PPBA Season Set to Open Saturday Morning with Traditional Pancake Breakfast at Field of Dreams
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Rainouts are as much a part of baseball as homers and strikeouts and after showers forced the postponement of its traditional pancake breakfast the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association will, weather permitting, open the 2023 season this Saturday morning, March 18, at the Palisades Recreation Center’s “Field of Dreams” complex.
“We have close to 500 players this year across five divisions,” Commissioner Bob Benton reports. “We have four Pony teams (ages 13-14), six Bronco teams (ages 11-12), 10 Mustang teams (ages 9-10), 10 Pinto teams (ages 7-9) and eight Shetland teams (ages 6-8).”
The chairwoman for this year’s breakfast is Meridith Hill. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by actor/producer Rob McElhenney and singing the national anthem will be 12-year-old Reagan Whalen, a local resident and 7th-grader at Calvary Christian School who played in the Red Sox organization last year.
McElhenney’s credits include the role of Ronald “Mac” McDonald on the FX/FXX comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” a show he co-created with Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton and on which he continues as an executive producer and writer. The 45-year-old is also known for portraying Ian Grimm on the Apple TV+ comedy series “Mythic Quest,” which he also co-created.
When he does the honors at 9 a.m. McElhenney will be the latest on a distinguished list of famous first-pitch throwers since Benton became Commissioner in 1989. That list includes actresses Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2002) and Mary McDonnell (2005); actors Chris O’Donnell (2001 and 2010), Ray Liotta (2006), Tom Hanks (2008), Adam Sandler (2012) and Keannu Reeves (2017); California First Lady Maria Shriver (2007); comedian Bill Hader (2015); LA Kings Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille (2016); former LA Mayor Richard Riordan (2009); Pacific Palisades co-honorary mayors Billy and Janice Crystal (2018); LA Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (2019); and former LA Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley last year.
Whalen has been a member of the audition-based National Youth OAKE Choir for three years and has performed all over the country. In addition to singing, she loves to act and is a regular in the musical theater program at Calvary Christian. When she is not singing or acting, Whalen can be found rocking out on her guitar, on the slopes skiing and snowboarding, or playing soccer for her club team United.
The pancake breakfast will also include a gear swap with bats, batting gloves, cleats, mitts, catcher’s gear, helmets, belts and clean baseball pants. Bring your donations to the breakfast between 7 and 7:30 a.m. and give new life to the perfectly worn in mitts and pants that you have outgrown. Take whatever you need and use it with pride. You have re-purposed for another season swap with your buddies. As part of their service learning project, the Batter-Up Swap Committee consists of PPBA players Duke Badt, Ford Casady, Tommy Geraty and Boone Casady. Reach out to them or email Staci Woo at staci@ilovewoo.com to arrange for an earty drop-off site.
There are no games Easter weekend, April 8-9. Playoffs begin in May, closing ceremonies are June 3.
The Pinto Tigers, Mustang Rockies, Bronco Tigers and Pali Red (Pony Division) are the defending champions.
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