PLAY BALL: It was only minor league...

PLAY BALL: It was only minor league baseball, but for decades the Hollywood Stars, above, and the Los Angeles Angels were the only teams in town. . . . On Saturday, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage will unveil “Runs, Hits and an Era,” a traveling exhibit devoted to the long-gone Pacific Coast League. . . . Details in Valley Weekend, page F1A.

PENCIL PUSHERS: Disney, Pixar and Hanna-Barbera--the studios behind such hits as “Aladdin,” “Toy Story,” and the original “The Flintstones”--are looking for new talent. They and others will be at the third annual Animation Opportunities Expo at the Universal City Hilton and Towers on Feb. 24 (F20). . . . “They’re looking for people who have good drawing skills and can be trained,” says the expo’s Wendy Jackson.

IVORY TICKLER: She’s no relation to jazz great Stan Getz, but Jane Getz is a talented musician herself. Nearly every Tuesday she’s behind the piano at Chadney’s restaurant in Burbank with the Earl Palmer Trio (F1B). . . . “She’s one of the real unsung heroes around here,” says bassist Ernie McDaniels.

MAKING CENTS: When Leona Cox Elementary School set out to collect a million pennies, teacher Kay Rich wondered how many coins could fill the Canyon Country school’s multipurpose room. More than 3.2 billion, says Beverly Hills accountant John Salgado. . . . “I like these kind of questions,” he says. . . . Pennies collected so far: 350,000.