STAR WARS

This is the weekend parents of young boys and girls start acting weird. They seem preoccupied and nervous. They take longer for showers and whispers can be heard from the bathroom: “Please make it, please make it.”

Children are advised to take out the trash, walk the dog, wash the dishes, clean up their rooms--do anything to keep their parents in a good mood.

Hide all baseballs, bats, hats and gloves. Keep the television tuned to movies, cartoons and infomercials. Offer to go out into the frontyard and shoot baskets or pass a football. But don’t mention baseball--not one word--unless you want to witness a mental meltdown.

Across America, in big cities and small towns, anticipation is building for the announcement on Tuesday that will change people’s lives.

It’s the day Little League baseball authorizes leagues to reveal who made their all-star teams.

This is a closely guarded secret, meaning not even the Chinese are supposed to know who made it until Tuesday.

But once the teams are announced, retribution will be swift. Accusations of politics and unfair influence will be heard. There could be some shouting, pushing and shoving. Hey, this is America, where you are allowed to disagree--as long as you don’t punch somebody in the nose.

The kids who are up for the all-star teams, ages 9-14, usually handle the news much better than their parents.

Some leagues have begun allowing players to vote for who makes the all-star teams, with coaches filling the remaining spots on the 15-member teams.

This is serious business. The players who make it on the 11- and 12-year-old teams are eligible to compete for a spot in the nationally -televised Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

But for some parents, pride and ego are at stake, along with the money spent for private hitting and pitching instruction.

Good luck to everyone involved. Stay calm and remember, there’s always next season.

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One player who won’t be worrying whether he makes the all-star team is 11-year-old shortstop Gabe Cohen of Encino. He has been on a season-long hitting tear.

Gabe hit eight home runs in the majors division at Encino Little League. All the other players combined could not top his home run total.

“I love hitting,” he said.

During batting practice this week, one of his teammates sat on the left-field fence daring Gabe to hit the ball over his head. And he did. Mark McGwire would have been proud of the fifth-grader.

Gabe is a straight-A student at Berkeley Hall in Bel Air and his father, Richard, is president of the MGM Home Entertainment and Consumer Products Division.

Gabe also plays tennis. He won the 12-and-under championship at a West Coast Satellite Tournament during the Memorial Day weekend.

“I like to push myself,” Gabe said.

The good news is Gabe’s father seems to understand the role of parents when dealing with kids in sports.

“The danger with him and other kids who are very good is putting too much pressure on them,” Richard said. “He puts a lot of pressure on himself, both in school and sports. I try to do the opposite. We’re not grooming him to go to Wimbledon. We’re trying to let him be a little boy. Eleven years old is a wonderful age.”

Gabe should be in action playing for the Encino all-star team when District 40 play begins on July 5.

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There was a unique golf tournament held last week. It was called the “Bitter Open.” Eight high school baseball coaches who felt “bitter” about how their seasons ended played at El Cariso Golf Course.

One of the most “bitter” coaches was Steve Thompson of Granada Hills. His team was upset in the opening round of the City Section playoffs. But Thompson got rid of some bitterness after making a hole-in-one.

“I’d trade the hole-in-one for Dodger Stadium,” he said.

Coach Gary Donatella of Sylmar, the tournament organizer, may expand the “Bitter Open” to 25 players next season. Of course, he hopes not to be eligible to play. . . .

Taft, with three returning starters and an 18-0 junior varsity moving up, could be the boys’ basketball team to watch among local City teams this summer.

The Toreadors have added 6-foot-8 Gregg Guenther, a transfer from Crespi, and 6-4 Mike Gledhill, City player of the year in volleyball.

Gledhill hasn’t played basketball since his freshman season, but he was the best player on the court in a scrimmage this week. The Toreadors open play in the Watts Summer Games on Saturday at noon against Morningside at L.A. Jordan High. . . .

Football Coach Dave Lertzman of Birmingham is gushing over the improvement of junior-to-be Mario Palomino, a 6-6, 295-pound offensive tackle. Lertzman expects Palomino to one day become the best blocker he has coached. Palomino’s grandfather stands 7 feet 2. . . .

Josh Ford of St. Bonaventure is only 5-7 and 149 pounds but the defensive back ran 4.44 for 40 yards at the Ventura County combine. Another rising player is receiver Chris Catalano of Westlake, who is following in the tradition of Billy Miller, Joey Cuppari and Travis Campbell. . . .

Remember the name Richard Irvin. He’s a 6-2 freshman quarterback at Harvard-Westlake with big-time skills. His sister, Marissa, lost in the NCAA women’s tennis final as a freshman at Stanford last month. . . .

Randy Wolf, former El Camino Real pitcher, returns to Dodger Stadium on Friday as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Wolf pitched El Camino Real past Chatsworth in the City finals at Dodger Stadium in 1993 and 1994. Coach Tom Meusborn of Chatsworth has a warning for the Dodgers: “All I can tell you is the Dodgers are in trouble if [Wolf] pitches at Dodger Stadium.”

Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com