Around the Horn with Jim Leyritz and Tom Clavin

When the crowds left 's popular Authors Night benefit on Saturday, a select few headed to the Noyac home of WPPB disk jockey Bonnie Grice for a private dinner honoring former professional baseball player Jim Leyritz and local writer Tom Clavin.

The two authors joined 16 guests, including Grice and her boyfriend Stephen Gould, for an intimate discussion over three baseball-themed courses.

Guests chatted over cocktails before sitting down at a large table under a tent decorated with a baseball motif, including large jerseys and caricatures of famous players. The night was filled with questions about everything baseball, from Leyritz's memories of his famed 1996 home run in the World Series to Clavin's love of the Yankees.

"It's, well, I can't say an unrequited love affair, because [the Yankees] have given back to me," Clavin said. "To me baseball is unlike any other sport."

A highlight of the night was listening to the authors' take on baseball history (like why Roger Maris is not in the Hall of Fame) as well as more personal topics like religion and redemption – in 2007 Leyritz was charged and acquitted of DWI manslaughter.

During the evening Leyritz spoke of his wild days as a baseball player, and how the "temptations" of New York briefly left him spiritually anemic. Leyritz spoke of his return to religion years later, and his faith in leading him through a harrowing journey.

"When you write a story about your life you find out a lot of things," Leyritz said. "I didn't learn a lot from my successes but I learned a lot from my failures."

Most of the night, however, was filled with upbeat and reminiscent conversations, with fans of Leyrtiz, the Yankees and baseball in general swapping stories with the distinguished guests. Clavin reflected on why he chose to write about former Yankee great Maris, who's difficult relationship with the press harmed his reputation, he said.

"He was always 'that other guy,'" Clavin said. "He was a small-town guy … his best years were playing in Kansas City … but he had a powerful impact on that team, and that's part of the reason for telling the story."

During the evening, which featured a meal of full-size pigs in blanket with homemade potato chips, lobster rolls and ribs, Leyritz and Clavin even debated with one another about baseball memories and stats, with Clavin asking Leyritz about his relationships with favorite players. Over the course of the evening the two revisited Leyritz's famed 1996 home run, with Clavin, acting as the fan, cheering Leyritz for a "smart piece of hitting," turning a tough pitch off a star pitcher into Yankee legend.

Last year Clavin released Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero, a biography of Maris.

Leyritz published a memoir, entitled Catching Heat in May, his first venture into writing. Leyritz played professional baseball for 11 seasons, including eight years with the Yankees, where he won two championships.

Private dinners were held throughout the South Fork with authors, such as soap opera actress Susan Lucci and Bob Dylan biographer Sean Wilentz, as part of the library fundraiser.