Little Big Leagues

It’s nearly spring, a time when young hearts turn to, well, baseball and softball, of course.

Thousands of boys and girls recently took the field at the William S. Hart Baseball and Softball Complex, hoping to play ball on league teams when the new season opens Feb. 21.

Youngsters ages 5 to 17 showed off their batting, fielding, throwing and base-running skills under the watchful eye of league directors and managers. Players are assigned to league teams according to gender, age and athletic ability.

Whether veterans or rookies, all players who took part in the tryouts will get the chance to compete on their field of dreams.

“Everyone in Hart baseball plays,” said Don Shaw, a league director. “No player is allowed to sit on the bench for more than two innings.”

At the tryouts, 10 players were called onto the diamond at a time. Daunte Davis, 9, and Alex Fernandez, 7, strutted their stuff on the field while other hopefuls, like A.J. McCorkle, 7, eagerly waited in the dugout for their turn at bat.

During the four-month season, teams within the same division compete against one another, Shaw said. There is no shortage of playing time because some divisions have 30 or more teams. The games are played every weeknight at the complex as well as on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

At the end of the regular season in June, selected players from the high school division compete in summer league tournaments against opponents from Northern California, Washington, Oregon and Florida, Shaw said.

The backbone of the Hart league is a cadre of parents, residents and business owners who cook hot dogs, groom fields, coach teams and get players to the games on time.

“The league gives kids a chance to become involved in competitive sports at an early age, instead of having to wait until high school,” Shaw said. “It also helps parents get involved in their community.”