They're T-ball players, and they're just learning how to play the rather complicated game of baseball. And there to help them are some very patient, very dedicated coaches.

One such coach is Scot Strotman of the Yankees in the Sunnyvale Serra Little League.

But Strotman did more than just help his Yanks to learn and understand the rules of baseball this spring—he helped them feel like real baseball players.

T-ball games aren't played on manicured diamonds with scoreboards and outfield fences and dugouts. They're played on grass fields with throw-down bases and a backstop, usually located out in the corner of a school playground.

But Strotman went out of his way this season to make the Serra T-ball field seem more like a baseball diamond. He couldn't do anything about the scoreboard or outfield fences—but he could do something about the dugouts.

Strotman, who co-coached the Yankees with Lindsey Robinette, created two large cardboard dugouts with benches, as well as changeable signs for each team in the division, "to give the players more of an environment," said his wife, Ingrid Strotman.

"Scot got up at insane o'clock in the morning and set up the dugouts so that, upon arrival, both the Yankees and their opposing team were greeted by the dugouts," added his wife. "Not only were the kids delighted, but coaches were able to better 'contain' the endless energy of the 5- and 6-year olds."

"Our community is lucky for a guy like this," said Ingrid. "The kids love him, and he's done great with them."

The Yankees didn't win the Serra T-ball championship this season. There is no championship in T-ball—in fact, no scores are even kept. It's instructional baseball for youngsters just starting out in the game.

The kids in the league learned a lot this season about hitting and fielding and throwing and running the bases. And they learned one other thing about baseball—having a dugout is pretty darn cool!