Daily Archives: March 4, 2012

Burbank Little League Holds Opening Day Ceremonies

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“Play Ball!”

The Burbank Little League season began in grand fashion Saturday, March 3 with a opening day ceremony and festivities that rivaled that of the big leagues.

Mayor Jesse Talamantes spoke, music played, and last year’s 9-10 year old “All-Star” team that won District 16 last season was honored in signage along the outfield fence.

In its 12th season, the Burbank Little League offers 30 teams for 350 players in divisions ranging from the “coach pitch” league to the Majors. In addition, there are two softball divisions for females — the oldest of which made history last season by having a team advance to the World Series in Williamsport.

The league is a step-up in competition from the city’s long established “Hap Minor” baseball and something high school coaches in the city of Burbank had long called for.

“It is a lot more competitive — more games, more play” said the league president Thomas Magoon who has three boys in the Burbank Little League. “Hap Minor plays a ten or eleven game season and then has its All-Star game and that is it, where as the Little League has more than twice even before All-Stars begin .”

The season runs from March into June and is followed by All-Stars. Another huge advantage for more competitive play is that players get use to playing teams from other areas.

Last years Division Champ had their sign unveiled during opening cermonies. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“Our district includes La Canada area, the Tujunga area and a lot of other areas in a 10-15 mile radius,” Magoon said. “The 9-10 year old team from last year was one win away from regionals which would expanded the map for those boys even more.”

Magoon stressed the league works well with the calendar for the Hap Minor season and the Parochial League’s season.

“It all works, we use the same fields here at Brace and we have a lot of the same kids so the city has worked out a calendar that work,” he said.

And while the league is competitive, it is also above all else a fun experience for all of the players as yesterday’s Opening Day reminded participants. Magoon says his three boys, Christopher (11) and twins Joshua and Nicholas (7) had really looked forward to the ceremony.

“They love it, it is a special day for them,” said Magoon who is in his sixth season with the league and in his second as the league’s president.

About the only thing lacking for the players is a true facility, one whose field’s dimensions are appropriate to the players age and size, something those involved with the league have long dreamed of.

Currently, games are played at Brace whose two fields are multi-use fields with all dirt infields. A fiber glass mound must be placed in the center of the diamond for older division games. All of the other nearby cities with Little League programs have facilities that more closely resemble the fields fans see when they watch the World Series on ESPN.

“That would be ideal,” Magoon said. “We always keep an eye out for the right space, but being a non-profit entity that would be a huge endeavor in a city with limited space.”

For now, the dreams of the 350 players involved in the Burbank Little League start-up again each March with the annual Opening Day. Good luck to all players, coaches and teams this season.

Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes opens the 2012 T Ball Season at Brace Park Saturday morning. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

SPORTS SHORTS: Dogs Win, Indians Come Up Just Short

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DOGS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT

Four runs in the first inning, the first home run of the season for the team and a second straight complete game shutout from a starting pitcher was more than enough to lead the Burbank baseball team to its second straight win — an impressive 7-0 win at home against Hart.

Andrew Hernandez overcame six walks and two hit batters thanks to five strikeouts and a second straight strong defensive effort from the Bulldogs defense. He threw 103 pitches.

Hector Rodriguez was 3-for-3 and hit the Bulldogs (2-3) first homerun of the season. He had four RBI and two singles as well. Ian McKinnon and Harrison Hernandez had two hits apiece for Burbank.

TRIBE TAKES TOUGH ONE ON THE CHIN

Burroughs is 0-5 to start a season for the first time in nearly a quarter-of-a-century and head coach Kiel Holmes will have to miss the next game — the first of a doubleheader at Dos Pueblos next Saturday — after being thrown out following a missed call at the plate in a 3-2 loss at home to Simi Valley on Saturday, March 3.

A favorable ricochet off the backstop appeared to aid the Indians escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning of a 2-2 tie as starting pitcher Dillon Disiere appeared to tag a sliding runner well before he reached the plate.

However, the home umpire ruled that there was no tag at all and Holmes was ejected in the argument that ensued. The incident overshadowed the best Burroughs effort of the season, keyed by Disiere’s complete game where he allowed only one earned run.

Ryan Gordon and Christian Garia each had two hits for Burroughs. The duo jump started the Tribe to a 2-0 lead in the first when Chris Peale reached on a swinging-bunt single, Garia and Gordon followed with doubles — the Tribe’s first extra base hits of the season — giving Burroughs a two-run lead.

Tribe Softball Impresses on Opening Day

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Haley Schulman

The two-time reigning Pacific League champions seemed to be picking-up right where they left off, as the Burroughs Indians softball team opened its 2012 season with two impressive wins in the Simi Valley Tournament.

In their opener, the Indians got five innings of two-hit ball from pitcher Haley Schulman and a key two-run double to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth from junior right fielder Megan McKenna to help Burroughs pull away for a 4-1 win over Granada Hills.

Senior second baseman Caitlin Loere was 2-for-3 as was teammate, junior outfielder Brice Edrington.

In the Tribe’s second contest of the day, the Indians blasted Ventura by a score of 10-1, although the game was close through three as Burroughs led only 1-0. McKenna hit a three-run home run in the right-center field gap to open things up.

Senior catcher Shannon Trujillo also homered while freshman Michelle Santiago had two triples. Sophomore first baseman Aimee Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with two RBI. Schulman gave up 5 hits to get the win and run her record to 2-0.

Burroughs is now 2-0 on the year and will play the winner of the Royal/Oak Park game in the semi-finals next weekend.

“This is the first time anyone can recall Burroughs in the semifinals of this very prestigious tournament,” head coach Doug Nicol said. “We are really excited and it is a nice way to start the year.”