Babe Ruth league kicks off season
More than 200 young ballplayers took the field Saturday as North Fort Myers Babe Ruth held its opening day celebration at the North Fort Myers Community Park.
It was done in grand fashion, complete with a marching band, bounce houses, mascots and, of course, baseball, with regular season games played immediately following the ceremonies.
Joe Baublis, new president of the league, said it’s appropriate, given the fact the league has grown stronger than ever as it begins its third year under the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken banner.
“We’re trying to make it bigger and better each year to bring more people out. We have more players and sponsors than we’ve had in years, and we’re making a lot of noise in North Fort Myers,” Baublis said.
Chuck E. Cheese, the Florida Everblades and FGCU brought their mascots to the event, and the North Fort Myers High marching band came to provide the music.
There was also a bounce house, raffles, Saratoga Joe’s manning the concession stand, and silent auctions with prizes that included naming rights to each field for an entire season.
Also during the ceremony, former president Bill Lemmerman was awarded with a sign that will be placed at the junior field in his honor, emblematic of his role in making North baseball what it is today.
“I’ve been there with him for five years and saw him struggle to get things going in Babe Ruth,” Baublis said. “He did it, and handed it over to me.
“Moving to Babe Ruth was the seed that planted it all and it gave us the boundaries we wanted and made us what we are today,” Baublis said. “Bill had a lot to do with it.”
But it was all about the players, who marched around the field, took the oath and took to the field to start their season with doubleheaders after many weeks of practice on chilly fields many evenings after school.
Tommy Dence, vice president of the league, said they have teamed up with Cape Coral, Sanibel, Naples and Punta Gorda to play numerous inter-league games this season, while juniors (U14) will have a travel ball team for the first time.
“Everyone is progressing very nicely. The juniors are taking to the big field well. We have new players and a great coaching staff and the kids are catching on quick,” Dence said.
“The players are all hitting and fielding good. We’re excited about opening day,” rookie league coach Bob Stewart said. “They’re hitting off a machine well. T-ball taught them a lot.”
Stewart’s son, Boone, 7, was especially pumped to get things started.
“I think we’ll do good this year. I want to be pitcher because I like to play where there are a lot of hits,” Boone said.