Martha’s Vineyard Little Leaguers celebrate new season in style

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The Bees, a T-Ball team, lead players, coaches, and parents down Oak Bluffs Avenue Saturday morning to start the fourth annual Martha's Vineyard Little League Parade. — Photo by Ralph Stewart

Little League players, coaches, and parents, from all 22 teams in four leagues, marched Saturday morning from the Oak Bluffs police station down Circuit Avenue to Veira Park, in the fourth annual Martha’s Vineyard Little League Parade.

Although some teams played their first games earlier in the week, this event marks the official beginning of the new season, which runs through the end of June.

At Veira Park, the teams gathered in the outfield. Each club, from T-ball, Farm League, Minor and Major Leagues, was introduced one by one to the large crowd. The players ran from the outfield through the infield, tipping their caps to the crowd.

Next, members of the Martha’s Vineyard Tactical Response Team, who assisted with other law enforcement officials in Watertown following the Boston Marathon bombings, gathered at the pitcher’s mound to throw out the opening pitches.

The ceremony concluded with the crowd, players, and coaches singing the National Anthem.

All 22 teams were in action Saturday at ballfields across the Island. Beginning at 12 noon, The Major League games were at Veira Park, Minor League at Manter’s Field in West Tisbury and Nunes Field in Edgartown, Farm League at the West Tisbury School, and T-ball at Veterans Park in Vineyard Haven.