ENCINO : No Replacements in This League’s Opener

Melissa Manchester will sing the National Anthem, and Lt. Gov. Gray Davis will throw out the first ball to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Today must be opening day in the majors.

Yes and no.

It is opening day, but the field of dreams is the Encino Little League, where the only person to call a strike is the umpire, and the only number that means anything is the final score.

“It’s a timeless tradition,” said Rob Glushon, league president. “Of all the changes that have occurred over the years, we still have kids who want to play. It doesn’t matter if there is a strike or other diversions.”

This spring, the tradition in Encino is celebrating a special milestone--40 years.

Over that period, it has included some marquee names. Michael Ovitz squared off against Michael Milken. Annette Funicello once ran the snack stand. And major leaguers such as Jack McDowell and Tory Lovullo played here.

The league, however, declined a bit in the early ‘90s. It wasn’t the only game in town anymore.

“I played here in the ‘60s,” Glushon said, “and other than school, that is all you did. There was no structure in life. But then karate came, and roller blades. Baseball wasn’t the focal point anymore.”

Things have turned around in the past three years, he said.

More families with young children have moved to the San Fernando Valley.

They could afford homes that were out of their price range just a few years earlier.

Glushon said the league, which includes seniors, majors, intermediate, minors, juniors, and T-ball, has increased from 350 to 600 youngsters since 1992.

Opening day ceremonies will be held at 5120 Hayvenhurst Ave. at 8 a.m., and include appearances by comedians Steve Allen and Phil Hartman.

The league was scheduled to hold its opening day last Saturday, but was rained out. Games got under way this week.