N. Babylon Slugger Comes Close to Setting World Record

Mike Filippone, 52, spent 19 hours hitting baseballs at Phelps Lane Park, in the hopes of setting a Guinness World Record.

He began the event on Saturday at 8 a.m., with the goal of hitting as many baseballs as he could in 24 hours, with eight seconds between each pitch. Filippone came close, but stopped five hours short of setting the record, feeling that he physically could no longer continue.

Although his name will not be entered into the Guinness record books, he still beat his previous time in 2009 by three hours. During his first attempt, Filippone needed medical assistance and although there were medics and ambulances at the field, this time his injuries were much less severe and included some cuts and blisters on his hands.

The event was part of the Going to Bat for Kids fundraiser, as it raised more than $8,000 for the Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park and the Dan Gambardella Memorial Fund, named for the North Babylon resident who was killed by a drunken driver on the Wantagh State Parkway while on his way to work last year.

"We all walked away from this with an overwhelming sense of community," event coordinator, Carol Gray, said.

Filippone said he will not pursue the world record again but will continue to raise money for local charities.