By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
The 2006 Little League season will get under way in both Brewton and East Brewton Saturday.
Opening day in Brewton will start at 2 p.m. with a pair of games, as the Marlins square off against the Mets, while the Cardinals meet the Braves. Both of those games are in the age 9-10 division.
Last year's age 11-year-old all stars will be recognized at 4 p.m. when their district championship banner will be unveiled. Two games in the age 11-12 division will immediately follow, as the Astros tangle with the Orioles, and the Dodgers face the Red Sox.
Play will continue in the age 11-12 division in the 5:30 p.m. session where the Red Sox hook up with the Nationals, and the Orioles play the Dodgers.
The final contest of the day is also an age 11-12 division game, as the Nationals meet the Astros at 7 p.m.
All games will count in the regular season standings. Games in the age 9-10 division will be played under a 90-minute time limit. Games in the age 11-12 division will be limited to four innings.
Player introductions will be held prior to each team's first game of the day.
East Brewton Little League teams will share the spotlight with teams in the t-ball and age 7-8 division on its opening day.
The first pitch ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. and will be provided by state Sen. Pat Lindsey. Lindsey helped land a state grant that helped fund the construction of R.T. Johnson Park, which opened last year.
Like Brewton, player introductions will also be made prior to the first game for each of the East Brewton Little League teams.
The first Little League game pits the Yankees and Cardinals in the age 11-12 division and will run from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The Braves and Cubs square off in the age 9-10 division from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Play shifts back to the age 11-12 level when the Cardinals and Dodgers play from 12 noon to 1:15 p.m.
The Cubs and A's play from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the age 9-10 group.
The last game of the day in the age 11-12 division features the Dodgers and Yankees from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. The final Little League game of the day is an age 9-10 contest between the A's and Braves, which runs from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Each of the Little League games will count in the regular season standings.
Games in the age 7-8 and t-ball division will be played at the Babe Ruth field. Contests in the age 7-8 division will last one hour in length. Games in the t-ball division will last 45 minutes.
The first game in those groups will be played from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. between the Giants and Indian in the age 7-8 division.
A t-ball game between the Devil Rays and Orioles is scheduled between 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. The Redbirds and Blue Jays play from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in another t-ball contest.
Play will shift back to the age 7-8 group where the Giants
and Royals play from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. T-ball play gets back in action when the Orioles and Blue Jays meet from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Another t-ball game follows when the Redbirds and Devil Rays face off from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The final age 7-8 game of the day pits the Royals and Indians from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The day's final two games are in t-ball where the Devil Rays and Blue Jays battle from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., and the Orioles play the Redbirds from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.