WORCESTER – The Jesse Burkett Little League marched into a new season on Saturday and even held an opening day parade for the first time in seven years.
At 8 a.m., Burkett boys and girls aged 4 to 16, their siblings, parents and grandparents marched with a police escort for just under a mile from Tatnuck Magnet School through Tatnuck Square down Pleasant and Chandler streets to Burkett’s Coghlin Field. League president Chad Dawkins estimated 350 people marched.
The Burkett Majors Little League All-Star softball team led the parade while carrying their District 4 and state championship banners.
Some parents carried their children on their shoulders, others pushed their young ones in strollers. Everyone smiled.
“I kind of liked it, but my legs were tired,” said Lilah Rucho, 7, who plays AA softball.
Asked what she likes most about playing softball, Lilah said, “That nobody can catch my throws.”
Chris DeSantis, 5, helped carry the AA baseball banner in the parade.
“It was good,” he said.
As the parade marched past Dunkin’ Donuts, one weary mother suggested that the players should march through the drive thru next year so it would be easier to buy a coffee.
Once everyone reached the field, WooSox mascot Roberto posed for photos with the players. Then the coaches and players lined up in the outfield as Imo Jene Gay sang the national anthem while her father Daniel played the keyboard.
Dawkins said a few words while standing with vice president Rob Sala under a blue and orange balloon arch behind home plate. Gino Porcelli, manager of the Burkett Majors All-Star softball state title team, threw the ceremonial first pitch to his daughter Mia.
This was the first Burkett parade for Mia, 13, who pitched and played shortstop for the state title team.
“It means a lot to our league,” she said, “especially that the girls were leading it. Hopefully, AAA and the kids moving up see that and want to achieve that goal.”
Ava Sala, 13, played third base on the state championship team and she was excited to begin another season.
“It feels good because we’ve all been playing in the league since we were so young,” Ava said, “and we enjoy all playing together and it’s a fun community to play in.”
An opening day parade had been an annual tradition for Burkett, but the league hadn’t held one since 2017. So there was no parade for many years, including on the 20th anniversary of the Burkett Little League All-Stars reaching the U.S. championship game in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., in 2002. There’s a huge plaque commemorating that 2002 team on the Burkett snack shack, however.
Rosemary Ford, whose son Zach played for the 2002 World Series team, watched her grandson, Liam Petty, march in the parade.
Dawkins said he wasn’t in the league back then and he didn’t know why the parade was halted, but several new people recently joined the league’s board of directors and insisted that the parade be held again.
And, of course, everyone loves a parade.
“I’m super excited about it,” Dawkins said.
Dawkins said the parade gave the younger players a rare chance to interact with the older players.
Margot Friend, 9, and Otis Brady, 7, recited the Little League Pledge and then the games began. There were three AA baseball games at Coghlin Field, two AAA softball games at Rockwood Field and three Tee-Ball baseball games at the B field. In the afternoon, three AAA baseball games were played at Coghlin Field.
Dawkins began coaching his son Ryan in Tee-Ball in 2019 and joined the board in 2021. Dawkins’ wife, Janice, runs the league’s fund-raising calendar raffle from May 15-June 18.
Dawkins said 243 boys and 148 girls for a total of 391 youths will play in the league this year. That’s slightly less than last year, but Dawkins is excited that this year there will be six teams in AAA baseball, the division below Little League. That’s two more than a year ago. Burkett’s two largest divisions are AAA baseball with 71 players and AA coach pitch baseball with 54 players.
“I’m very happy about it,” Dawkins said. “I think we’re headed in the right direction. I think we’re in a really good position to thrive in the future. We have a lot of kids in the younger programs and a good amount in AAA and a good amount in the majors. There are a lot of people willing to volunteer. There’s a lot of excitement.”
Burkett has four Little League teams, half as many as when the All-Stars reached the 2002 Little League World Series U.S. championship game. However, Burkett now has teams for boys and girls older than age 12 and it didn’t back then.
Some Little League organizations in Worcester have folded and numbers are down in others. Dawkins said some youths choose soccer or lacrosse over baseball.
Doherty High first-year baseball coach Brian Sargent
marched with his sons Mike, 10, and Ryan, 9, who he coaches on the C.P. Sherr team in the majors division. Sargent began coaching his daughter Sophie at Burkett nine years ago. He remembers marching in only one previous opening day parade and league president Tom Murray leading the way in his Cadillac. He doesn’t know why the parade was stopped for so long.
“It was probably tough to get people together to do it,” Sargent said.
He’s glad it’s back.
“I think it’s great,” he said, “and tying into opening day, that’s the way it should be. We’ve got to promote baseball as much as possible. It’s awesome that we’ve got a pretty decent turnout now. I think it’s great that they brought it back. Kids love it. So why not?”
Sargent hopes baseball experiences a surge in popularity.
“It’s nice to see that the number keeps growing,” Sargent said. “Little League’s hurting across the city so it’s nice to see that all these people want to come out. I think it’s a testament to the work Chad and everybody who’s running AAA and AA do. They really promote it and the kids are having a blast.”
Mike Sargent enjoyed marching in the parade and starting another season.
“I like it,” he said. “I think it’s a good way to represent the Little League and show everyone that our Little League is really good.
“Baseball is my favorite sport so it’s always so much fun for it to start,” Mike said, “and I’m always into it when the season starts.”
Dawkins is ready to play ball.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s well worth it,” he said. “We start planning the season in November and it really ramps up. I’ve been so excited for the past month. I think everybody’s just ready to get on the field.”
Bill Doyle has been a professional journalist for 47 years, most of them as a sports writer for the Telegram & Gazette. He covered the Boston Celtics for 25 years and has written extensively about golf, boxing and local high school and college sports. He also worked for the campus newspaper when he attended UMass-Amherst. He can be reached at billdoyle1515@gmail.com
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