Additional guests are confirmed for Arlington Little League’s annual opening-day ceremony on Sunday, April 7 at Barcroft Park.
The event starts at 1:45 p.m. with a parade of teams and hundreds of players move on to the park’s main field, where the ceremonies then will begin.
Main guests include the Oriole Bird mascot of the Baltimore Orioles, former Orioles’ shortstop Mike Bordick, who is still involved with the team, and Roz Ridgway, the wife of the former and late longtime Arlington Little League umpire Ted Deming.
Various Arlington community leaders usually make an appearance.
Bordick, a member of the Orioles’ Hall of Fame, and Ridgway will give comments to the Little Leaguers and likely throw out a first pitch. Ridgway and Deming set up an endowment fund for the Little League to grow baseball in underserved areas of Arlington.
The ceremony also will include usual games and contests like hula hoop and mini-cycle competitions. There will be face-painting tables, sponsor tables and food trucks on hand.
Members of Arlington’s three varsity public high-school baseball teams – Wakefield, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown – will welcome the Little Leaguers onto the main field. First-year Wakefield head coach Adam Balutis continues as Arlington Little League’s president, and will lead the ceremonies.
