Palo Alto Babe Ruth 2019 Board and President's Message

PALO ALTO BABE RUTH for 13-15 YEAR OLDS

THE NEXT

LEAGUE

2019 PROGRAM BOOK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Charlie Goldberg President

Marty Cattaneo Vice President

Tim Goode Secretary

Chris Lillios Treasurer

Ron Fried Manager Representative

David Lee Player Agent

Vasken Guiragossian Public Relations/Fundraising

Ted Tracy At Large

Scott Cacchione At Large

Rick Farr At Large

John Gilligan At Large

Tony Wyant At Large

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to Palo Alto Babe Ruth 2019! Our league is entering its 65th year of Babe Ruth baseball on the Mid-Peninsula, and we are thrilled to see recent PABR graduates playing important roles this spring on Varsity teams including Paly, Gunn, Sequoia, Menlo-Atherton, Woodside, and Sacred Heart Prep – and an even longer list on JV teams! We are proud to note that this year’s Paly Varsity baseball team features 20 PABR alumni players while Gunn’s Varsity team boasts 14.

Last year’s 15s All Star team, managed by Ron Fried and coached by Hugh Wilkins, Bob Luckinbill, and Eric Stanske, had a fantastic run all the way to the Norcal State Championship game at Belmont Sports Center. After downing rival Bel-Mateo 2-1 on a walk-off double by Adrian Contreras, Palo Alto fell short in the if-necessary championship game 4-1 after leading through 4 innings.

And our 14s All Star team, managed by Vasken Guiragossian and coached by Rick Farr, Chris Lee, and Robert Farr, also has a tremendous run of their own to the Norcal State Championship game at Clarke Field in Woodland, falling in the if-necessary game to host Woodland. We have not had 2 teams come so close to pushing through to the Regional tournament in many years, and we have high hopes that our teams will capture the crown in this year’s All Star season beginning in late-June.

To further its mission of providing high-quality training opportunities, PABR continues to offer its recently formed Fall Academy. Consisting of skills clinics and weekend games run by local varsity head coach Sean Hodson of Saratoga HS, the Fall Academy was enthusiastically received and will return again this Fall. Registration will open in July at the PABR website www.pababeruth.org.

The batting cages are now in their 3rd year of operation and response has been overwhelmingly positive. They have gotten good use during the Fall Academy clinics, for pre-game warmups throughout the Prep and 15U Seasons, and for players wanting to get in some extra hacks between games.

We’d like to welcome new Goetz manager Kenny Kim, whose sons Graham and Nolan are one of 8 brother pairs in the league. Kenny takes over the helm from retiring longtime manager Ron Willis whom you may remember guided his Goetz Bros 15U team to a City Championship in 2017, his first in 50 years of coaching in PABR. https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/28/palo-altocity-championship-milestone-for-manager/. We are honored, grateful, and humbled by the incredible commitment Ron has made to serving youth baseball through PABR, and wish him the best as grandpa Ron. They really don’t make coaches like Ron Willis anymore. Thank you Ron!

As always we are indebted to the tireless efforts of those volunteers who make this organization tick (you know who you are) and look forward to bringing in new energy and ideas with our newest families. Welcome to Palo Alto Babe Ruth!

Now sit back, relax, and cheer on our players as we get ready to…

Play Ball!

Charlie Goldberg President, Palo Alto Babe Ruth

www.pababeruth.org

THE LEAGUE

Today, Babe Ruth League, Inc. ranks as the premier amateur baseball and softball program in the world. From its first 10-team league in Hamilton Town ship, New Jersey, it has grown to a combined size of over one million players on over 59,000 teams in more than 10,000 leagues. The con tinuing success of the program is due to the tireless efforts of its many volunteers and the countless hours they contribute. Every volunteer is dedicated to the good character development of our young athletes and the continued development of their baseball skills.

Palo Alto Babe Ruth was established in 1954 for serious and competitive players seeking to enhance their skills through quality coaching and high-level competition. PABR offers year-round opportunities through its Fall Academy, Winter Tourney, Prep, 15U, and All Star season programs for players seeking to acquire experience on a full-sized diamond while enjoying the camaraderie of local community friends. Games have been played at the Baylands Baseball Field since 1969, while Palo Alto High School, PABR’s original home field, still hosts some games.

PABR AlumniCurrent League Stats

JOC PEDERSON

13

COMMUNITIES SERVED

ATHERTON, EAST PALO ALTO, FOSTER CITY, LOS ALTOS, MENLO PARK, MOUNTAIN VIEW, PALO ALTO, PORTOLA VALLEY, REDWOOD CITY, SAN CARLOS, SAN JOSE, STANFORD, WOODSIDE

BJ BOYD

10

HIGH SCHOOLS REPRESENTED

BELLARMINE, EASTSIDE, GUNN, MENLO-ATHERTON, PALO ALTO, SAINT FRANCIS, SEQUOIA, KING’S ACADEMY, WOODSIDE, WOODSIDE PRIORY

MIKEY DIEKROEGER

9

TEAMS – 6 15U & 3 PREP

ALHOUSE, CAL PRESERVING, DUTCH GOOSE, GOETZ BROS, GUY PLUMBING AND HEATING, PALO ALTO OAKS, THE OLD PRO, PAPOA, SUNDANCE THE STEAKHOUSE

THE FIELD

1969 2014TODAY

Baylands Baseball Field, located at the heart of Baylands Athletic Center, is a beautiful 6-acre lighted facility featuring a full-size natural grass field, a shaded 500-seat grandstand, large electronic scoreboard, fenced dugouts, and a full concession stand. This diamond has played host to decades of amateur competitions involving local high school, American Legion, and Babe Ruth teams, while serving as home field

for the semiprofessional Palo Alto Oaks during the summer months. To keep this facility in top shape, the City of Palo Alto Public Works partners with the Parks and Rec Department and Palo Alto Babe Ruth for year-round maintenance and improvement of the field and its surrounding structures. A new 3-tunnel batting cage training area beyond left field was completed in 2016.

2015 2016 TODAY

YEAR-ROUND LEAGUE OFFERINGS

Prep Season (Feb-May) There are no tryouts or cuts, so every player who registers is guaranteed a spot to play in this season. Our Prep Season is really to help prepare younger players for our 15U Season. It includes weekly clinic-style practices, weekend games and culminates in a fun City Championship Tournament. This is a great opportunity for players to experience the full-sized diamond and allows them to develop. The Prep League is open to all 7th and 8th graders, as well as any high school player not on a high school roster. Registration will open in October.

15U Season (May-June) Our 15U tryouts are in late-April and selected players get drafted onto one of 6 teams for the duration of their Babe Ruth careers. If your child doesn’t get drafted onto a 15U Team, you’ll receive a 100% refund, which means there’s really zero downside to registering. Our 15U Season is fairly compact, allowing players to enjoy Babe Ruth with minimal travel ball conflicts and fully participate after their high school seasons have finished. At the end of our 15U Season, the top four teams earn the opportunity to compete in our coveted City Championship Tournament. Registration will open in January.

All-Star Season (July-Aug) Our All-Star tryouts will be in late-June and selected players will be placed on rosters. Every July, several 13U, 14U and 15U All-Stars participate in tournaments with the chance to compete for a spot in the Babe Ruth World Series! Last year, both our 14U and 15U All-Stars were 2018 District Champions and Norcal State Runners-Up. In 2008, our 14U team won the Pacific Southwest Regionals and played in the Babe Ruth World Series, which culminates in early-August. If you're interested in playing on a team, contact your team manager.

Fall Academy Season (Sep-Nov) There are no tryouts or cuts, so every player who registers is guaranteed a spot to play in this season. Committed to teaching the highest level of skill development and baseball mechanics across every aspect of the game, our Fall Academy Season is run by paid coaches. This season is for 13-16 year olds seeking to reach their maximum baseball potential for high school and beyond. We provide 2 clinic-style practices every week based on age, plus weekend games and tournaments. Registration will open in July.

Winter Tourney Season (Nov-Feb) Our Tournament Team tryouts will be in late-October and selected players will be placed on rosters. During the winter, we will assemble 13U and 14U teams to play in local tournaments at Twin Creeks. This is a perfect opportunity for 7th and 8th graders looking to play highly competitive weekend tournaments and get skills training. We often have players who are on other travel teams looking to supplement with additional tournament play. Survey to tryout will open in September.