Teams ran on the field through a banner to start the season.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
The Pacific Palisades Baseball Association was founded in 1954. The league survived Covid and the Palisades 2025 fire that destroyed homes and fields. Last year, teams played at Cheviot Hills. This year, Palisades and Santa Monica are uniting. Saturday, February 21 was the first day of the 72nd PPBA season, which was held in two waves at Los Amigos Park in Santa Monica.
The Pacific Palisades Baseball Association Season is officially underway with Palisadian Rory Wang connecting for a hit.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
“It’s exciting to see school families, church families today,” said Calvary Christian Pastor Justin Anderson, whose has a son playing Pinto and another on the Pony League. “I’m most impressed that nothing stops Palisades families from their traditions. . . . that’s how culture and community are built.”
Carter Berman, a Yankee Bronco said he was happy to be back with his friends. “We have a good field” . . . and then added that it would be different, again. A Village School student, he used to walk over to the Palisades Field of Dreams after school and for practices. His dad and coach Steven added that the important thing was “It’s the camaraderie, all are close friends and it’s just nice to be together.”
Berman said that his son was on an all-star teams that made it to Zone playoffs last year. “It was the furthest any PaliTeam made it . . .we almost made it to Super Region playoffs.”
Like many on the field, Coach Berman said they look forward to 2027 when the pancake breakfast and opening day will return to Pacific Palisades.
PPBA Board member Kambiz Kamdar said Palisades teams have blended with Santa Monica, but Pacific Palisades “still did really well in coming back this year.”
T-ball will have four full teams (four-year-olds) and eight teams will be in the Shetland division (five- and six-year-olds). There will be 10 Pinto teams (7–9-year-olds) and10 Mustang teams (10-year-olds) and six Bronco teams (12-year-olds). There will be three Pony teams: one will be exclusively for Santa Monica players, the other two will be Palisadians.
There will also be a blending of umpires from the two leagues. Long-time Palisades umpire Dirk Robinson and some of his crew will be calling balls and strikes at one of three sites: Los Amigos, Marine Park and John Adam Middle School.
Erin Bitar welcomed players/parents/coaches to the Santa Monica field.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Erin Bitar, the president of the Santa Monica Baseball Association welcomed everyone to the first ceremony, at 9 a.m. which contained the youngest players.
Each team ran through a banner in the outfield that had been made by parents, and around the bases, before sitting down on the infield. Players wanted to know when they got to play and as Cardinal Coach Greg Smith explained to his four-year-olds, “This is sort of like a celebration, we’ll play next week.”
“We’re honored to share Los Amigos with you this season,” Bitar said and gave a shout out to the Pali U10 AllStar team that made it to district and region last year, and also to the Santa Monica Pinto that went to District and to the SM Pony team that captured District and then went to the Section playoffs.”
Bitar reminded parents of baseball basics: “1) bring your players to games and practices on time; 2) sign up for snack and 3) wash their uniforms . . .or not.”
She then introduced Santa Monica Police Officer George to throw out the first pitch. Before throwing, George said, “I wish everyone a good season, and even if you lose don’t cry, just practice more.” Catching the first pitch was Bitar’s son Miles, a pinto player.
Officer George threw out the first pitch at the 9 a.m. ceremony.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Bitar told CTN that there was a new scoreboard, courtesy of the Kiwanis and SM City Council.
Observing almost every player wearing a necklace or bling, Bitar explained that they call it baseball “drip.” Pony has even adjusted rules to allow for “drip.”
In between the first and second ceremony, Duke Badt, a former PPBA player and a sophomore and member of the Palisades High School baseball team was accepting and giving out bats, pants and other gears.
“We’ve been doing it the last couple of years,” Badt said. “People bring in stuff they don’t need or anything they grow out of and if there’s something they can use they take it.” In the past, the exchange was free, but now if people can, they are asked to make a donation to Palisades High School Baseball team.
Anything that is not used is given to a little league that might need a uniform through a program “Pitch In For Baseball.”
At 10:30 a.m. this editor saw a neighbor, whose sons, Rory and River, used to practice on the streets of Mt. Holyoke. They’re playing PPBA again this year and one positive according to dad is “We’ve met a lot of new people, and they’ve met a lot of new friends.”
Then it was time to run through banners for the older kids, and the throwing of the “first” pitch for the second time. This time Allen Jerkens, who coached the Pinto team that went to District, tossed it to Mustang Knox Jeffers. “He’s been in the league since he was four years old,” Jerkens said.
Play Ball! The season is officially underway.
Can I beat the throw?
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Pacific Palisades Baseball Board this year includes commissioner Bob Benton and members Blake Tucker, Kambiz Kamdar, Bryan Whalen, David Hoffman, Eric Foster, Matt Underwood, Karl House, Josh Weisman and Hamish Ari.
Rich Schmitt is the official photographer of PPBA and if you’d like to see his photos or request an action shot, he’s happy to help. He can be reached at [email protected].