Opening Day

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

A proud Pacific Palisades tradition continued March 1, though not where it typically takes place.

It was gratifying for longtime PPBA Commissioner Bob Benton, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, to see the local PONY league open its 71st season March 1 not at the Field of Dreams, but at Cheviot Hills Recreation Center. As it turned out, players and families alike had just as much fun as they would have on familiar turf. Even after wolfing down pancakes and bacon strips, local players are just as hungry to win the World Series—only this year it will take beating not only fellow Palisades teams but ones from the Cheviot program too. Many of the kids are classmates at Paul Revere Middle School. Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to officially begin the day’s full slate of games was Traci Park, LA City Councilmember for District 11.    

Palisades has six teams in both the Pinto (ages 7-8) and Bronco (ages 11-12) divisions: Red Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates, to join one Cheviot Pinto team and six Bronco squads. The Mustang (ages 9-10) Division features seven PPBA teams (the six listed above plus the Yankees) and three Cheviot teams. There are also two teams representing the PPBA in the Pony Division (ages 13-14): Pali Blue and Powder Blue. As for the Shetland Division (beginners), Palisades’ four teams are in the Santa Monica Pony League.

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