Players, coaches and team parents from the Homewood Baseball and Softball League (HBSL), a youth baseball and softball organization, marched in a parade down Ridge Road in Homewood on Saturday, April 25, to launch its 75th anniversary season.
All HBSL teams participated in the parade and the ceremony, but only some teams played games on opening day. The parade began at Irwin Park and ended at the ball fields adjacent to Izaak Walton Preserve, where the ceremony and games were held.
The HBSL has about 600 players and 56 teams this year, according to President Angie Brandt. HBSL games are played at the Izaak Walton fields, Apollo Park and Lions Club Park.
“We have players as far away as Chicago and Bradley,” Brandt said. “Every team is named after a local business. We have sponsors for each of our teams.”
Players pitch candy to spectators, a tradition for the Homewood Baseball and Softball opening day parade. (Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
Parade participants carried banners with their team names. Coaches and team parents instructed players to stay behind their respective banners while marching. Kids jumped and cheered. Some ran in circles, so they could move faster than other parade participants while still staying close to their team members.
Marchers carried bags and large containers of various candies to throw at passersby. Some players threw the candy like they were pitching a baseball or softball.
Community members, especially parents and family members of HBSL players, watched the parade from the grass strip along Ridge Road.
Homewood residents Jimmy Marinez and Alisha Marinez, whose son Rex Marinez plays for HBSL, set up a large wooden box with an “Aim here” sign. After the parade, the box had gathered several pounds of candy.
“He loves batting,” Alisha said, referring to Rex. “He’s like me. I used to like batting.”
In Brandt’s ceremonial speech, she thanked coaches, players, sponsors, village officials, Izaak Walton, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, sound technician Brian Meeks and the Homewood Fire Department, which led the parade along with police and public works crews.
Community members sat on the bleachers or stood nearby. HBSL team members sat and stood at the edges of Ormsby Field.
Brandt invited a group of players to stand near her. She said they’d been playing for HBSL “since T-ball,” but this will be their last season before they age out of the league.
Brian Nussbaum threw the first baseball pitch. He’s the son of Michael Nussbaum, a former HBSL president who died earlier this year.
Catie Donahue, whom Brandt described as the “daughter of Phil and Ginnie Donahue, another iconic HBSL family,” threw the first softball pitch. Aubrey Reynolds, an HBSL player who plays with the 11- and 12-year-olds, caught it.
Opera singer Michael Cavalieri sang the National Anthem. T-ball players yelled “Play ball!” to start the games.
