In the last week, we’ve had two of the best summer sporting events in Lynn: the Little League City Series and the Parks and Rec basketball championships.
Friday, the Parks and Rec league crowned winners in three divisions at the championships at Marian Gardens. The vibe at the championships is just so fun. There’s music blasting, kids running around, and some colorful play-by-play provided by one of the league’s organizers, Fred Hogan.
Winners (and runners-up) get trophies and the winners get T-shirts. It’s an awesome way to end what is a great summer activity in Lynn.
The people behind the league deserve all of the credit. The scorekeepers, referees and everyone else that keeps things running smoothly four nights a week, rain or shine, provide a place for
kids to play, make friends and be part of a team that’s totally free for the kids. You can just tell how much the kids love to play basketball, and that must be a nice reward for all the hard work the crew over there puts in.
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The City Series is another great event, which wraps up tonight or tomorrow, depending on who wins Monday night’s game between the Wyoma Red Sox and Lynn Shore Braves.
Again, this event is only possible thanks to the coaches and volunteers who devote their time to the leagues. The Little League season is long, and the City Series is one of the last tournaments. But everyone still comes out to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
Credit goes to the coaches as well, who have to work around players going on vacation and tired arms, among other issues.
Since all the competing teams come from Lynn, there’s a lot of sportsmanship in the games. Friends are playing against friends, and even if they’re opponents on the field, they show so much respect for each other. I’ve seen shortstops high five opposing batters rounding the bases on a home run, or baserunners offering words of encouragement to someone who just made an error. It’s these little moments that make me smile and that make the tournament so fun.
I’ve also seen a lot of former Little Leaguers who graduated to Babe Ruth, or players from other Lynn teams not in the tournament coming to support their friends. There has been great fan support for all the games so far, and I hope the turnout is even better for the finale.
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When I was in college, I had the privilege of interning for the Red Sox radio broadcast and getting to work for Sox Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Castiglione. Both on and off the air, Castiglione’s passion and love for the game and the team always shone through. You know there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing than calling the game.
Lynn Shore’s Paul Hartford seems to be cut from the same cloth. It’s rare to meet someone who just exudes passion for something; in Hartford’s case, it’s coaching baseball and Lynn Little League.
You have to really love something to dedicate so much time and energy to it, and it’s clear he has that passion. I’m not from Lynn, and I never played Little League baseball, but I found myself so engaged and interested in the book he put together, The History of the Lynn City Series, because his excitement about it just sold me.
Also like Castiglione, Hartford has the uncanny ability to remember minute details from years ago. Mention some kid who got a cup of coffee with the Sox back in the early 90s and I bet Castiglione could tell you something that stands out about the guy in his memory. I think Hartford’s the same way. He talked to me about recognizing a former player from decades ago, not just his name, but what team he played for and what year he played, or being able to tell kids now what it was like to coach their fathers.
Hartford’s definitely seemed to take on another role besides coach: Lynn Little League historian. His book is almost like a big town-wide yearbook of everyone who passed through the league in the last 66 years. I urge anyone who is interested in the history of Little League baseball in the city to strike up a conversation with Hartford and check out the book.
