LYNN — The new Lynn Babe Ruth season kicks off Saturday morning at the Bowzer Complex behind Breed Middle School. League president Jeff Earp says there’s a level of excitement trickling down through the organization that he hasn’t seen in recent memory. It starts with an increase in numbers.
“We’re extremely excited about the new season,” Earp said. “We have a lot of new people. We have 13 teams this year (six 13-year-old teams and seven 14-15-year-old teams). That’s the most teams we’ve had, that I know of. Our numbers are up 60 percent in two years. Everybody else’s numbers are down so we’re doing something right. We work closely with the schools and coaches to get kids to sign up and play. We chased a ton of kids down and got them to sign up.”
Earp and his board members made it a priority to search for coaches who take pride in representing the league. Former English baseball player Kyle O’Connor, now a junior outfielder at Salem State, will manage a team alongside Brett Molea, Anthony De La Cruz and Lucas Harris. Mike Luciano will manage a team with help from Classical players Dayshon Anderson and Brett Bucklin.
“We have a ton of talent in Lynn Babe Ruth this year,” Earp said. “We have a great group coming up and coaching. They’re super excited and enthusiastic, and that transcends to the kids. It’s all about pride.
“It’s important to have these kids helping out,” Earp said. “It’s a great mix. Our players want to be them. They look up to them.”
Lynn Babe Ruth also does its best to give players a top-notch experience. The league purchased new uniforms for players during the offseason and the response, Earp said, has been a positive one.
“We really went all out with the new uniforms,” Earp said. “The kids love that. We had some of the kids help design the hats. The kids go crazy over that. It’s great to see. There’s a real level of excitement that hasn’t been around for a while. It’s great to see.
“We invest in the kids,” Earp said. “They deserve it. As a board, we feel we have an incredible
responsibility to provide the best possible experience for these kids. That’s what we’re doing.”
With a string of rainy weather through the past few weeks, Earp and his staff have faced a difficult challenge in getting the fields ready for play. Field director Dave Raymond has worked tirelessly to make that happen. Vice president/treasurer Paul Hartford has also stepped up to the plate in various capacities.
“We have to get rid of the water,” Earp said. “Breed’s surrounded by conservation land. The water doesn’t have anywhere to go. It’s tough to battle that. We’ll be fine all season. We had a lot of water through the winter.
“We bought a few trailer loads of clay,” Earp said. “We put it down and leveled it off. We’re hoping the puddles don’t accumulate. Some fields drain incredibly well and others don’t. It takes a lot when you have rainstorms and you have to get rid of the water. But we have to get the fields ready.”
Saturday’s schedule consists of seven games at Bowzer. The opening ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m.
