PPBA: Rick McGeah Gets First Pitch Honors

Anticipation was in the air last Saturday morning at the Palisades Recreation Center as players and their families wondered who would throw the ceremonial first pitch to officially begin a new Pacific Palisades Baseball Association season.

The Pony League’s annual pancake breakfast culminated with Commissioner Bob Benton handing a ball to longtime coach Rick McGeagh, who threw one pitch each to sons Matt and Jake, both juniors at Loyola High.

“This is a special place and I’ve been happy to serve here for so many years,” said McGeagh, whose boys started in PPBA when they were 7 and won two World Series — one as Pintos and one as Mustangs. “If there’s one word of advice I have for all of you players it’s to make the most of it for as long as you can because you can’t turn back the clock.”

Benton said McGeagh was an active board member who advocated having All-Star teams in the younger age groups.

The Opening Day festivities got off to a rousing start at 9 a.m. at the Field of Dreams complex, where Benton introduced Kate Hassett, a fourth-grader at Calvary Christian School, who sang the national anthem. Hassett plays softball for the Santa Monica Cotton Candy Crusherz.

Benton then asked the attentive audience to applaud and sing for Pinto Orioles player Julia “Peach” Citron, who was celebrating her 8th birthday.  

Pancake Breakfast co-chairs Lori Bzura and Liz Denham were called to the microphone to thank all of the sponsors, after which they were each presented a bouquet of flowers.

Next, Benton announced this year’s top ticket sellers. The No. 1 prize, awarded to the PPBA player who sells the most $5 pancake breakfast certificates, went to the Mustang Yankees’ Will Seidel, who gets to serve as a bat boy at an upcoming UCLA game.

In second place was Hudson Mangold of the Pinto Cubs, who  will  be a bat boy at a Pepperdine game this season.

In third place was Ian Sullivan of the Pinto Orioles, who was rewarded with a week’s worth of lessons at Westside Baseball camp.

In fourth place was John Carpenter III of the Mustang Cubs, who earned a one-week stay at a UCLA Baseball camp.

Then, McGeagh took center stage and threw strikes to his twin boys, after which teams headed to the diamonds to begin their quests for the World Series in June. If the first round of games is any indication, an exciting season lies ahead.

In the Pinto Division (ages 7-9), the Cardinals outscored the Cubs 12-9, the Red Sox edged the Orioles 9-8 and the defending champion Yankees beat the Tigers 11-7. The Phillies, trailing by three runs and down to their final strike with no runners on base in the sixth inning, rallied past the Dodgers 8-7. Saxon Wald smacked a two-run triple to highlight the comeback and Dodgers second baseman Jake McCaffrey had three tag outs in the fifth to end a three-run Phillies rally.

In the Mustang Division (ages 9-10), the Cardinals topped the Cubs 13-5, the Phillies beat the Dodgers 15-1, the Red Sox got by the Orioles 5-3 and the defending champion Yankees prevailed 4-1 in a tight defensive struggle against the Tigers.

In the Bronco Division (ages 11-12), the Cardinals scored seven runs in the fifth inning to beat the Phillies 17-11, as pitcher Jack Dyett gave up one run in two innings to earn the victory.

The reigning champion Tigers defeated the Dodgers 16-6 and the Orioles beat the Yankees 13-5.