The result was five state championships, with the last coming in 2015.
His final season ended with a 3-1 loss to Lyman Hall in the Class L state tournament. DeMayo said he's not balking at finding ways to contribute to the team away from the diamond.
“I would really like to get into some part of coaching just as a contribution or whatever you call it,” DeMayo said. “Just payback for all the good things that have happened to me.”
DeMayo grew up playing ball at Notre Dame-West Haven, then Fordham and later in the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system.
But the walk-off homerun was arriving at North Haven.
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