San Francisco Little League

Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.  

Yogi Berra

Francisco Little League hosted the Annual Coaches and Volunteers Dinner on May 16th at the St. Francis Yacht Club with a record turnout.  The evening was a great success – season stories were recounted, friendships established and wonderful camaraderie shared by all.

We gave out the following awards to our outstanding volunteers:

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Anne Werth

Anne is a former Board member, who managed both events and Snack Shack for several years.  Anne can still be seen today helping out at the Snack Shack, keeping score, running the announcers booth – you name it and this woman can do it!  She was also out buying up all the hotdogs in San Francisco for Opening Day when Costco informed Nancy they were not available.  Anne has been a constant resource for us all, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of all she has done to grow and support our League.

The Werth family have all done their part for SFLL.  Anne’s husband, Steve, has been a key volunteer and is a former Board member.  Daughter Alina has been a wonderful part of our softball program; son Ryan played for many years and now umpires; and last but not least, son JT is an outstanding Majors ball player.

Coach of the Year Award recipient, Otis Williams

Otis has been in the League for about 10 years, continuing to coach long after his son left the League.   For the last few years, he assisted Johnny Greene in our Majors division, and he is always a positive force for the kids whether they win or lose.

The following was written by Pat Whalin when nominating Otis, a long time coach and SFLL Board member:

A brief history on Otis Williams – I met Otis when he was coaching his son in the Minors which I believe was 1998.  The next year he was coaching with Kevin Timpane and I in the Majors (Phillies).  His son, Milik, was 10 years old and we finished in second place.  The next year we were still the Phillies and again finished second.  The next year Kevin and his son moved up to Juniors and Otis was my assistant coach in my first year as a head coach in the Majors (Giants of course).  We took first place that year through no small part of Otis’ help and how he wonderfully handled the players, keeping their spirits up and encouraging the player when they made a mistake.  He is a pure joy to work with and the players love him.  He has since been coaching with Johnny Green, first in the Juniors and for the last five seasons in the Majors.  Otis has also coached in the fall your football league for at least 12 years.  The more you get to know Otis Williams the more you like him.  Anyone who has come in contact with him comes away with a smile.  He has helped make Little League a better place for all of us.

Dan Ake Volunteer of the Year recipient, Nancy Payne

Nancy is also known as our Events Coordinator Extraordinaire.  She has risen to the challenge of taking our events to the next level as our League grows in size and experience.   When Opening Day was cancelled due to rain, Nancy had everything rescheduled for the following week (a monumental task) within hours.   We also had a huge, unexpected increase (well over 50%) in attendance at both Giant’s Day and our Coach/Volunteer dinner this year.  Nancy took it all in stride and made these events happen, never skipping a beat.

Nancy’s husband, Fletcher, also does his part as SFLL Treasurer.  Their son Colin, who plays in the Minors, looks forward to the day he can umpire.

Youth Umpire of the Year recipient, Ian Moore

Ian is usually seen around the Little League fields, umpiring with his younger brother Neal.   His mother, Genevieve, is a former SFLL Board member and Goodwill Ambassador Award winner.   Ian, who has been umpiring games for us for three years, is highly regarded by the coaches and very dependable.   Let’s give a shout out to Neal, who received a $75.00 gift certificate to Sports Authority for all of his hard work.

Adult Umpire of the Year recipient, Owen Baker Flynn

Ideally, an umpire should combine the integrity of a Supreme Court Judge, the physical agility of an acrobat, the endurance of Job and the imperturbability of Buddha.  This describes Owen to perfection.  He is regarded highly by the coaches, but his pleasant and cheerful demeanor does not get in the way of him making tough calls when needed.   He can also be found chipping in with field duties for his team or helping in the snack shack.  Owen is a stellar SFLL volunteer. 

As you all know, this League is based solely on volunteers, and we love welcoming new members to the fold.  Please take a moment to reflect on your skills and where they might fit within this wonderful organization.  We hope to see you at our dinner next year!

Play until the ball is worn, the bat has cracked, the glove is loose, and the grass and dirt have become one.