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 History |
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League History
Little League Baseball was first introduced to the boys of Springfield in 1954 by a small group of fathers headed by Harry Wood, Vic Aldridge, Bill Abrams, Jim Owens, Kent Browning, Ray Ramsey and Frank Ralston. These men organized and transported 60 boys to Annandale to play in that program. Initial equipment was obtained from the then small number of community merchants and from the fathers themselves.
Franchised Little League came to Springfield a year later in 1955 with the granting of a charter to a four team League by the National Little League Headquarters in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The area franchised included all of what is now considered Springfield proper.
As the popularity of the program and the population of the area rapidly grew, it became necessary to split the League in 1962, and the North Springfield Little League became a separate program.
The Springfield program continued to expand through the 1960's with 16 Major League and 24 Minor League teams. In 1971, following the tremendous population explosion in the West Springfield area and the growth of the program participation to 1,150 boys, it was again necessary to divide the League. The West Springfield Little League began in 1972, leaving 475 boys in what is now the Central Springfield Little League (CSLL).
Since 1972, Central Springfield Little League has developed many innovations designed to improve baseball abilities and enjoyment. Among these are clinics, the use of pitching machines in the TB1(A) League and a TB2 (T-Ball) program to introduce 5-6 year old children to baseball.
Other changes since 1972 included the expansion of the charter boundaries to encompass Saratoga, Newington Station, Chancellor Farms and the Franconia area west of Rose Hill; and in 1975, the lifting of the "boys only" policy by Little League Baseball, Inc. Initially, 15 girls registered in the program with girls now an integral part of the League at all levels.
Trailside Park, where most of our games are played, was originally owned by Edward Lynch, who, in 1965, allowed the League to develop fields there. It was later purchased by the Fairfax County Park Authority who retains ownership of the property. However, through the Park Authority's "Adopt-A-Field" program, the League performs all maintenance and repairs at Trailside Park. In 1992, Field #1 at Franconia Park was added to our "Adopt-A-Field" agreement with regular season games first scheduled there in 1993.
Also in 1993, in conjunction with West Springfield Little League, we fielded our first Challenger Team for children with physical and mental challenges ; a program which has grown to the largest in the world. 1995 saw the installation of lights on Fields #1 & #2 -- the greatest capital improvement ever made by CSLL.
In 2000, at the behest of league parents, CSLL introduced a Junior League program for our 13 and 14 year olds. Franconia Field #1 was converted into a dual 60' and 90' facility, with a skinned infield. Our first Junior League season involved three teams--the Devil Rays, Diamondbacks, and Marlins--and we played interleague play against teams from Woodlawn, Bucknell, and Fort Belvoir LLs. In 2002, Franconia Field #1 was turned into a fully-enclosed 90' field, complete with turfed infield. Our Junior League program expanded to five teams, and we also introduced our first Senior League team into the fray!
From our earliest years the business and professional communities of Springfield have provided financial support for Little League. Literally hundreds of businesses have come to our aid, and we owe our gratitude to each and every one of them. We also owe our gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers who have made playing baseball at Trailside and Franconia parks a truly rewarding experience.
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