The Willow Glen Resident

It's beginning to look a lot like... baseball!

Spring training offered for area youngsters

By Dick Sparrer

Area youngsters are invited to participate in spring training.

No, not with the Giants and A's in Arizona, but right here in Willow Glen.

Willow Glen varsity baseball coach Gary Rose will host a Little League Spring Training Day on Feb. 14 on the high school baseball field. The training day is open to youngsters ages 8-12, and it will be broken into two three-hour sessions of drills and instruction, from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Each session is limited to the first 100 players to sign up.

The cost is a $10 donation to the high school baseball program, and players should sign up in the front office at the high school by Feb. 10. For information, call Rose at 535-6330.

Sign-ups, Tryouts

Sign-ups are winding up and tryouts are under way in local youth baseball leagues. For information on league play in 1998 for the different leagues:

Willow Glen Little League (tryouts Jan. 24 at Willow Street Park with late sign-ups accepted at that time), call 450-8502; Lincoln Glen Little League, call Tom Feasby at 264-1125; San Jose Pacific Boys Baseball, call 536-0657; San Jose PAL Pony Baseball League, call 277-4725.

Hot Stove Banquet

Brian Johnson of the San Francisco Giants and Scott Erickson of the Baltimore Orioles will top the list of award winners when the 14th annual Hot Stove Banquet comes to the Santa Clara Valley on Feb. 2 to honor outstanding local people in baseball.

Johnson, a former Bishop O'Dowd and Stanford star, has been named the Player of the Year after helping the San Francisco Giants win a division championship. Johnson is the starting catcher for the Giants.

Erickson, a star pitcher at Homestead before turning pro, is the Hot Stove Pitcher of the Year after posting a 16-win season for the Orioles.

Tickets for the night's event are priced at $35, and festivities will begin with no-host cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The awards presentation begins at 8 p.m.

Proceeds from the banquet benefit youth baseball programs in the area. For more information or reservations call 446-3443.

Willow Glen Colt League

Phone registration is now being accepted for the 1998 Willow Glen Colt League season. The league is open to players ages 15-16. For more information, call 294-7109 or 526-1600.

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