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Little League

Parade celebrates Stanley Burnside’s ‘Big 100’

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There was a big drive-by parade on May 23 in Dade City, to honor Stanley Burnside on his 100th birthday.

Stanley Burnside took it all in, as he turned 100 — and the community turned out to celebrate with him — from a social distance. COVID-19 did not stop them from letting Burnside know they appreciate him. (Doug Sanders)

Those gathered were there to celebrate the century-mark of a man who served as the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller. Both he and his father held that post. They served a combined 68 years — for a total of 17 consecutive terms.

Stanley Burnside’s life spanned a century in history ranging from Model-T Fords to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was just 7 when he saw men lay down the bricks on 12th Street to the Dade City Grammar School, now known as Rodney B. Cox Elementary School.

In 1937, he marched with the graduates of Pasco High School.

He was in the Army Air Forces during World War II — serving in the jungles of New Guinea and in the Philippines, on the Island of Corregidor.

People lined up to wish Stanley Burnside, the former Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller, a happy 100th birthday.

He was a family man. He had three children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

He worked as an accountant for James Emmitt Evans, giving him a front-row view into the makings of one of the largest bulk orange juice concentrate distributors in Florida’s history.

He coached Little League, too.

Over the span of 100 years, he left a huge imprint, evidenced through 200 tributes to him, posted on Facebook.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published June 03, 2020

Local softball stars soak in national exposure

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It’s a rare feat when any local athlete — or any athlete for that matter — makes a national team.

More uncommon is when two athletes from the same hometown earn such prestigious designation together.

Academy at the Lakes product Lexi Kilfoyl was a member of the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team and is now a freshman righthanded pitcher at the University of Alabama. (Courtesy of USA Softball)

But, that’s what recently happened to Academy at the Lakes product Lexi Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School product Callie Turner.

Both pitchers earned state champions for their respective schools. Now they can also say they were a part of a World Cup championship team.

Back in December, the Land O’ Lakes natives were two of just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team.

Fast forward to this summer, and both 2019 high school graduates competed together on an international stage representing Team USA.

Following a weeklong training camp in June in Houston, Texas, the U-19 squad competed in a series of international tournaments and games that took them to Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; Atlanta, Georgia; and, Columbus, Georgia.

The team then was whittled down to 17 players and three alternates, in advance of August’s WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup in Irvine, California.

Kilfoyl made the 17-player final roster, while Turner was named an alternate player.

The USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team recently won its third straight WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) World Cup. They went undefeated and beat Japan 4-3 in the championship game.

Rather than travel with the club for the World Cup, Turner opted to return home to Land O’ Lakes to train for her upcoming freshman season at the University of Tennessee.

Though Turner, a 5-foot-10 lefty, participated in only a few tournaments, throwing a handful of innings, she cherished the chance to represent her country.

“It was definitely an honor,” said Turner, a former Florida 6A Pitcher and Player of the Year  who guided Land O’ Lakes to a state title in 2017. “You definitely have like this pressure on your back, but it’s kind of like a good pressure that everyone’s rooting for you and not for the other team, so it feels like you’re just getting so much confidence when you’re wearing that uniform, and it’s so nice.”

Naturally, Turner watched and supported the national squad from afar, as it proceeded to go undefeated and win its third straight World Cup. “I was cheering them on the whole time,” she said.

She said competing with fellow elite-level softball peers in her age range was a beneficial experience that showed her “to keep working hard…to get better.”

Kilfoyl, meanwhile, provided a more crucial role for Team USA as it went 10-0 in the World Cup tournament that featured 15 other countries.

The two-time state champion and 2019 Florida Gatorade Softball Player of the Year went 2-0 in the circle with eight strikeouts and no runs allowed in 7.1 innings pitched — facing Czech Republic, Canada, Chinese Taipei and China, respectively. She also added a three-run pinch-hit home run in a 15-0 win over Botswana.

The 6-foot-2 righty was eager to provide a bigger contribution to the junior national team this time around, compared to when in 2017 she was the squad’s youngest member as a 16-year-old high school sophomore.

Land O’ Lakes High School product Lexi Turner was a member of the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team and is now a freshman lefthanded pitcher at the University of Tennessee.

“Last time I felt like I was a supporter on the bench the entire time, (so) it was a lot better being able to say that I was part of winning the whole thing,” said Kilfoyl, now a freshman at the University of Alabama.

“Playing against every country was different, because they all like play the game very differently, and being able to see how other people do it was really cool; seeing it and preparing for it was definitely a nice experience.”

Also playing alongside Turner for a portion of the early summer made the experience even better, Kilfoyl said.

“It was definitely unreal,” Kilfoyl said. “Not many people can say that that they’ve done that, that they’ve started playing with one of their childhood best friends that has literally been there since Little League and pretty much make it to the highest of the highs in the softball world playing for USA Softball…”

Kilfoyl’s favorite moment actually came in a game where she didn’t get any action.

It happened to be Team USA’s 4-3 come-from-behind, extra-inning, walk-off win over Japan in the World Cup championship game on Aug. 17.

With Japan leading 3-0 after the top of the eighth, pinch hitter and Oregon State player Francesca Hammoude tied it on a home run. University of Florida’s Charla Echols followed with a two-out triple and scored the winning run on a base hit by University of Oregon’s Jasmine Sievers.

“The last game, that was really crazy,” Kilfoyl recalled. “I thought at one point we were losing 3-nothing and then when (Hammoude) hit that home run, it completely brought us back in the game. She was actually one of the players that didn’t have much (playing) time, so it kind of went to prove that it doesn’t have to be done by someone that’s been in the lineup every single game.”

With the national team run over, Kilfoyl and Turner have turned their attention to preparing for their respective inaugural college campaigns in the powerhouse Division I Southeastern Conference.

For Turner, that consists of improving pitch location and managing expectations as a young college player.

“You can throw as hard as you can, but they can still hit it further, so if you hit your spots more, it’s more effective to where you can get them out, so I really worked on that the last couple months,” Turner said.

“I think I just want to be the best that I can be, don’t put too much pressure on myself because I know in the end that’s just not going to help me. So, go in with an open mind knowing that I am going to get hit, I am going to have some bad games, but it’s just how you get better from that experience.”

Kilfoyl said she is looking to add velocity to her 68-mph fastball and fine-tune the rest of her repertoire.

“I definitely want to get stronger and throw harder,” she said, “and for sure want to work on really being able to command my pitches, so I can get some starting time.”

Published September 11, 2019

Marilyn Wannamaker leaves a legacy of service

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She was a fixture for years at Independence Day celebrations in Lutz, overseeing the annual Cake Bake Contest.

She was a regular, too,  at the Christmas House at the Old Lutz School, serving up hot chocolate and doling out cookies.

But, those are just a couple of the many, many ways that Marilyn Wannamaker served the community of Lutz.

Marilyn Wannamaker was known for her steadfast service to the community of Lutz, and her kind, caring ways. (Courtesy of Pat Serio)

She was deeply involved in the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, occupying nearly every office, including president for two terms.

She was devoted to helping young girls develop a heart for community work, as well as leadership skills, through her role as adviser to the Little Women of Lutz.

Marilyn Wannamaker’s life was remembered on Feb. 23, during a Memorial Eucharist at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Tampa.

During the religious ceremony, she was eulogized by her sons, Mark and Scott Peterson; and by Annette Bellinger, a first vice president of the Woman’s Club, and Jane Mason, current adviser for the Little Women of Lutz. Her son, Mark, also shared some thoughts provided by his wife, Val Peterson.

Bellinger recalls feeling a little bit intimidated when she met Wannamaker, who was president of the woman’s club at the time — and had total command of club protocol.

But, Bellinger said her initial concerns were quickly erased, as she witnessed Wannamaker’s incredible warmth.

Wannamaker paid attention to people, and became aware of not only details in their lives, but in their loved ones’ lives, as well, Bellinger said.

Wannamaker led by example.

“She was always willing to work,” Bellinger said. “Even when she didn’t feel that great, she still turned up.”

Mason, who now works with The Little Women of Lutz, recalled Wannamaker’s passion for that group.

During Wannamaker’s tenure as its advisor, The Little Women of Lutz cooked dinner at the Ronald McDonald House, helped at the Lutz Branch Library, kept a stretch of road clear of trash; and helped a family at Christmas, and performed other acts of community service.

Working with the girls was a source of joy to Wannamaker.

“To me it’s wonderful to watch them grow and develop into wonderful young women,” she told The Laker/Lutz News, in a feature story about the group.

Wannamaker’s sons — Mark and Scott — were unabashed in expressing their affection at her memorial.

“Mom never missed an event,” Mark said. “She graded our homework.

“She was our life coach.

We have so many fond memories of our mom,” he said.

“Our mom volunteered for everything,” Mark added.

Over the years, she was active on the board of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department, held the honorary title of Lutz Guv’na, was head of the St. Clement’s Altar Guild, and was a Salvation Army bell ringer, among other things.

Mark said her calendar was so crowded that he would have to call her weeks in advance to get a date to take her out to dinner.

He wasn’t complaining: He was proud.

Her son, Scott, said his mom was a good sport.

When he was playing Little League baseball, she’d put on a glove to go outside to play catch with him. And, she stepped up to become the official scorekeeper.

“She had immaculate penmanship,” he marveled.

She encouraged his love of music, even to the point of allowing his bands to practice at their house.

“I don’t know how many times that poor woman had to hear ‘Gloria,’” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Wannamaker enjoyed traveling and had the chance to visit such places as Scotland, Australia and the Far East.

She enjoyed those trips, but she was always happy to return to Lutz, where she spent much of her time and energy working to improve community life.

After the service, her friend Pat Serio, another member of the Woman’s Club, described Wannamaker as “a very, very involved friend, and a dear, caring person.

“Marilyn will definitely leave a large void in my life, as well as in our club and the Lutz community,” Serio said.

Wannamaker was always thinking of others, even to the end, her sons said.

One of her final requests was that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Little Women of Lutz, c/o Lutz Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club, P.O. Box 656, Lutz, Florida 33548-0656.

Published February 27, 2019

Local softball sensations make junior national team

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They’ve bewildered hundreds of batters.

They’ve won state titles.

They’ve earned state player of the year honors.

They’ve signed with powerhouse Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.

Academy at the Lakes’ Lexi Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School’s Callie Turner have raked in their fair share of achievements across their prep fastpitch softball careers.

And, the latest, places the pitching sensations together on the national stage.

Academy at the Lakes senior pitcher and Alabama signee Alexis Kilfoyl is one of just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team. She also made the team in 2017. (Courtesy of USA Softball)

Kilfoyl and Turner are among just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team.

The high school seniors made the under-19 team following a three-day tryout in Clearwater in December; they were evaluated by members of the Women’s National Team Selection Committee.

Kilfoyl and Turner represent the only selections from Florida. Others on the roster represent just eight additional states (Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas).

Both being from Land O’ Lakes — and close friends, at that — makes the prestigious designation that much sweeter.

Kilfoyl and Turner’s friendship began when they played Little League together, and has been forged through high school and travel ball.

The bond is sure to continue, even as college rivals at the University of Alabama and University of Tennessee, respectively.

“We’re just like really close,” said Turner. “I’d probably say she’s one of my best friends with all that stuff.”

“It’s definitely crazy how things worked out,” Kilfoyl said, “because…we’ve been there for each other pretty much our entire softball careers.”

That was the case in point during the national team tryouts.

Kilfoyl, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, made the squad back in 2017 — then the team’s youngest member as a 16-year-old sophomore.

Knowing what to anticipate, Kilfoyl guided Turner throughout the tryout process, calming her nerves.

“She was kind of my mentor,” said Turner, a 5-foot-10 left-hander. “If she wasn’t there, I’d probably be a little bit more uncomfortable but, since she was there, it really helped me with being comfortable.

Alexis Kilfoyl

“It was really like nerve-wracking at the beginning, just because like everyone that was there deserved to be there because of their talent.”

Kilfoyl added, “Being there two years ago, I knew what to expect, so I explained it to her and it helped a little bit more, and she knew what was coming and there were no surprises for her.”

Turner recalls “tears of joy” upon discovering she made the team.

“I was crying,” she said, “just because it was definitely a hard-work experience getting there, so when you find you find out that your hard work actually paid off in some ways, it was really exciting.”

Kilfoyl, meanwhile, felt some added pressure to make the team a second time around as an older, more mature pitcher.

“It was definitely a relief knowing that they wanted me back again,” Kilfoyl said. “Getting the (selection) email was definitely a relief to know that all the hard work paid off.”

Proud to represent their schools, and Land O’ Lakes
“It really isn’t about one person,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s definitely about the whole team and the whole school.”

“I think it did bring a lot of pride,” Turner said. “People are still congratulating me to this day because it’s such an honor.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will compete in a training camp and exhibition games in Columbus, Georgia, at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, throughout June and July.

The roster then will be trimmed to 17 athletes to participate in the WSBC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Junior Women’s World Cup, in August, in Irvine, California.

Kilfoyl said the experience back in 2017 helped heighten her overall level of play.

Specifically, because she was practicing alongside the nation’s top talents, facing elite international competition, and getting instruction from renowned Division I college coaches.

“It was very beneficial,” Kilfoyl said. “I really got a feel of like what is expected at that age and how you have to be able to do everything right. You can’t leave balls over the plate when you’re pitching. You have to be able to locate very well, and you have to spin very well.”

Land O’ Lakes High School senior pitcher and Tennessee Callie Turner joins Kilfoyl on the U.S. junior national team. She made the team after a three-day tryout in December.

But, before they go off and compete for the United States this summer, Kilfoyl and Turner are gearing up for their high school softball swan songs.

Kilfoyl posted a 23-1 mark in the circle last season, with a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched. She guided Academy at the Lakes to a 26-4 record and the Class 2A state championship.

She also produced a .482 batting average with five home runs, 35 RBI, a .585 on-base percentage and a .788 slugging percentage.

The play earned Kilfoyl 2017-2018 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year honors, distinguishing her as the state’s best high school softball player.

Both players aim for continued excellence
Defending the team’s state championship this season is among Kilfoyl’s top priorities in 2019.

She wants the team to make it as far as it did last year.

“Winning a state championship would be crazy again, and I know we’re going to have a huge target on our backs and it’s going to be that much harder, but definitely want to do that again,” she said.

“As far as personal goals, I guess I’d like to push myself a little bit more.

“I definitely want to go into this year pitching every game like it’s a state championship game, striking out as many as I can and just having a bunch of energy,” Kilfoyl said.

Callie Turner

Turner has similar goals in mind.

After winning the Class 6A state crown in 2017, Land O’ Lakes fell just short of another last season. They went 25-7 and finished state runner-up after falling to Plantation American Heritage 5-1 in the Class 6A state championship game in May.

“I definitely want to end up on top this year,” Turner said. “Last year was kind of rough, just not getting over the peak, especially for our seniors.”

The two-time Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and 2018 Class 6A Player of the Year surely did her part for the team.

Turner posted a 17-6 mark with a 0.78 earned run average and 252 strikeouts in 153.1 innings pitched, including 20 complete games, a no-hitter and six shutouts. She also batted .309 and six RBIs in 65 plate appearances

In the quest to win a second state title in three years, Turner is fine-tuning her repertoire of pitches — changeup, curveball, riseball and dropball.

Turner said she wants to “keep on feeling comfortable with my pitches” and “try to get them more consistent.”

“Sometimes they don’t work, and I just want to be able to like rely on the pitches every time,” Turner said, “so just the practice of the basic things is what I really want to work on this season.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will likely match up against each other on April 23, when Academy at the Lakes hosts Land O’ Lakes in a nonconference game.

Published February 6, 2019

Land O’ Lakes native screening TV pilot

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Ryan Paul James’ first brush with fame came at the age of 6, when his name was listed in The Laker/Lutz News.

“I was playing Little League there, with the Red Sox. All of the players were mentioned there in an article,” said James, a former Land O’ Lakes resident, now an actor and writer who lives in Los Angeles.

Since moving to L.A., he’s performed in two dozen plays, has written 10 plays and is now shopping a pilot for a television show he’s written called “The Comeback Kids.”

The show is about a pair of actors who were famous as children and are attempting a comeback, decades later.

Melissa Disney is married to Ryan Paul James, who grew up in Land O’ Lakes. He’s shopping a television pilot, ‘The Comeback Kids,’ and she’s an acclaimed voiceover artist. She’s also related to Walt Disney, although she never met him. (Courtesy of Ryan Paul james)
Melissa Disney is married to Ryan Paul James, who grew up in Land O’ Lakes. He’s shopping a television pilot, ‘The Comeback Kids,’ and she’s an acclaimed voiceover artist. She’s also related to Walt Disney, although she never met him.
(Courtesy of Ryan Paul james)

While no one has picked up the television show yet, it has been screened at film festivals in such places as Los Angeles, Honolulu, Miami, Switzerland, Australia and London.

It also has picked up a number of awards.

It’s a project James has been working on for five years. He’s written eight episodes of the show and has casted most of them, with different stars who would be making appearances as themselves, or performing a role in the sitcom.

The TV pilot most recently screened on June 10 at The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

James said his desire to act began when he was a young boy, when his dad was a wildlife officer and the family lived on the grounds of Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes.

“Living in the middle of nowhere and playing there on the campus of Pine View, I would let my imagination go.

“I remember, that, like for a year, they were building their (Pine View Middle) gym. I don’t think I can get in trouble for this anymore — but I would go in there and play Indiana Jones,” James said.

“I would watch probably too much television,” he added.

His acting debut came in 1994 when he played the role of a Mousekateer on the Mickey Mouse Club, filmed in Orlando. His acting teacher, who was the show’s casting director, got him the gig, he said.

He knew from the beginning the role would be a short run.

“When I was brought on, they’d already announced that the show was cancelled,” James said.

He replaced a cast member who wanted to go to Los Angeles to pursue a music career.

James moved to Los Angeles in 1995 to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

But, that didn’t last long, either.

“I was so homesick, and I hated L.A. — could not stand it,” he said.

So, he returned to the Tampa Bay area, where he became a disc jockey on 100.7 Kiss FM.

“I wasn’t really looking to get into radio, but it just happened for me. I bounced around to a couple of other radio stations. A radio station out here in Los Angeles heard one of my air checks, and they called me up and wanted to see if I would be interested in coming out here,” he said.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

So, he prayed about it.

“I was like, ‘God, you’ve got to give me a sign here’,” James said.

He knew he couldn’t afford to move to L.A., but within a month of his prayer, he had booked two national commercials and had received the offer from the radio station.

“And, so I thought, ‘I’ll give L.A. one more shot.’

“Here I am, 12 years later, married, with a kid,” James said.

His wife, Melissa Disney — a cousin of Walt Disney — is a voiceover artist.

Though not a household name like her cousin, she has attracted her own share of fame.

She narrated the trailer for the action movie, “Gone in 60 Seconds,” — widely credited as one of the first major movie trailers to employ a female voice, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She also has voiced The Academy Awards, The Emmy’s and the Billboard Music Awards.

While James and his wife work in the industry, their 4-year-old son, Ryder, gets a chance to dip into the lifestyle, too. He already has met such international stars as Madonna, Harrison Ford and James Earl Jones.

Although the Land O’ Lakes native has lived in L.A., for a dozen years, he still gets homesick and travels back to the area to visit family a couple of times a year.

Every time he comes home, he must make one stop before returning to L.A.

He drops by Larry’s Deli, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, where he loads up on Cuban sandwiches to take back to California.

The mere mention of them, James said during a recent telephone interview, makes his mouth water.

Published June 15, 2016

 

Goodbye Lutz Little League, Hello Lutz Baseball

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The baseball diamond at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex is empty of ballplayers right now. But when it reopens in 2014, it will no longer be Little League players on the field, but instead members of the Babe Ruth League. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
The baseball diamond at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex is empty of ballplayers right now. But when it reopens in 2014, it will no longer be Little League players on the field, but instead members of the Babe Ruth League. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Last month, the national Little League organization released new rules for the 2014 baseball season that adjusted eligibility requirements and compensation for traveling expenses.

What was missing from the list is what irked Lutz baseball organizers the most — changes in Little League playing style that could help better develop young players, and give them the skills they need to advance in the sport. Skills like stealing bases, leading off of base, bunting, and what players can gain from more tournament play.

But Little League isn’t budging from its decades-old style, and after more than a half century of affiliation, Lutz will break away from Little League on Jan. 1, and join Babe Ruth League.

“What’s been happening is a decline in membership and an increase in costs,” said Rick Parker, a board member and coach for both the current Lutz Little League organization and the upcoming Lutz Baseball operation. “The evolution of the youth leagues have been more toward traveling teams, and that’s where many are going. And during all this, Little League has been akin to the Vatican — they don’t move, and they don’t want to change their doctrine.”

Little League and Babe Ruth have a lot of similarities. Both were born during the golden era of baseball, targeting youth to participate in America’s Pastime. The Little League World Series is one of the best-known youth athletic events in the world, taking place every year in the league’s birthplace of Williamsport, Pa., while Babe Ruth has its annual championship games in various parts of the country.

Where the two leagues split, however, is how they play the game. Little League holds on to its basic game style first established in the 1940s that focus intently on batting and fielding, but not running.

Yet, thanks to its growth at the professional levels, the running game — base stealing, leading off, fighting for extra bases — has become a key part of the sport. Running game skills are necessary not just at the professional and collegiate level, but even at the high school level, which puts Little League players at a disadvantage.

“Kids want to play baseball, they want to have fun,” Parker said. “But when you get to ages of 7, 8 and 9, these are key development years. High school baseball is very competitive, and if you want a chance to potentially open the doors, you’re going to have to know the broader nuances of baseball.”

The Babe Ruth League, named after one of the sport’s most famous players, has two divisions: Babe Ruth Baseball for teenagers, and Cal Ripken Baseball for younger ages.

Lutz joins New Tampa, Bloomingdale, North Brandon and other local communities to make the switch to Babe Ruth, and the decision was virtually unanimous among not only the Lutz board, but its parents and players as well.

“It was not an easy decision,” said Dave Crawford, the president of Lutz Baseball, and formerly of Lutz Little League. “Little League has been good to us, but it’s just a different way of doing business from Cal Ripken. Little League has been around for a long time, and been able to grow and evolve. And just with any business model, they have to do what they need to do.”

Little League officials in Pennsylvania would not comment on the status of its Lutz operation, but did say they would welcome the league back if it ever changed its mind.

“Little League is constantly changing to adapt to today’s standards,” spokesman Brian McClintock told The Laker/Lutz News in an email statement. “As the world’s largest and most respected youth sports organization, we will continue to provide a positive, safe baseball and softball experience for every child in our programs.”

McClintock added that Little League did amend its rules this year to allow for children to play for a Little League in the same boundaries their school is located. They also added an intermediate baseball division this past year for children 11 to 13.

But it was still difficult for the organization to bring in players that with other youth leagues, they’d be able to attract otherwise, Crawford said.

“The Little League boundary policy is the one they are set on. They do that for the protection of the local leagues, and that is very honorable,” he said. “With Cal Ripken, we have a little more latitude, to expand our boundaries for our continued growth, and it seemed very appropriate for us.”

The new league will have much wider boundaries, allowing them to bring in players from parts of central Pasco County and northern Hillsborough County.

Although Ruth and Ripken are popular names in baseball, the Lutz program still has some work to do introducing the program locally, and moving people away from its Little League attachment at Oscar Cooler Park.

“Little League is similar to Kleenex,” Parker said. “Everyone uses the phrase ‘Little League,’ but a larger percentage of them don’t understand that Little League is kids baseball. That as you get to the older groups, the Little League brand is not necessary.”

Registration costs for players will actually be less than last year, typically by $10, Parker said. And the hope is that bringing in more tournaments through the new league will help generate more revenue, and defray even more costs in the future.

To learn more about the new league, how it will complement travel teams, and to register, visit LutzBaseball.com.

“There’s no hard feelings on our end,” Crawford said. “We just did some research on some options, and chose the one that was the best for our teams and our future.”