The tradition continued Saturday, April 26, when hundreds of kids and adults walked along Ridge Road for the annual Homewood Baseball & Softball League parade.
Cloudy skies turned sunny as the parade stepped off from Irwin Park around 11 a.m. Players ages 3 through 18 are part of the league play assembled in 50 teams organized in 10 divisions of in-house baseball, softball and T-ball, according to Angie Brandt, league president. The T-ball season is 10 games, and baseball and softball seasons have 12 games. Brandt pointed out that the league also offers part-time and full-time travel teams.
(Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
Younger players attempted to carry team banners, but left the job to adults so they could toss candy along the route to residents and supporters who came out to cheer them on.
Once they reached the ball fields at Izaak Walton Preserve, first pitch honors for softball went to Lori Beyer, the former Bantam B League president. She was thanked for helping make major improvements, including new fencing, seating, dugouts and batting cages, for softball. Her daughter, Stephanie Fitch was her catcher. Stephanie is continuing in her mom’s footsteps. She now coaches her daughter’s team.
Homewood to throw out the first pitch for the start of the season
for Homewood Baseball & Softball. His catcher was Jonah
Maldonado. (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
On the baseball side, the first pitch honor went to John Ely, a former Homewood resident and H-F High standout who went on to pitch in the majors. He was drafted by the White Sox and played for the LA Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. After baseball, he was a pitching coach for the White Sox. Today he is in the sports agency business. His parents Laura and Jack Ely of Homewood were at the ceremony.
Ely pitched to Jonah Maldonado who was honored at the ceremony for having played in all baseball leagues through Homewood Baseball. Jonah is the son of Jennifer and David Maldonado.
Coming back to the ball field was special for Ely, who told the audience he played his first game at Izaak Walton 30 years ago in late April.
“I would like all the parents and those who contribute to give yourselves a round of applause,” he said, adding that it’s their support that keeps the programs running; programs that mean so much to their kids and the community.
pitch for the softball teams. Catching is her daughter, Stephanie
Fitch, who now coaches a softball youth team.
(Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
Ely told the Chronicle little league play at Izaak Walton fields was “the greatest experience in baseball that I ever had…I played across the entire world, and still to my recollection this was my favorite experience I’ve had in baseball, hands down.”
“There’s so much opportunity and just being involved with an organization like this, it teaches you so much,” Ely said. He urges players to “enjoy the time while you have it because it vanishes before you know it.”
At the ceremony Brandt also recognized players Hannah Bryant, Jeremiah Childress, Zola Clark, Gianna Dziedzic, Eleanor Greep, Alicia Fernandez, Elliot Klyn, Jonah Maldonado and Charlotte Whitlock who have played every year since they were four years old. They are aging out of the fields at Izaak Walton designed for players ages 3 through 12 or 13. Next year these players will play on larger fields designed for older players at Lions and Apollo Parks.
Eleanor Greep said playing softball at Izaak Walton is special “because the community they built is really good, and it’s really fun to play. It’s just a really great community.”
practice someone created along the parade route.
(Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
Charlotte Whitlock, 13, said, “I just like playing the sport and when you’re with your friends it makes it a lot more fun, too. When I’m out on the field, I’m in a different mindset, but when I’m on the field I’m focused.”