Pico Boys profile

McDaniels
February 20, 2016
846 words

Local league celebrates major milestone in

critical time for baseball
By James McDaniels

Photo credit: James McDaniels/USC

On a Monday night at a ball field in Pico Rivera, children line up to show their
skills at playing the sport dubbed Americas Pastime. They show their
speed by running the bases and their precision by fielding balls, while
coaches stand by jotting notes and watching carefully in search of the best
players for the draft.
These are the tryouts to join the Pico Boys Baseball League, an independent
youth baseball league in Pico Rivera, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary
this year. Its a major moment for an organization with a rich history in
producing quality baseball players and competing in championships despite
not being associated with a major youth baseball program like Little League
Baseball.
Because the Pico Boys Baseball League is independent, it has unique
challenges compared to other leagues. Sal Coco, the president of the
league, said funding the organization is one of the most difficult aspects
about being an independent league, but there are several ways the league
keeps up financially besides registration fees.

When ran properly, our snack bars are really our big money-maker, Coco
said. Through the last year, most of our funds have come from running
independent tournaments. We have this great facility here. We invite
different travel teams, or different organizations, to come here and work
together to raise funds.

Photo credit: James McDaniels/USC

One of the biggest challenges for the Pico Boys Baseball League in recent
years, according to Coco, is maintaining players. The league had 300
registered players last year, which is down significantly from a high of around
425 registered players in 2008. This decrease in players in the league
represents a national trend in recent years regarding children and baseball.
According to a study by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association,
nationwide participation in baseball among children aged 6 to 12 years old
dropped from 5.3 million in 2008 to 4.5 million in 2013, a 14.4 percent
decrease. The Washington Post also reported Little League has seen a
decline in youth participation from almost 3 million players in the 1990s to
2.4 million players in 2013.
Coco said one of the main reasons for this decline in players is that other
facilities in Pico Rivera have made major upgrades that are attracting
players. The league is trying to combat this problem by saving money for a
project that would include an upgrade of its concession area and the building
of new batting and pitching cages at its facility at Streamland Park. Coco
said once the project is complete, extra money will be used to bring in exprofessional baseball players to work with the leagues players.
The Pico Boys Baseball League is finalizing this plan with the City of Pico
Rivera, which leases the facility to the league. The city also pays for the
facilitys lights and basic maintenance.

The city has been a great help, Coco said. Theyre our support overall
because they support our independence here.
While being an independent league has its hurdles, the Pico Boys Baseball
League has the advantage of running the program how it wants. According
to Tony Medina, who has been a coach in the league for 16 years, one way
the league does this is by playing by different rules compared to other
organizations.
For example, like stealing at home, if the runner was on third base and the
ball gets passed the catcher, they cant advance; they have to advance on a
hit, Medina said. Here at Pico Boys, its pretty much hard-nosed baseball.
Its just like national league rules: something gets by the catcher, youre free
to go.
The coaching and rules of the Pico Boys Baseball League have certainly
positively affected players because the league has a history of producing
players who have gone professional, including Stephen Zavala and Peter
Lavin.

Photo credit: James McDaniels/USC

In a time when fewer youth are playing baseball, Pico Rivera continues to be
a breeding ground for baseball players. David Rodriguez, who has been a
coach with the league for 36 years and is known as Coach Baylor, said he
has seen many teams and players succeed in the past, and that tradition of
excellence is still going strong.
We went to New York in 2015 and out of 126 teams, we only came in
second; we made it to the championship, Rodriguez said. We came in
second only to the United States Olympic International 12-and-Under team,
which is handpicked: 15 kids from 15 different states.

Gabriel Orosco, a parent and the commissioner of the leagues pee-wee

division, said talent being passed down generations and spirit are reasons
some members of the league stay involved with the organization for many
years. It is this camaraderie that culminates the success the league has
despite its challenges.
When you have a core group of people who are dedicated, they are willing
to do whatever it takes, Orosco said. If we need to raise money to send
our kids to Omaha or Cooperstown, we do it. Its a lot of hard work. Its a lot
of extra time, but thats the passion and pride of Pico Boys.
Tweets:
Families lined up as they sign their kids up for Pico Boys Baseball! #jour302
#picorivera
(includes second picture in post)
Is baseball becoming less popular amongst todays youth? Stats say yes.
Read more here: (link) #jour302 #picorivera