AUBURN - From Little League to the Doubledays, there is a rich tradition of baseball in Auburn. For many young players, that tradition begins with Boys and Girls League Baseball.

Founded in 1979 by Mike Ricci, the league has been providing children in Auburn and the surrounding communities with the chance to get their first taste of of the sport.

“This is a place for kids to get a start,” board member Tony Tabone said. “Whether they go on to play Pony League or Junior Olympic Softball, this is a place for everyone to get a start playing the game and get exposed to their first organized baseball.”

The league, designed for players age 5 to 8, has been growing, with 262 players comprising the 18 teams.

“We get more and more every year,” Tabone said. “We just keep getting more and more kids playing every year. It is great to see so many get interested in the game and out here enjoying themselves.”

Tabone believes that this growth can be directly attributed to the solid reputation the program has built over the past three decades.

“A lot of people hear about us from their friends and other kids that have played,” Tabone said. “New people hear about what a great experience other people have had being a part of this and then they come out to see what we are all about. It just keeps on growing form there.”

This is something Dodger's coach, Dick McConnell, knows all about.

McConnell has been involved in the league for the past five years with all three of his children participating.

“It is a fantastic organization,” McConnell said. “All my kids have played and my wife and I just had another baby and one day he'll be playing here too. We have just had such a great time being involved with this program and so have the kids.”

For players like Dan Scanlon, 8, who is entering his second season in the league, his time in boys and girls ball has been one he has thoroughly enjoyed.

“I love to play baseball,” Scanlon said. “So my mom and dad signed me up. It is so much fun to hit and catch and play games and hit home runs - that is really awesome.”

Much of the success of the league has been built on the hard work of a entirely volunteer staff. From coaches to the board of directors, everyone involved in the league volunteers their time because of their strong belief in the value of this program.

“None of us on the board have kids that are in the program anymore,” Tabone said. “All our kids played at one time, but we keep doing this because we believe in how important this is for the kids and we want to make sure it keeps going. It is as good as it can be. We also get a lot of great support from the community and businesses that sponsor our teams and make sure we can get uniforms and trophies at the end of the season for everyone.”

One of the biggest focuses of the league is on the game's fundamentals. Their aim is to get young players acclimated to baseball in a fun and friendly environment.

“We don't keep score or anything like that,” Tabone said. “We don't focus on that stuff. The goal here is to teach the kids about the game and let them see if they like it. We don't focus on the competition, we focus on the kids learning and having fun.”

In this spirit there are a few rules that boys and girls go by to give everyone a fair chance and equal time to play.

The league goes by a five-swing rule, no one can strike out, everyone gets five swings. There are also five outfielders, no leading, no stealing, a three-out or nine-batter rule and the coaches pitch to their team.

“We do have a few rules that are unique,” Tabone said. “But all in all the rules are the same as baseball. We want to make sure everyone plays and gets in the game. We don't want to see anyone sitting out on the bench or anything like that here.”

The rules combined with the attitude of all the coaches and adults involved, help keep things going smoothly.

“We want the kids to learn the game and have fun at the same time,” McConnell said. “But we (coaches) focus more than anything on making sure the kids are having fun and no one is getting upset. We do focus on hitting and playing in the field and all those things, but more than anything we just want to see the kids have fun.”

With opening day rapidly approaching, many players are anxious to hit the field.

“It is exciting,” Parker Hogan, 7, said. “The games are really exciting, you get to play against friends from school and you get uniforms and everything. It is fun and exciting and I can't wait to play.”