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Babe Ruth sign-ups

(Updated: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 10:56 AM)

Yosemite Gateway Babe Ruth will hold sign-ups 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 at Gold Mine Pizza in Coarsegold and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at Oakhurst Pizza Factory.

Babe Ruth baseball is for players 12-15 years of age. The league is open to boys and girls and played on a regulation field with 90 foot bases. Babe Ruth is in it's third in the Mountain Area including three Mariposa teams. Games are played at Mariposa, Yosemite and Minarets High Schools, as well as High School fields throughout the valley.

Last years league consisted of five teams and played other Babe Ruth Leagues such as Fresno High, Sunnyside, Liberty, Sierra and Edison. This year the league plans to expand its playing schedule to include Madera, Central, Bullard and possibly Merced.

Babe Ruth features an all-star selection game between its teams at the conclusion of the season. The two teams play for the Virgil DeGeorge Trophy which is displayed at the winners high school. Mariposa won last years inaugural game.

Virg DeGeorge, a former professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, collage and high school coach (Memorial and Yosemite), was instrumental in building the league and conducts free clinics in February and March. Unlike Little League, Yosemite Gateway Babe Ruth is funded by player sign-ups and local business sponsorship such as Sierra Tel, Pizza Factory and Art Signs.

Participants are asked to bring a copy of their birth certificate along with proof of residency to sign-ups. The registration fee is $85. Fees include a team practice shirt and supplies teams with bats and equipment.

The league invites all those interested to take part in their free spring training clinics every other Saturday starting Feb.11 through April 28. The clinics consist of fundamentals covered by coach DeGeorge, as well as scrimmage games throughout March and April.

Details: Pete Reardon, (559) 683-0706, Todd Robinson (Mariposa - 209-966-5473). The leagues message phone, (559) 683-1223.