PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With a big assist from its biggest fan, the Pittsfield Little League American Division officially kicked off its 2023 season on Sunday at Deming Park.

 

Although the league has been playing games for a week, its Opening Day ceremonies were pushed back due to last weekend's rain.

 

Ricky Ostellino is the kind of fan who shows up in all kinds of weather for the Little Leaguers. And on Sunday, he showed off his right arm by tossing the ceremonial first pitch to open the '23 campaign.

 

It has been an emotional spring for Ostellino and his family.

 

"Unfortunately, just a few weeks ago, unexpectedly, Ricky lost his mom, Donna," Pittsfield Americans league official Greg Coscia told the Opening Day crowd. "Donna was a big supporter of South Little League. She was a supporter of Ricky to make sure he was here for us."

 

Coscia then called for a moment of silence in honor of Donna Ostellino.

 

As for her son, Ricky is the kind of vocal and enthusiastic fan that youth baseball leagues need.

 

"For all the new families and players, Ricky is our No. 1 fan, and you'll see him here every single night — doing the scoring, helping out in the concession stand," Coscia said. "He truly is a great contributor to this league."

 

The American Division, formerly known as Pittsfield South, was one of two branches of Pittsfield Little League to celebrate the season on Sunday as youth baseball programs across the county took advantage of the first great weekend of weather this month.

 

Across town at Clapp Park, the National Division held its ceremony, which, like the Americans, featured team introductions and recitation of the Little League Pledge. For the Nationals, Carter LaCasse, a player in the league who is battling cancer, threw out the first pitch.

 

The Adams-Cheshire and Dalton-Hinsdale Little Leagues held their Opening Day celebrations on Saturday.

 

In North County, Northern Berkshire Youth Baseball put its players to the test at its second annual Baseball Bonanza on James Fallon Field.

 

NBYB invited neighboring youth leagues to join the festivities, which included a throwing competition, base-running relays and fielding competitions for the older teams.

 

Cooperation is a theme for Northern Berkshire Youth Baseball, which recognizes the need to coordinate with neighboring leagues, like Williamstown Cal Ripken Baseball, in order to create competitive opportunities for players in all the leagues.

 

This year, the Northern Berkshire league added another cooperative effort, scheduling weekly Saturday night games at Joe Wolfe Field between its 13-year-old team and squad from the Pittsfield Babe Ruth Baseball program.

 

In addition to the home run derby, the Drury coaches and players and a member of the Mount Greylock Regional School squad helped run the skills competitions for the youngsters and helped coach them through the various skills.

 

The day also saw members of the Drury High School baseball team participate in a home run derby.

 

"What it's all about is the importance of showing young kids what they have to look forward to and what they can achieve," NBYB President Scott McAllister said of the Drury players' participation in the event. "Because it's not just about teaching baseball. We're teaching life skills. That's important — life skills and how people, basically, need to interact with other people and just be good to each other."

 

At Pittsfield's Deming Park, that concept was emphasized when players read for the crowd the poem, "He's Just a Little Boy," which is credited to Bob Fox, who is believed to have written it in the 1920s or ‘30s.

 

"In a few minutes, you'll hear our players recite a poem," Pittsfield Americans President Ben Knauth said in his introductory remarks. "Please pay attention to the words in the message. The message is one of sportsmanship. The message is this is a treasured game played by kids.

 

"To all of our players, umpires, coaches, families, please remember to treat each other and the game with respect."

 

Sabrina Damms contributed to this report.

 

Pittsfield Little League National: Photos here

 

Pittsfield Little League American: Photos here

 

Northern Berkshire Youth Baseball: Photos here

 

Dalton/Hinsdale Little League: Photos here