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Little League's Opening Day Features Court, Flag-Raising

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

gnewman@tampatrib.com

Published: March 11, 2009

PLANT CITY - Little League baseball opened its season with the Florida Strawberry Festival queen throwing out the first pitch and a raising of the American flag.

"This is the way it is supposed to be," Little League coach James Smith said. "It's great to see all the players and their families gathered in the park for the opening of the season. Having a flag-raising added something special for me and a lot of other people. It was a great day."

Smith, a patrol sergeant in the Plant City Police Department, noticed last year the flagpole at the Mike Sansone Community Park's Little League complex wasn't being used.

"It has been something like five years since a flag has been flown there," Smith said. "I contacted Jack Holland at the city recreation and parks department earlier this year, and they repaired and repainted the pole, and even provided a flag until the one the Little League ordered arrived."

Smith, a board member for the 58-team league, suggested the league incorporate a flag-raising ceremony each day. Another board member, Danny Coton, who also is a director for the Florida Strawberry Festival, helped arrange the appearance of festival queen Lauren Der, who threw out the first pitch.

Der and her court members, first maid Sara Beth Newsome and Megan Cochran, Joclyn Emerson and Morgan Feaster, were on hand to help start the season's first game between the Marlins and the Cubs in the 9- to 10-year-old bracket.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451.

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