Little League Opening Day

A text from Dana arrived this morning just as I was settling in with my coffee and the New York Times. I don't know if you're interested, Peter is going to be throwing out the first ball at Little League Opening Ceremonies. Peter is now too old for Little League, but this is the park where he played from the time he was four or five until last year. He won the Home Run Derby and that is why he was accorded this honor.

A helicopter is going to deliver the ball, there will be no place to park and Peter has to practice. We threw on our clothes, found a place to park several blocks away and walked with the gathering crowd to the spruced up groomed and decorated ball park, passing under a multicolored balloon arch at the entrance.

The ceremony began a few minutes early; the color guard marched out with the flag, the Star Spangled Banner was sung, the Little League Oath was recited and the teams lined up around the outfield were introduced, The anticipation of the arrival of the helicopter was growing palpable as the announcer filled time. A player was introduced as the largest fund raiser in the raffle sale. His interview went like this,:

Announcer: How many tickets did you sell all by yourself?
Little Kid: None
A: Er, how did you make all that money?
LK: My grandma bought some and she got all her friends to buy them
A: Well…that's a good grandma...

At last, as Peter was introduced and was standing on the mound, the distant thump of the rotors was heard, the helicopter circled the field several times, and then came in low as the balls were dropped out of the window. Everyone waved as it dipped and rose into the sky. Peter threw the ball, and got it back to keep, but he may have been slightly upstaged by the helicopter--surely a first in the history of Rincon Valley Little League.