Boys of Summer Return for 49th Little League Opener

The feel of a gentle breeze as it rolls across a crystal blue sky, rippling the flags above the high fences. The aroma of freshly-cut grass mixes with sizzling hot dogs on the barbecue fills the air in the early morning hour.

The distinctive sound of “Ping!” as ball meets bat, the steady burst of cheers from the stands, and the chatter of youngsters spread around a diamond-shaped field. The sight of excited, young faces dressed in freshly pressed white pants and bright team-colored jerseys as they dash around evenly spaced bases.

All the senses come alive! It must be baseball season.

The Fountain Valley Little League opened its 49th season Saturday at the Sports and Recreation Park with pomp and circumstances. Ed Arnold, the anchor for Real Orange, a nightly news and public affairs show for Orange County, was there as he is many times in support of local youth sports. Clyde Wright, the former Angels pitcher who threw a no-hitter against the Oakland A’s in 1970, was there to throw out the first pitch. And many long-time supporters and local dignitaries were on hand to show their love for the game.

But really, it was all about the 260 youngsters and 22 teams who will be representing Little League Baseball in Fountain Valley for the 2012 season.

“These kids just need to play this game and most of all be there and have fun,” said Phil Smith, who enters his fourth year as president of the Fountain Valley Little League. “I played Little League when I was young. The game kept me out of trouble. Coming from a split family, I had a place to go. I have two kids who play in this Little League, but I really have more than two kids. I have 260 kids. I want to give them everything I have."

Fountain Valley Little League will field eight t-ball teams (age 5-6), six farm teams (6-7), four minor teams (8-11), three major teams (12-13) and one junior team (14+) this season. On Saturday, each player was looking for that first base hit, that first time touching home plate to score a run, and of course that first post-game snack.

It was a short off-season for the FVLL executive board, which traveled to Williamsburg, PA, last August in support of the District 62 representative team from the Ocean View Little League that won the Little League World Series. But, Smith said they gladly do it year after year after year because they love the game and love the kids who play it.

“It has been a solid year and a half between last season, going to Williamsburg, then it was time for winter ball and now this season. It has been non-stop,” Smith said. “But if we didn’t enjoy it we wouldn’t be here. I love watching the kids play. We have nice fields, nice facilities and a lot of good sponsors. We’re picking up more help through the years and that says a lot about the community. We’re just trying to do our part for the community, that’s all.”