RAINIER VALLEY - The 2007 Rainier District Little League season heads into the home stretch with games scheduled for the next two weeks at various South End locations. At the conclusion of the season, playoffs will be held for the rookies, minors and majors Divisions.
On May 26, the League will also hold its annual Dewey Soriano exhibition games at Rainier Field. Seattle baseball legend Dewey Soriano was a local high school standout and played with Vince DiMaggio in the Pacific Coast League in 1947.
Soriano hung out with other baseball players from Washington state, including Fred Hutchinson and Emmett Watson, who later became famous in their own rights. In 1969, Soriano became a co-owner of the ill-fated Seattle Pilots, who played their one and only season at Sick's Stadium on the corner of Rainier Avenue South and South McClellan Street, now the site of a Lowe's Home Improvement store.
Soriano was featured in Seattle Pilot pitcher Jim Bouton's at-the-time controversial book, "Ball Four," a memoir of a fading pitcher's attempt to hold on to glory by throwing a knuckleball. Writing of the Pilots' only season in Seattle, Bouton penned this memorable line, "a city that seems to care more for its art museums than its ballpark can't be all bad.
Players are selected for the Dewey Soriano based on their sportsmanship, good attendance and baseball spirit. There will be three Dewey Soriano exhibition games, one for each of the rookies, minors and majors Divisions.
The following is a recap of the Rainier District Little League season so far:
MAJORS DIVISION
At nine wins and zero losses, it might seem as though Chris Jalbert's Coastal Kitchen squad is making a mockery of the Majors Division. A closer look at the scores, however, reveals that five of the team's wins have been by two runs or less, including two one-run victories over second place Dr. Baker's Bracers, coached by Keith Reason.
MINORS DIVISION
The league's most competitive division finds four teams within a game of first place. Alan Preston's Burdick's Security team was undefeated heading into last week before being knocked off twice by the surging Nelson Trucking squad, coached by Brian McManus and Bill Droegge.
The Kohl Construction Falcons, led by Tim Knight, have played consistent, winning ball all season, which is no easy task given the team's emphasis on playing all of its players at all positions, including pitcher. Finally, last year's champs and perennial contender, Genesee Fuel, coached by Montique Jenkins and Tony Chiodo, have remained in contention throughout the year, despite losing one of their star players due to a promotion to the Majors Division midway through the season.
Heading into the final two weeks, Burdick's Security, Kohl Construction and Genesee Fuel are in a virtual tie for first, each with two losses apiece, while Nelson Trucking has lost three and remains hot on the leaders' tails.
ROOKIES DIVISION
Golf Savings Bank, coached by Martin Beavers, remains undefeated following their May 9 showdown with second place Brian Billones Realty, managed by Tony Chiodo. The two rookies division powerhouses showed why they are on top when they played to a 1-1 tie on May 9. Rosso Nursery, coached by Aaron Willis, was in third place at last report, having lost but two games all season.
Lee Jacobson may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
