NEWPORT HARBOR BASEBALL ASSOCIATION: Abbott delivers gem to NHBA

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Mother Nature played nice with families of the Newport

Harbor Baseball Association and they took advantage. Last year, their

Opening Day festivities were rained out.

However, this time around, clear skies and sunny weather served as the

perfect background for an eventful Opening Day for the NHBA Saturday at

Mariners Park.

NHBA President Kim Christensen went all out and helped produce a

carnival, parade and a featured speaker: Jim Abbott, the former Major

League Baseball pitcher who was born without a right hand.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s Little League or the Major Leagues, Opening

Day is such an exciting day,” said Abbott, who lives in Corona del Mar.

“All the new uniforms, the fields are ready to go, it’s almost like a

holiday. It’s an honor for me to come out and say, Hi, to everybody.”

Abbott spoke briefly to the crowd, which included approximately 670

children who were a part of 68 teams in ages ranging from 5-14. The

former Angels’ pitcher, who also threw for the Yankees, White Sox and

Brewers, stressed teamwork to the Little Leaguers.

“Everybody on the team has a special role to play,” said Abbott, who

played Little League in Michigan. “It doesn’t matter if you sit the bench

or if you’re the starting pitcher. The greatest rewards you’ll have will

come from winning as a team. Nothing I ever did in the Major Leagues

equaled the feeling of winning as a team.”

Abbott also told the players to focus on practice and to have fun,

“That’s the most important thing,” he said. He then signed autographs for

several children.

“Baseball means so much to me and this is an exciting day,” he said

while signing.

Before Abbott spoke, the NHBA teams marched from right field to home

plate, then to left field. Kaden Keller, a 5-year-old player for the

Shetland Division’s Orioles was among them. He wore wrapping around his

injured right arm because of an accident that happened during a wrestling

bout with friends. Keller, like many of the players, did not want to miss

this Opening Day. He said the day’s events were the first thing on his

mind when he woke up Saturday morning.

The same went for Nathan Chaness, 6, of the Cubs, who displayed much

excitement because it was his first year of being in the parade.

“Last year, our Opening Day was canceled because of the weather,” said

Christensen, the NHBA President. “We were kind of antsy this year. We

were concerned about the weather. But it worked out real well. It’s been

a perfect day.”