Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - One man's field of dreams

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Tuesday, May 22, 2001
One man's field of dreams
Buccaneer Little League is making a comeback, and league's president gets credit
By Mary Moreno
Caller-Times

George Gongora/Caller-Times

Justin Ryan Martinez (right) makes a play for home as J.D. Davila, who ran all the way from first base, reaches for the ball. The Buccaneer Little League is starting to make a comeback after obtaining an $80,000 federal grant for improvements.


   Fat, sporadic drops of rain, the distant sound of rolling thunder and the premature darkening of the skies didn't put a damper on the spirits of Buccaneer Little Leaguers who cheered loudly from their dugouts and their parents who applauded from the bleachers.
   "I just like having fun," said Michael Gomez, the 12-year-old pitcher of the Pirates.
   Once lacking players and teams, and plagued by financial woes, the co-ed Little League is making a comeback. And a lot of the credit for that is being given to the league's president, Abel Avalos.
   But he said there is more work to do.

George Gongora/Caller-Times

A deteriorated field does not seem to bother Manuel Benavides, a pitcher for the Pirates, as he sticks his head out of the dugout to encourage his teammates.

   The field is more than 20 years old, he said. The fence has holes, lights for night games have long since burned out, the grass is mostly brown, the outfield terrain is uneven and the foul lines stop at first base because the league ran out of flour, which was used to chalk the lines.
   "I think they deserve better than this," Avalos said. "It means a lot. It means tradition, discipline and respect."
   Avalos obtained an $80,000 federal grant, but that only will make the field accessible to the handicapped. For the other repairs, Avalos is seeking private donations and volunteers.
   Despite the needs, the league is thriving. In March the league had eight teams; it now has 18.

Caller-Times

   "Abel, he puts everything he has into this," said Sgt. David Morris, a police officer who on Monday was volunteering at the concession stand at the field on Baldwin Boulevard near Agnes Street. "If it wasn't for him, there wouldn't be anything right now. It would have been shut down."
   To an area made up mostly of low- and middle-income neighborhoods, the league is necessary to keep its children busy and out of trouble, said Gilbert Fuentes, a fifth-grade teacher at Zavala Elementary and Little League coach.
   He said a lot of his students and players have absent fathers and by playing they come in contact with positive male role models.
   "These kids will be on the baseball fields instead of gangs," Fuentes said.
   "It's allowing them to grow."
   About two weeks ago, Avalos found volunteers at the Corpus Christi Police Department. Directed Patrol officers agreed to umpire.
   On Monday officers Russell McNorton and H.N. "Lolo" Cantu joined Morris behind the plate.
   For the officers, the games give them a chance to interact with hundreds of children in a fun atmosphere.
   Morris said that already he has been recognized while on patrol as an umpire for the league, instead of just as a police officer.
   "We love coming out here and hopefully make a difference in their lives," Morris said.
   "It's well worth it. It's good for the soul."
   The police volunteers have helped calm games that had been plagued by unruly spectators and disruptive behavior, said Cathy Lane, whose son Casey has played in the league for the past six years.
   "It was declining from when we first started," Cathy Lane said.
   "But it's really, really improved this year.
   "It's important that we keep our kids busy to keep them off the street."


Contact Mary Moreno at 886-3774 or morenom@caller.com

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