- April 17, 2024
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The Blue Jays' Brody Rose, also a member of the Sarasota Youth Orchestra, plays the Star Spangled Banner.
The Royals' Jacob Guarino chugs toward home plate on opening day.
Assistant coach Mike Kennedy gives Nolan Lane some love after Lane reached first base for the Royals.
Nolan Lane of the Royals runs toward first after connecting.
The Mariners' Logan Yates puts the tag on the Royals' Andrew Lazaris as they land in a heap at first.
Andrew Lazaris of the Royals closes his eyes and lets it rip.
The Mariners' Christopher Mitchell obviously is happy it' s opening day.
Levi Clough of the Royals steps into a practice toss.
Logan Yates, Ethan Banks and Connor Alfano of the Mariners have fun passing time while waiting for their chance to hit.
The Royals prove playing baseball isn' t all serious business.
The Mets were lined up for opening day.
Opening day was full of photo opportunities.
The teams lined up for the National Anthem.
Dodgers Kayden West and Ethan Eddy along with Girl Scouts Addison Hurt and Hailey Lopez-Lanuza present the colors on opening day.
The Rays' Taryn Eddy of the Minors division had the honor of catching the opening pitch thrown by Manatee Food Bank' s Tony DeFilippo.
The Coach Pitch and T-Ball divisions were first up on opening day.
Dodger Kayden West, Blue Jay Tryston Hurt and Pirates Nicholas Marrero, Michael Price, Austin Murkerson and Michael Kasper show how the opener helps collect donations for the Food Bank of Manatee.
Cole Hay of the Rays' T-Ball team warms up for the opener.
The Mariners go through warm-ups before the opener.
League President Steve Marrero welcomes the crowd to opening day.
After months of inactivity, it was time for baseball in Heritage Harbour.
The Venice Symphony' s Karissa Ratzenboeck, Sarasota Youth Opera' s Leeson Fallon and Sarasota Youth Orchestra' s Brody Rose play the Star Spangled Banner.
The Mariners' Logan Yates gets ready for the pitch to home plate.
Holden Gaulter of the Royals concentrates on a pitch on opening day.
Royals coach Jason Lazaris gets ready to deliver to home plate in the Coach Pitch division.
Isaiah Perry of the Royals heads to first base after hitting the ball.
It was a logical question for the opening day of Manatee Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Baseball at Heritage Harbour on Feb. 18.
One of the Mariners' Coach Pitch players, who are 5 and 6 years old, was told to go to shortstop by his coach.
"Where is that?" he said.
The coach jogged out to his position with him.
Indeed, opening day was all about encouragement and learning. "We've been practicing for three weeks and the players are excited," said Steve Marrero, the league president. "There absolutely has been a lot of buildup for this."
Players ages 3 through 13 took the field, with the younger players in Coach Pitch and T-Ball divisions starting the day's action early.
"They are learning how to be a good teammate and about sportsmanship," Marrero said about the league's youngest players who might struggle with the skills needed. "This teaches them responsibility."
Marrero said the more than 100 volunteers who coach the players, serve on the board and help with the fields make it all possible. "We couldn't do it without them," he said.
Denise West, the chairwoman of the league's special events and fundraising committee, said an opening day drive to get donations for the Food Bank of Manatee County shows the kids they can make a difference in their community.
She also said she was excited for opening day. "Oh my goodness," West said. "This is amazing. I love to watch these kids smile. And we have such an amazing baseball family here."
