Baseball Back at Field of Dreams

COUNTDOWN TO PPBA OPENING DAY

All anyone needed to know about who was having fun was etched on the faces of the players as they hustled to and from the dugout in between innings. The season does not officially begin for another nine days, but coaches and players in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association are ready to play ball right now. ‘They are nice and give you lots of tips that help you. They cheer you on because they want you to do good.’ That is how an 11-year-old Bronco player described his coaches during the Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s spring training practice games last week. In spite of the recent rains that have kept practices to a minimum and fields closed, spring training for Pony Baseball has finally arrived at the ‘Field of Dreams’ complex at the Palisades Recreation Center. Try-outs were held in January. Each perspective player fielded grounders and fly balls, threw to first base to demonstrate his throwing arm, and took cuts at the plate. As always, more players tried out than the fields are able to accommodate. The PPBA is broken down into three divisions. Pinto, consisting mostly of 8-year-olds, with a few outstanding 7-year-olds and some nine-year-olds who help provide experience for their younger teammates. For many 7- and 8-year-olds, this is their first experience with a pitching machine. Pinto games are on Tuesday or Thursday and every Saturday. The Mustang consists of 9- and 10-year-olds, and players do their own pitching. Games are Wednesdays and Saturdays. Broncos are 11- and 12-year-olds, who play Tuesdays or Thursdays and Saturdays. Palisades also has a Pony division (13- and 14-year-olds) team, which hosts games against other Westside teams every Friday night at the Rec Center. The start of spring training and practice games signify that the pancake breakfast, PPBA’s annual fundraiser, is drawing near to usher in a new PPBA season. This year’s PPBA Opening Day festivities will be March 19. Fifty-one years of celebrating the spring with the ever popular menu of delicious pancakes, mouthwatering sausages, orange juice, and coffee, all for a price lower than some lattes, $3.00. Seek out your local neighborhood baseball player to purchase tickets. Baseball Commissioner Bob Benton is tight-lipped about who will throw out the first pitch to start the 2005 season. He promises to divulge who it will be next week, a mere two days before Opening Day. For more information about PPBA, including schedules, rules and standings, log onto the new web-site: http://PPBA.net.