World Champ Giants hit home run with Concord fans, Junior Giants

GIANTS FANS FROM CONCORD Isaac Gutierrez (left), Fernanda Ramirez and her brother Andre at Todos Santos Plaza.

Jay Bedecarré

JAY BEDECARRÉ, Concord Pioneer

Since 2010 the San Francisco Giants have won three World Series titles, each time earning another championship trophy. The team has involved their fans in these World Series successes with a big parade and by touring their trophies around California and the Western States, stopping off in Concord for the first time this month with the local Junior Giants reaping a big reward.

Tying in the trophy tour with the Concord chapter of Junior Giants, the 2010-2012-2014 World Series trophies came to Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord. A line wound around the entire block square park with fans waiting their chance to have a picture taken with the shiny hardware. Before the evening was over, 1,700 diehards had posed on the Todos Santos stage, according to Concord Junior Giants commissioner Ana Villalobos.

The crowd at Todos Santos was attired in black and orange shirts, hats, scarves and other gear. They waited patiently for their chance to stand behind— but not touch!—the trophies for a cherished photo. They could order photos and packages ranging from $20 to $175.

Villalobos was thrilled with the turnout, which included many families who are part of Concord Junior Giants. “The Giants were so gracious and stayed until after dark so that every person could get their picture taken.” She added that $4,000 was donated that day to help fund the upcoming third season of Concord Junior Giants. The Junior Giants program has been around for 20 years.

The Major League Baseball team, its sponsors and fans have invested $12.3 million so that by the end of this year nearly a quarter million girls and boys ages 5-18 in 90 communities can play baseball. Glove drives at AT&T Park and other special events allow the program to provide baseball gloves to youth who can’t afford one of their own.

“Last summer 100 of our players went to the park where Buster Posey and the Junior Giants gave each of them a glove,” the Concord commissioner added. The visit featured a behind-the-scenes tour at AT&T Park for the Junior Giants.

The program stresses leadership, fair play and education in addition to teaching baseball skills. Each player is required to read for over an hour each week which translated to over 110,000 hours by Concord players last summer, Villalobos proudly said.

Monument Impact executive director Mike Van Hofwegen worked with the Giants to get the Concord program underway in 2013 when 120 kids took part in the first season. The program grew to 200 last summer and Villalobos expects to have 300 players in 2015, almost equally divided between boys and girls.

Concord Junior Giants will lower their starting age to seven years old this year (from eight) and the oldest players are 14. Kids practice one day a week for two hours and have non-competitive, “pure fun” weekend games. There are no scores or statistics taken. Villalobos is excited that this coming 10- week season will be played on Concord American Little League fields.

All the coaches are volunteers. Celeste Graybill coordinates the younger half of the age groups and Allyn Mozon handles the 11-14 year-olds.

Each player gets a hat and t- shirt and the Giants give the league catcher’s equipment, parents handbooks and a pitching machine.

Players bring their own shoes and pants or the league provides them. Local fund raising includes the trophy picture day, a dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and donation cans at local businesses — Los Rancheros Market, Los Montañas, Dolan’s Lumber, El Yahualica Tacos, Chopan Kabob, Mi Oficina Computer Café, Tortilleria El Molino and Mercado Del Sol.