Patriot Junior/Senior Little League

 For many reasons would be the simple answer.  However, for Bill Owens from the Patriot League, Little League umpiring is an activity which he demonstrates a great passion.  Over the years Bill has umpired an average of 60 games a year to demonstrate his commitment to the youth of Little League Baseball.  He has worked hard over the last 22 years to develop himself as an outstanding volunteer umpire.  His on the field expertise shows to the youth of Little League how hard work and commitment builds skill and professionalism.  Bill has been active in Little League at many levels.  He has coached and managed, a Board member for over 18 years, an active member of the California District 33 Staff as well as a contributor on the District Umpire Staff.  Over the years Bill has been honored in a variety ways with the Umpire of the Year and Umpire Service Awards.  He has also has received the District 33 Service Award.  

California District 33 is honored to announce that Bill Owens has been selected to umpire in the 2014 Juniors Regional Tournament in Vancouver, Washington in August.  His selection is evidence of Bill’s commitment to the Little League Program as both a volunteer and an umpire.

Congratulations to Bill on his selection.  Also we wish to thank his wife Barrie and son Brian for sharing Bill with us.  

By Jacob Pomrenke

SAN DIEGO — "Breathtaking" and "spectacular" were two of the words commonly used to describe the new Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center, home of the SABR Collection, on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at the San Diego Central Library's grand opening celebration.

Even the librarians who work there were impressed.

"It's the biggest baseball library west of Cooperstown!" said Rosemary Diciedue, a San Diego librarian since 1989.

San Diego's long-awaited new library building — a $184.9 million, nine-story facility designed by Rob Wellington Quigley — opened for business on September 30th. A sneak peek of the library was offered Saturday, with a day-long street festival on Park Boulevard near Petco Park.

The Baseball Research Center opened in 2001, with an initial collection of books and microfilm donated by SABR's Ted Williams Chapter. In the years since, it has grown to more than 3,000 publications, books, and journals, and 300 microfilm reels, all available to the public at San Diego's downtown library.

"The library folks have been heaven to work with," said SABR member Andy Strasberg, the former San Diego Padres vice president who, along with Tom Larwin, spearheaded the creation of the research center.

In 1998, the Ted Williams Chapter partnered with the Central Library to open the research center and the initial acquisition was made in 2001. It included a complete set of The Sporting News, Sporting Life, University of Notre Dame baseball guides and SABR's annual publications, The Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime.

Today, baseball fans and researchers can also view thousands of books on baseball history from its early origins in the 1700s to the present day, biographies, instruction manuals, encyclopedias, Spanish-language titles and San Diego Padres scrapbooks. The SABR collection also includes microfilm reels that are only available in one other location, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, including 19th-century baseball scrapbooks, American Association and Union Association records, Black Sox Scandal archives, player questionnaires and minor league contract cards.

The Baseball Research Center is named after the Sullivan family, longtime supporters of the library expansion project. Katie Sullivan is the former president of the Friends of the San Diego Public Library.

San Diego Central Library: New $184.9 million, nine-story building is just blocks from Petco Park.

"Katie and Dan Sullivan wanted to combine their love of libraries with their love of baseball," Diciedue said.

The reading room on the eighth floor of the library, which houses the Baseball Research Center, offers eye-popping views of the iconic Coronado Bridge and San Diego Bay. A shiny bronze/chrome Yoram Wolberger statue of a player swinging a bat, on loan from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, sits in front of a digital billboard highlighting the many resources in the SABR collection and framed photos from Strasberg's 2012 book Baseball Fantography.

Diciedue said she hopes the center can be used to hold baseball events and maybe show live games on special occasions.

"You come up here and you don't want to ever leave," she said. "You're surrounded by baseball. It's beautiful."

Date: Thursday, February 20th 

It is scheduled at Santo Rec Conference Building located at 10300 Yorktown Dr. San Diego CA 92124. The same building as our monthly Presidents meeting except it will be in the  "Party Room" beginning at 7 PM. We will be discussing and agreeing on the Junior baseball inter-league rules and also scheduling. You need to have a representative from your league attend this meeting if you are planning to Inter-League Junior Baseball this season. Any questions please contact me at llcad33@yahoo.com

Clay Berry
District Administrator
California District 33

Date: Monday February 17th

District 33 will have an Inter-League scheduling meeting on Monday February 17th beginning at 6:00pm. The meeting location is the San Diego Grace Brethren Church located at 3455 Atlas St. San Diego CA 92111. Please contact me if you are planning on attending at wardcoke@aol.com

Olivier Wardenaar
D33 Softball Coordinator
Kearney Mesa LL President
858-735-4910